Eating out at your favorite restaurant can be detrimental to your weight loss plan. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer watchdog organization, points to one problem: you have no idea how many calories are in your meal. Gourmet coffee drinks can have more than 800 calories. Hamburgers can have more than 1,000 calories. Moreover, restaurant portion sizes are out of control. When eating out, let common sense and knowledge be your guide. Make healthy menu selections, and do not feel obligated to eat everything on your plate.
Portions v. Servings
In a May 2010 newsletter, CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson criticized large chain restaurants for promoting "caloric extremism," which only encourages weight gain and obesity. Restaurant portions are not servings; and such large offerings can affect your judgment. MayoClinic.com dietitians Jennifer Nelson and Katherine Zeratsky state that before you eat out, you should become acquainted with what a real serving looks like. For example, a serving of chicken or fish is around 3 oz., around the size of a deck of cards. A 1/2-cup serving of pasta or rice is the size of a hockey puck. A baked potato should be the size of your fist. And, a 1/2-cup serving of ice cream is around the size of 1/2 a baseball. Nelson and Zeratsky advise restaurant goers to eat half of their meal or split it with a dining partner. If there's a small or "lunch sized" portion, order that instead of a full entree.
Healthy Entrees
A simple burger and fries can easily bust your calorie budget. The CSPI, when announcing its "2010 Xtreme Eating Awards," noted that one popular restaurant chain serves a bacon cheeseburger that contains 920 calories; a large side of fries adds another 1,460 calories. Make healthy selections when you choose from the menu. The Cleveland Clinic suggests picking meat entrees that are grilled, baked, roasted, poached or steamed. Skip the gravy, butter and breading. If ordering pizza, load up on veggies or lean meats such as chicken or Canadian bacon; request that only half the normal amount of cheese be used. Stay away from cream-based pasta sauces; select pasta dishes with tomato sauce instead. Ask for scrambled egg whites or an egg white omelet stuffed with veggies rather than cheese and sausage. Butter, mayonnaise, cheese and sour cream tack on the extra calories -- go easy on these.
Other Ordering Tips
High calorie beverages should also be on your watch list whenever you eat out. Water, diet soda and unsweetened tea and coffee are safe choices; use artificial sweeteners if you like your tea or coffee sweet. Some restaurant desserts can have as many calories as your meal -- or even more. The CSPI reports that one popular chain restaurant offering, a chocolate cake layered with truffle cream and chocolate mouse, has almost 1,700 calories. A cup of strawberries, on the other hand, has only 110. If you order a rich dessert, split it with your dining partners and only have a bite or two.
On the Horizon
If you're trying to lose weight but find it impossible to count calories when you eat out, help is on the horizon: consumers will soon see, in plain numbers, how many calories they get from restaurant food. In March 2010, Congress charged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with proposing regulations for calorie labeling on menus of chain restaurants with at least 20 outlets, as well as vending machine operators with 20 or more vending machines. The calorie count in various menu items will be displayed on menus and menu boards and even on drive-through menus. As of April 2011, the FDA had devised proposed rules and was seeking public input.
References
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Health Reform to Deliver Calorie Counts to Chain Restaurant Menus Nationwide; March 2010
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: And the Envelope, Please: The 2010 Xtreme Eating Awards Go To...; May 2010
- Mayo Clinic: Portion Control; J. Nelson, K. Zeratsky; December 2009
- Weight-control Information Network: Just Enough for You
- Cleveland Clinic: Smart Choices When Dining Out; April 2011
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Overview of FDA Proposed Labeling Requirements for Restaurants ...; April 2011
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