Book reveals fat, calorie counts in restaurant food

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Most restaurants don't want customers to know the calorie count or amount of fat grams they're serving. That's restaurant bliss.

Here's why: Calories in that take-out bag can be stratospherical, and the abundance of fat on that dinner plate can be downright scary.

Last week I told you about Chili's Awesome Blossom fried onion. You were probably as shocked as I at its calorie (2,710) and fat (203 grams) numbers. What were they thinking?

I learned about that awesome artery clogger and hundreds of other things from David Zinczenko's new book, "Eat This, Not That." Zinczenko, Men's Health magazine editor, introduces his book by writing: "I don't want you to read this book because I want you to do something else: I want you to USE it." And use it we should.

When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, good food information is key. For me, that means knowing what's in every bite I put in my mouth. At home that's easy -- just read the product's nutrition label. But at a restaurant that task gets tricky.

You can head to a restaurant's Web site to check out nutritional information; but not all restaurants, like Cracker Barrel, Maggiano's and Outback, post those numbers. And of those that do, not all specify serving size, so it can still be difficult to know which menu item's healthier.

That's when "Eat This, Don't Eat That" comes to the rescue. Here's a sample of what Zinczenko's book offers: go with On The Border's chicken salsa fresca (510 calories, 11 fat grams), not the blackened chicken fiesta salad (1,150 calories, 75 fat grams); bite into Subway's 6-inch double-meat roast beef sub (with mustard, no mayo) (360 calories, 7 fat grams), not the 6-inch tuna sub (530 calories, 31 fat grams); dig into Panera's BBQ chicken crispani (380 calories, 15 fat grams) not the healthier-sounding Sierra turkey sandwich (840 calories, 40 fat grams).

Surprising? You betcha.

Zinczenko devotes a whole chapter to generic menu decoding for restaurants such as Indian, tapas and Thai. Here you'll find that a spinach and feta cheese omelet with wheat toast is a better way to start your day at a breakfast diner, than waffles (typically 550 calories and 21 fat grams), and you'll know to run don't walk away from eggs Benedict. At your favorite sports bar where a beef burger with ketchup, mustard and produce works far better than a cheeseburger with mayo.

There's a whole section devoted to holidays and special occasions where Zinczenko helps sidestep such land mines as which pie has fewer calories and the least fat (pumpkin fewest at 465 and blueberry the least fat at 19 grams); pecan's the worst at 678 calories and 51 fat grams.

Zinczenko also offers up a chapter for kids, as well as one helping to chart a healthier course through the supermarket and one devoted just to drinks. He also shares valid weight-loss dietary advice (Zinczenko authored the six-book "Abs Diet" series).

Whether you're working on losing weight, keeping it off or just being healthy, this book's an absolute must-have. Buy it and you'll own an often-used, decision-making resource that'll also ruin most restaurant's bliss.

Try this recipe: Generally, jambalaya is more a restaurant dish than homemade. A classic restaurant version, thanks to high-in-fat andouille sausage (a N'awlin's favorite), usually means a definite "can't eat it" for me. At home though, substituting lower fat spicy turkey sausage turns this into a tasty lean meal.

Single Skillet Jambalaya

6 (about 1½ pounds) skinless, boneless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

8 ounces low-fat, spicy turkey sausage, cut crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and chopped

5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (should be about 1 rounded tablespoon)

1½ cups long-grain basmati rice, rinsed under cold water until the water runs clear

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

2½ cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 pound, 31- to 40-count shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed under cold water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (Italian flat-leaf preferred), optional

Using paper towels, dry chicken thighs and then season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

Place a 12-inch, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons olive oil. When oil is hot carefully add chicken thighs, and cook until light brown, about 4-6 minutes. Turn thighs over and cook for 3 minutes more, or until light brown. Remove thighs to a dinner plate.

Return skillet to heat, add turkey sausage and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove sausage to a small, paper towel-lined bowl.

Reduce heat to medium, add remaining oil, onion, peppers, and garlic to skillet; cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook for 3 minutes, or until edges turn translucent. Add and stir in tomatoes, clam juice, and chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Return thighs to skillet and nestle into the mixture. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 25-30 to minutes. Stir shrimp and sausage into rice, cover and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and let stand, covered until shrimp are fully cooked and rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with optional parsley.

Serves six.

Nutrition values per serving (without added salt): 469 calories (17.2 percent from fat), 9.0 g fat (2.1 g saturated fat), 49.4 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g fiber, 46.2 g protein, 197 mg cholesterol, 715 mg sodium.

Salt Sense: Using no-salt-added tomatoes reduces sodium per serving to 548 mg.