Restaurant Food Doesn't Have to Serve Up Excess Calories

Dear Chef Kathleen,
 
My husband and I need to lose about 75 pounds each. I say we're fat because we eat out all the time. He says it doesn't matter where you eat, it matters what you eat. Settle this, Chef Kathleen!

Shawna


Dear Shawna,

While it's certainly possible to eat out healthy, according to a study by the Center for Science in the public interest, "A typical restaurant meal contains about 1000 calories and that's without the dessert or appetizers." About a half a days calories if you're on a 2000 calorie a day diet or about 75% of your day's calories if you're trying to stay between 1400 and 1600 calories a day. Tack on soft drinks, cocktails and or desserts and you're dipping into tomorrow's calories.

According to the National Association for the study of obesity, "The frequency of consuming restaurant food was positively associated with increased body fatness in adults. The increasing proportion of household food income spent on food prepared away from home in the United States may therefore help explain the rising national prevalence of obesity." An American Cancer Society Study found that, "People who frequently ate breakfast or dinner in restaurants had about two times the risk of being obese as those who ate these meals at home."

Consider an order of onion rings has about 900 calories, a trimmed 16 ounce portion of prime rib has about 1000 calories and an order of cheese fries packs a whopping 3000 calories. Single serving desserts are no calorie bargain either. Most restaurant portions of ice cream have about 600 calories, tarts, cakes and pies can run into the thousands.

No matter what you order and how much you leave behind, research shows that we consume more calories when we eat out. On average, about 150 calories more per day. One meal out a day could add an extra 15 pounds a year to your waistline.

Healthy sounding doesn't always mean healthy for you. No harm in that "bran" muffin and latte on the fly you say? Not if you plan on taking a brisk 2 hour and 15 minute walk, the amount of time required to burn off 500 empty muffin calories.

Chicken and tuna salad sandwiches on whole grain bread sound healthy enough but can contain up to 800 calories and 80 grams of fat, more than a cheeseburger, an order of fries and a coke. Salads can be loaded with high calorie extras (bacon bits, croutons, sliced almonds, grated cheese, mandarin oranges packed in syrup, tortilla strips and fried ramen noodles) and are often served with high calorie, high sodium, sugary dressings.

10 Tips for Eating Out Healthy

1. Choose a restaurant that can serve your dietary needs. Fast food restaurants have more healthy options than ever before but most of the meals are still really high in sodium. The temptation to snitch French fries or sips of soda may be too tempting. Instead, frequent restaurants that have a wide variety of options to choose from.
   
   
2. Menu preparations to avoid: deep fried, pan fried, breaded, lightly sautéed, light cream sauce, sauce, buerre blanc (butter). Light cream may or may not mean less cream. Regardless, cream sauces should be strictly limited. Breaded items are usually lightly sautéed or lightly fried which means they're cooked in some amount of fat. Ask if the chef will bake the item or leave the coating off and broil or grill it for you.
   
   
3. Menu preparations to investigate with your waiter: grilled, broiled, baked, stir fried, braised or steamed. Ask questions. Is the grilled chicken brushed with oil just before serving so it looks juicy? Is the broiled fish garnished with a pat of butter? Is olive oil poured over the chicken just before baking? Can the stir fry veggies be steamed instead?
   
   
4. Cruise the appetizer, soup and salad offerings for healthy sounding options. Consider ordering a soup and salad or an appetizer instead of an entrée or limit your meal to a single entrée.
   
   
5. Design your own meal. Most restaurants are more than happy to honor your special requests. To ensure that the cooks have enough time in the kitchen to accommodate special orders, dine well before or after peak meal times.
   
   
6. Drink water. Especially if you're considering dessert. Soft drinks and cocktails can add 200 to 800 calories per serving to your meal.
   
   
7. Hold the bread and butter. Ask the hostess to inform the waiter that you would prefer not to be served bread and butter. The same rule applies to chips and salsa.
   
   
8. Pack up half. Unless you're dining at a health spa, chances are the amount of food you will be served will be more than you need to consume to fuel your body efficiently.
   
   
9. Split desserts or better, skip them altogether especially if you're at the Cheesecake Factory where a slice of carrot cake will set you back 1560 calories. A whole day's worth for some people!
   
   
10. If you want to have total control over the quality and quantity of the foods you eat, cook at home more and eat out less. Limit the number of times you eat out each week by scaling back gradually.

kd@chefkathleen.com