Restaurant eating

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Restaurant eating

In today's fast-paced society, restaurant eating is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity for many people. Eating out has become an integral part of business, social, and family life. On average, Americans eat one meal a day in some kind of restaurant, whether it's a neighborhood diner or a gourmet establishment.

Although it's convenient, restaurant eating poses serious challenges to nutrition-conscious diners. Many items on restaurant menus are exceptionally high in fat and sodium. Even if a person makes healthful choices, there is always a potential for overindulgence when someone else is doing the cooking and measuring the portions.

When dining in a restaurant, extras add up as quickly on the calorie tally as they do on the bill. The before-dinner cocktail, additional tablespoon of salad dressing, and second pat of butter on a roll contribute a sizeable number of calories — possibly as many as the entree itself. Fortunately, however, careful planning can make eating in almost any kind of restaurant healthful as well as enjoyable.

How does restaurant eating affect the body?

When a person is busy socializing with a dining companion, it's easy to lose track addition, a restaurant portion that looks small may be very dense in calories, particularly if it contains or was cooked in butter or cream. Of course, small portions are the exception in most restaurants; in general, servings tend to be far too large. The net result is that a person can overeat in a

When eating in a restaurant, don't hesitate to ask that food be prepared to your dietary specification.

restaurant without even realizing it. Over the long term, too many rich restaurant meals can lead to weight gain and high blood cholesterol.

Individuals with high blood pressure and certain heart conditions must also take pains to avoid consuming excess sodium in restaurant meals. Again, it may be a challenge since many foods and sauces are liberally salted in preparation, and such seemingly healthful choices as tomato juice, club soda, and clear soups tend to be high in sodium.

What can I do myself?
Before going to a restaurant, a person should plan what is to be ordered. Someone who is unfamiliar with the menu can call ahead and ask about specific dishes. A growing number of restaurants have special heart-healthy menu sections or indicate on their menus the foods that contain the least fat and fewest calories. Other restaurants may be able to prepare certain items to a client's specifications.

For example, a person can ask that meat be broiled, and that sauces be served on the side.

Once at the restaurant, don't give in to impulses. An extra glass of wine or beer not only adds calories, but may also make it more difficult to resist other temptations. Never feel that you have to eat everything on the plate. If you hate to see food wasted, ask the waiter or waitress to wrap the leftovers to take home or give to a homeless person.

When should I see my doctor?
Consult a doctor or a registered dietitian for help in outlining an overall eating plan that includes restaurant meals if you are more than 20 percent over desirable weight or your blood cholesterol level is over 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). A medical weight-control program may be needed by a person who has trouble controlling eating in restaurants.

What will the doctor do?
The doctor may suggest consulting a registered dietitian, who will request keeping a diary of everything that is eaten for several days. The dietitian will then recommend specific changes that fit in with individual eating patterns.

Long-term approach

For anyone who is trying to lose weight or lower consumption of fat and sodium, restaurant eating poses a distinct challenge. With a little self-discipline and planning, however, a person can eat in restaurants frequently and still stay healthy. Furthermore, as customers and chefs alike become more nutritionally aware, restaurants are becoming more sophisticated in developing tasty and interesting low-fat, low-calorie, and low-salt dishes.

Advice about restaurant eating

Breakfast:

Order whole-grain toast or a bagel instead of a pastry.
Ask for unbuttered toast, pancakes, or French toast.
Avoid bacon and sausage; order Canadian bacon or lean ham instead. If you're limiting sodium, avoid breakfast meats altogether.
Have poached or boiled eggs, but no more than 3 times per week.
Ask for low-fat milk for coffee and cereal.

Lunch:

Have broth rather than cream-based soup.
Avoid cheese in salads and on pasta, sandwiches, and burgers.
Have mustard instead of mayonnaise. Limit use of mustard, pickles, pepper sauce, etc. if you are on a low-sodium diet.
Avoid mayonnaise-based salad dressings.

Have turkey, chicken, or lean ham rather than pastrami, corned beef, or bologna in a sandwich.

Dinner:

Have only one cocktail or drink before dinner.
Order seafood or vegetable appetizers; avoid pates, chips, and fried appetizers.
Order salad dressing on the side.
For an entree, have broiled, poached, or steamed fish or chicken (skin removed), or pasta with a tomato or herb sauce. Trim all visible fat from meat.
When ordering a high- carbohydrate entree (pasta, bean casserole), select a high-protein appetizer (shrimp cocktail, clams).
Ask the waiter to remove the bread basket after everyone has made his or her selection.
Use butter or margarine sparingly.
Avoid cakes, mousses, pies, and other rich desserts. Have fresh fruit, sorbet, or angel food cake instead.

This article was last reviewed December 17, 2005 by Dr. James Krider.
Reproduced in part with permission of Home Health Handbook.

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