Disaster Averted

Yesterday's potentially disastrous restaurant experience taught this dietitian a lesson. I always tell people that they can surely find something on a menu without high maintenance ordering that requires the kitchen staff to prepare something special for them. Well, I now know that isn't always true. The restaurant had an excitingly modern menu with lots of very tempting offerings. But nothing that fit into my WW core plan. Nothing. Not about to announce to everyone that I was on a "die-t", I just ordered what came closest to being safe-Chicken salad but made with creme fraiche. Not exactly low calorie. In fact, probably not even close. But my other choices were far more caloric and off the mark. Thankfully, this restaurant serves normal size portions so what I got was about one cup of chicken salad (nice big hunks of chicken, a few pine nuts, a couple of plump raisins mixed with a modest amount of creme fraiche, vinegar and seasonings) served over a spring lettuce mix. The plates were small-making the salad look ample. I did not eat the two very tempting grilled bread slices that accompanied the dish. I ate slowly. I put my fork down between bites. I talked a lot (not unusual for me!). In fact, my friends finished their lunches long before I did. They ordered dessert presuming their eating buddy, Sharon, would join them. I abstained. A spoon was presented to me for sharing. I opted out. Not a bite. Not a morsel. Not a lick. Good for you, Sharon!

The chicken salad was the best I have EVER eaten. Truly. Had there been twice the amount on my plate, I would have eaten it all. Well, maybe not now that I'm working on eating sensibly but certainly last week before I made this promise to myself to return to my earlier heavy weight that is less than my present heavy weight.

One of the restaurant owners told us that there have been complaints that the portions are too SMALL. Can you believe it? Every newspaper headline screams at us that we are an obese nation. And people are complaining that the portions are too small! Yes, the portions were smaller than what people may expect but not too small. Just right, in fact. Perfect. And that coming from someone who is a glutton.

Another review tomorrow. Ugh. This one at a Mexican restaurant. Why am I being tortured? Why am I being tested this way?