Dining Out In Miami
Dining Out In Miami: How to Make Healthy Choices
Many Miami residents have a weight loss goal. The only problem…
Miami’s amazing nightlife!
There are so many temptations to be found in Miami’s world-class restaurants that it can be easy to sabotage your health and fitness goals without even knowing it.
However, you don’t need to sacrifice a healthy social life in order to be in great shape – simply learn to make smarter choices at your favorite hangouts!
Most restaurants are used to special requests and will gladly substitute certain ingredients or cooking methods to meet your needs.
The following is a list of various types of restaurants that includes: what to order, what to avoid, and how to order it to maintain your healthy lifestyle!
MEXICAN
South Beach – Lime
Midtown – Mercadito
Brickell – Rosa Mexicano
Coconut Grove – Senior Frogs
Two of the most popular dishes when going out for Mexican food in Miami are chili rellenos and cheese enchiladas. Most personal trainers in Miami will agree that these dishes should not be on your list if you want to eat healthy and not destroy your nutrition plan. You would wind up getting more fat grams in that one meal than you are allowed all day. The main items to avoid at a Mexican Restaurant are:
- cheese
- sour cream
- avocado
- flour tortillas
- refried beans
- tortilla chips
Serious Miami personal training clients should stay away from the chili con queso and guacamole dip (they are loaded with fats!) Remember, it’s not just the fat by itself you want to avoid; it is the fat combined with the carbohydrates.
Here is a comparison of good choices vs. bad choices:
| TYPICAL MEAL | BETTER CHOICE |
|---|---|
| Chili con queso/chips | Salsa with corn tortillas (steamed) |
| Chili Rellenos | Chicken Fajitas |
| Refried Beans | Black Beans |
| Mexican rice (with lard) | Mexican Rice (if no lard is used) |
| Gold Margarita | Lite Margarita |
CHINESE
South Beach – Mr. Chow
Downtown – Ms. Yip
Brickell – P.F. Chang’s
Chinese food can actually be very healthy if you know how order.
The main thing to be aware of is that Chinese food is prepared with many types of oils and certain Chinese favorites are battered and fried.
The main offenders are:
- Fried rice
- Egg rolls
- Szechuan dishes with peanuts and almonds
Chinese restaurants use steamed white rice and many vegetables in their dishes, so take advantage of these items. Here is an example of a popular meal versus what you should try next time
| TYPICAL MEAL | BETTER CHOICE | |
|---|---|---|
| Egg drop soup | None 
| |
| Egg roll | Steamed vegetable | |
| Fried rice | Steamed rice | |
| Kung Pao chicken | Steamed Shrimp or chicken |
Dining out in Miami doesn’t have to be difficult while you maintain a healthy nutrition plan – it also doesn’t have to be your excuse to over-indulge and regret your decisions the next morning either!
Living a healthy lifestyle in Miami doesn’t mean sacrificing the things you love… Just show restraint. And remember that everyone else is dealing with the same temptations.