10 Tips for Dining Out by Meri Raffetto RD

There is no doubt about it; Americans are eating in restaurants more often than ever before. In 1970 Americans spent just 26% of their food dollars on restaurant meals. Today we spend 46% of food dollars on eating out. This is likely the result of a fast paced lifestyle and more convenience of restaurants. What have also grown are restaurant portion sizes. The average restaurant portion size is large enough to feed three adults! Furthermore, studies have found a direct association between eating out and higher caloric intakes and higher body weights. This is important to know since obesity rates have doubled in the past 20 years and currently 65% of adults are obese.

This doesn’t mean you have to forego eating in restaurants. This may not be realistic for many people’s lifestyles. Instead, become more aware of what you are ordering and how much is on your plate. Here are 10 tips for dining out.

1.At lunch, opt for a deli sandwich with vegetable soup or side salad instead of a burger and fries. You can find these items in your local deli or supermarket.

2.Avoid specialty breads on sandwiches such as foccacia, baguettes or rolls, and choose whole grain bread instead.

3.Avoid anything mixed with heavy sauces or mayonnaise. (a tuna or egg salad sandwich in a restaurant may have more mayonnaise than you would add at home).

4.Get your salad dressings, sauces, and gravies on the side.

Go to Page 2

BIO:

Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She has developed online weight management programs to help people get off of diets and get into way of life. For more information or to sign up for our free newsletter, visit www.reallivingnutrition.com.

Some Aditional Articles you may enjoy

Nutrition for a Healthy Lifestyle by Dr. Jeff Hand

Bextra's Safety Questioned by Bob Weiss

What is Meditation? by Robert Elias Najemy

Lifestyle Advice for Angry Type-A Action People by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAc

Evening Primrose by Judi Singleton

Click a Number to go to an article index page
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39