Cajun cuisine is spicy fare. Many Cajun dishes are high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium or all three, but almost all of them can be made with more healthful ingredients.

Tips:

• Avoid fried seafood and hush puppies.
• Blackened entrees are usually dipped in butter or oil, covered with spices and pan fried; ask the cook to use only a small amount of oil.
• Ask for all sauces and gravies on the side.

Fried crawfish or shrimp	Boiled crawfish or shrimp
Gumbo, etouffe and sauces made with roux	Creole and jambalaya dishes
Fried seafood	Boiled or grilled seafood
Fried shrimp or oyster Po' Boy sandwiches	Turkey or roast beef Po' Boy sandwiches
Dirty rice (contains chicken gizzards, livers, butter, etc.)	White rice
Red beans and rice with sausage	Red beans and rice without sausage