Dressing on the Side, Please

And Other Requests That (Won’t) Annoy Your Server

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Nope, eating healthy ain’t easy. At home you can decide your own fate (read: buy the groceries). But when you dine out, all bets are off—you’re pretty much at the mercy of you and your cohorts’ collective decision, and occasionally you’ll have to ask your server to pull a few strings. Here are some typical requests that all but the most prix-fixe spots will happily oblige.

• Menus always list an entrée’s sides, but you can probably get away with switching those mashed potatoes out for something a little greener.
   
  • Featured or special veggie that’s not on the menu? Sub it in!
  • Read, read, and read again. Look at every entrée’s
    sides—you might find something unique to an item, and if they’ve got it, they can probably switch it out for yours.
• Some verbs are better than others. If your favored protein comes fried, breaded or some unholy combination of the two, request it grilled or broiled. Be wary of “baked,” though—it can pack in the butter like nobody’s business.
• Sauce on the side, or skip it altogether (but really, go for the side. Just a smidge can make the dish).
• Smaller protein? Larger vegetable? Special requests like this can upset the flow of food prep. It’s not totally unreasonable, but if the place looks busy, maybe just eat half and box up the rest.
• Less butter, oil or salt can usually be arranged, depending on the dish. It never hurts to ask!
• The devil is in the details—if a description is vague or there’s a word you don’t know, inquire! You may uncover a hidden calorie bomb in a sauce or side, and they’re used to it. Promise.

Having said all this, don’t go overboard with the demands—if you have to totally deconstruct it to fit your diet, maybe you’d be better off choosing something else and leaving the lab experiments to your home kitchen.

A great way to experience a dish as the chef intended is to just order it straight and split it with someone. You get to indulge, but still keep it on the healthy side. Plus many entrees are, quite frankly, too big. Do you really need a half chicken in butter sauce all to yourself?

If subbing in and out still isn’t getting you where you need to be, knowing how to read the menu can go a long way in helping you make healthy choices.

Our Obligatory Note About Tipping: If you’re one to make a lot of requests, think about the extra time and consideration that the kitchen and waitstaff put in. If you bend your server over backward, tip accordingly. If you split a dish, your server does all the same work for a lower bill. Consider this before leaving the usual 20 percent.