PASSAGE 23 Going to a restaurant shouldn’t be your excuse to eat healthy foods Follow these tips and not only will you enjoy your meal, you’ll feel satisfied and happy when you’re done First, ask for it your way Dining out is no time to be a meek consumer, notes Michael F Jacobson, executive director of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest and co- author of the book Restaurant Confidential “You need to be an assertive consumer by asking for changes on the menu”, he says For instance, if an item is fried, ask for it grilled If it comes with French fries, ask for a side of veggies instead Ask for a smaller portion of the meat and a larger portion of the salad; for salad instead of coleslaw; baked potato instead of fried “Just assume you can have the food prepared the way you want it,” says Dr Jacobson “Very often, the restaurant will cooperate.” Second, order a salad before ordering anything else on the menu Scientists at Pennsylvania State University found that volunteers who ate a big veggie salad before the main course ate fewer calories overall than those who didn’t have a first-course salad, notes Novick However, remember: Salads shouldn’t be fatty This is a vegetable course – keep it tasty but healthy That means avoiding anything in a creamy sauce (coleslaw, pasta salads, and potato salads), and skipping the bacon bits and fried noodles Instead, load up on the raw vegetables, treat yourself to a few welldrained marinated vegetables (artichoke hearts, red peppers, or mushrooms), and for a change, add in some fruit or nuts Indeed, fruits such as mango, kiwi, cantaloupe, and pear are often the secret ingredient in four-star salads (Adapted from http://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating-out-healthy/) Question Which of the following best replaces the word “meek” in the first paragraph? A Average B Assertive C Passive D Potential C A chef D A writer Question What is M F Jacobson’s job? A A doctor B A film director Question According to Jacobson, most restaurants A are ready to prepare food in the way you ask for B will cooperate to add your food on the menu C hate customer ordering food out of the menu D will ask customer for changes on the menu Question What is suggested as a starter? A Bacon bits B Coleslaw C Fried noodles D Veggie salads Question What does the word “those” in the third paragraph refer to? A Scientists B Calories C University students D Some volunteers Question It can be inferred from the passage that foods in restaurants are often A cheap B Expensive C Tasteless D unhealthy Question Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A Eating in a restaurant: Do’s and don’ts B Tips for eating healthy while dining out C Ways to order food beyond the menu D Tricks for cooking better than restaurants Page ĐÁP ÁN 1-C 2-D 6-B 7-A 3-A 4-D 5-D Page