Obesity: It’s What’s on the Menu

Trying to lose weight without success?  You may be underestimating your intake, especially if you frequently dine out.  With the downturn in the economy, consumers are demanding larger portions for more reasonable prices.  However, this may be bad news for your waistline.

Check out some of the nutrition information for these popular restaurant foods:

	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)
California Pizza Kitchen’s Tostada Lime Chicken Pizza	1,512	N/A	2,716
Chili’s Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad	1,050	63	2,160
PF Chang’s Kung Po Scallops	921	60	3,378
Cheesecake Factory’s Bistro Shrimp Pasta	2,285	N/A	824
Dunkin Donuts’ Honey Bran Raisin Muffin	480	13	430
Denny’s Bacon Avocado Breakfast Burrito	1,010	59	2,210

So, if start your day with Denny’s Bacon Avocado Breakfast Burrito, followed by Chili’s Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad for lunch, and Cheesecake Factory’s Bistro Shrimp Pasta for dinner, you would have consumed a whopping 4,435 calories!  This doesn’t include beverages.

Here are my top tips for cutting calories while dining out:

1. Make a reservation.  This will decrease wait time, plus cocktails at the bar can stimulate your appetite.
2. Look at the menu online (if available) before going to the restaurant.  This will help you make better choices.
3. Don’t leave the house hungry.  It will likely be more than an hour until you eat, so have a small snack, like a yogurt or a piece of fruit, before leaving the house.  It won’t wreck your appetite, but it will keep you from demolishing the bread basket.
4. Ask questions about method of preparation.  Is it breaded or fried?  Can the sauce be served on the side?  Don’t be shy about asking the restaurant to modify a dish to accommodate you.  (Boy did I learn my lesson here!  I once ordered a tuna salad platter thinking it was going to be an actual salad.  It arrived as an anemic piece of iceberg lettuce smothered with tuna and coleslaw drowned in about an entire jar of mayonnaise.  Gross!)
5. Order an appetizer as your entrée, or share an appetizer with the table.  This way, you can still enjoy your favorite dishes without consuming excessive portions.
6. Substitute sides. If the sides that come with your entrée don’t fit into your plan, ask for a substitution.
7. A la carte menus.  If side dishes are available, be sure to order a vegetable.  These are usually large, and meant to be shared with the table.
8. Desserts.  Fruit based desserts will have the most nutritional value for the calories, but if you want to splurge, it’s best to share with the table.  Many restaurant desserts are more calories than you would need for an entire meal (like Applebee’s Triple Chocolate Meltdown at 810 calories), and may leave you feeling overstuffed if you overindulge.

 

Eating home cooked meals is desirable when it comes to controlling fat and calories, but if you follow these tips, you can still enjoy dining out while keeping your belt on the same notch.