20 High Calorie Words To Avoid On The Menu

I love taking a break from the kitchen and heading out to dinner once in a while. Have you ever wondered what those fancy words mean that they use to describe their delicious entrees on the menu? Check out this list to find out if what you thought was healthy eating actually isn't.

So how can I—and you—not eat a whole day's worth of calories at one meal? One of the easiest ways is to steer clear of items described using words that indicate ingredients or cooking techniques that are high in calories, saturated fat or added sodium or sugar. You're probably familiar with some of the biggest offenders: fried, creamy, buttery, cheesy, loaded. But others may require some detective skills. Of course, every restaurant is different, so if you have any questions—or doubts—about how an item is cooked, ask your server to explain the preparation. Here, we've decoded some of the most common calorie-loaded and fattiest words to avoid on restaurant menus.

 

A la mode: In the U.S. this is code for topped with ice cream.

Aioli: A fancy word for a flavored mayonnaise.

Au gratin: Means cooked with butter and/or cream and topped with cheese or breadcrumbs.

Battered: Coated in batter and then typically deep-fried.

Béchamel: The base of most white sauces, made by stirring milk into a butter-flour roux. Fun fact: This sauce was named after Louis XIV's steward, Louis de Béchamel.

Beurre Blanc: Or white butter; this is a sauce made of a wine, vinegar and shallot reduction and butter.

Béarnaise: Another butter-based sauce, thickened with egg yolks and flavored with white wine and tarragon.

Bisque: A thick, rich soup usually made with cream.

Breaded: Like battered, breaded means the food is coated in breadcrumbs and fried.

Confit: When this word is used to describe a meat, it means the meat was salted and cooked in its own fat.

Carbonara: A sauce that includes cream, eggs, Parmesan cheese and bits of bacon.

Crispy: This is a nice-sounding way to describe something fried in oil.

Crunchy: Like crispy, this usually means fried, unless it's describing vegetables, in which case the vegetables are typically raw.

Deep-fried: The food is cooked in hot fat and submerged deep enough to completely cover the item. Shortening, lard or most oils are used for deep-frying, but not butter and margarine.

En croûte: This means wrapped in pastry dough and baked.

Fritters: A synonym for battered and deep-fried.

Golden: This usually means fried unless used as an adjective (e.g., golden beets).

Hollandaise: A sauce made of butter, egg yolks and lemon juice.

Pan-fried: Like sautéed, this seems like a healthier choice, but depending on what your food is pan-fried in (ahem, a generous pat or two of butter) it could easily be loaded with calories.

Refried: This typically is used to describe beans, in which case the beans (red or pinto) are mashed, then fried (usually in melted lard).

For 10 more high calorie words, check out Eating Well's original article.

 

Source: Eating Well

Image Source:

Kevin Cortopassi