Brazilian food...

So i'm going to take my parents out to this restaurant called Bossa Nova on Saturday night, it's brazilian. I'm not sure what I should eat there. Have any of you heard of it? If so, what do you suggest?? If you havent heard of it but have tried authentic brazillian food...is it really not good for you?? What would you suggest?

I dont know what to do when i have to go out to dinner.

Well, I'm no brazillian food expert but general eating out rules are all ver this site, and the weight watchers site.
These are hard and fast rules, just to make it easy

1.   Avoid anything deep-fried, or even fried (pan etc.) - its sure to have a lot of fat
2.   Portions sizes in restaurnts are skewed. Stick with an entree if you are unsure. If its too little, when it comes, order a salad (no dressing) and wait until it comes to eat it. Drink water in the mean time. Meat portions are often double what you need. Maybe, if you're dining with 3, and your paretns don't mind, order 2 mains and a entree. Ask for an extra plate and share the food around.
3.   Ask for your food to be cooked without butter/oil. Often "steamed vegetables" are steamed, then drowned in sauces. Grilled chicken may be grilled - in butter. Obviously don't pick butter chicken and ask for it without butter. Be friendly with your waiter, ask if you are unsure.
4.   Asian meals are traditionally healthy. But they're often westernised in our resturants, adding MSG, extra salt, extra creamy sauces etc. Stick to the steamed, roasted or grilled if you can. Have steamed rice instead of fried, avoid anything "coated, crumbed" etc as usually its fried too. :(
5.    Its hard, but just because you paid for it doesnt mean you have to eat it. If you're full, finish there.
6.   Dessert out isn't usually healthy unless its fruit salad, specifically low fat (but watch out for the cheesecake factory...) or gelato, or somehting like that. Avoid the "sinful chocolate torte" if you're watching cals - they dont usally come in a low-cal option. If you must have something, at least share. Remember, you can always go for a walk afterwards and find an icecream place that sells low fat
7.   Enjoy yourself. If you really can't pick anything, pick th eleast harmful and count it as a night off. Enjoy your time.

I found a review of Bossa Nova

I hope this is the one you're going to.  It looks like they have some healthy selections so you should be ok

All I know about Brazilian cuisine is that they use palm oil and coconut, and black beans, and rice, and that they have a way with beef.  I'd love to hear all about it when you come home!

Don't know about that restaurant but I know of a few brazillian dishes.  If there's a churrascada option (grilled meat on skewers) that can be healthy as long as you have mostly the chicken and very little of the beef or pork and load up on the veggies. 

Feijoada is another brazillian favorite, a pork and bean stew.  It could be healthy but unfortunately most of the pork meat and sausage used in it tends to be fatty, it depends on how that particular restaurant makes it, but I'd be cautious with it. 

Some of the dishes might be very similar to portuguese dishes so if i saw a menu i might be able to point out the healthier ones.  But even then, like most restaurants, they don't cut away all the fats and add in oils and what not to make it tastier :-)  Following the general restaurant rules from the other post is always a good way of going about it.

Found the menu!

Well, a lot of fried stuff, and italian stuff oddly enough :-)

In the appitizers I would definately try the Bolinhos de Bacalhau, they're fried but oh so good!  (and a portuguese specialty brought over to Brasil by the way, not a brazillian specialty ;-) )

I don't really see much that's very brazillian to be honest.  But there are some options for just generally healthy eating.  I would try the grilled chicken with the brazillian marinade and spices and veggies.  I think that might be good.  Or the salmon or other fish would be healthy too so long as they're not fried and covered in sauces.

Good luck and enjoy!

Go to the gym that morning eat really healthy through out the day and enjoy a good Brasilian meal. I don't know about this specific restaraunt but Coxinha's are awesome, pao de queso (little balls of cheese bread things) and Quibi is awesome, Steak and pretty much anything else the brasilians cook is pretty great. God i miss my moms cooking!

thank you so much! i'm going to avoid dessert at all costs, but I'll probably have some of their tuna rolls if they can make it without mayo. Either that or something with grilled chicken. I'll load up on salsa, and steamed veges too.

Have a dessert waiting at home - frozen grapes or fruit. YUmmo!

Oh my gosh, I love pao de queso.  Those things are addicting!  I even hunted down a Brazilian grocery store in my area and bought a few bags of frozen pao de queso that I heat up in my oven every now and then for a treat.

It would be great if we all lived in the same city so we would know what restaurant your talking about.