Confession: I love eating out.

I love eating in general…but eating out has to be one of my favorite things to do with family and friends. A dietitian once told me that it’s ok to eat out (as long as we’re not doing it all of the time). She specifically recommended twice a week as a healthy goal, which is what I’ve been trying to follow. However, I treat eating out as just that - a treat.

French fries? Yes, please! Bacon? Yes, please.

I recently stumbled upon a survey that opened my eyes to the restaurant world. If you have 5 minutes please, please take this survey: http://cspinet.org/nah/quiz/index.html

So, here’s what I learned:

Turkey is a healthier choice than ham
Get light cream cheese instead of butter on your bagel (believe it or not jam is actually even better)
Order a muffin rather than a scone
Don’t buy snacks (even Twizzlers) at the movies
Skip the refried beans at Mexican restaurants

What did you learn from the survey? Now that I’ve ruined eating out, lets add some salt to that wound – don’t forget restaurant meals are often high in sodium because it’s an easy and inexpensive way to make food taste good. Here are some helpful tips:

use only a small amount of condiments (esp. ketchup)
watch out for ingredients labeled “pickled” or “cured” as the preservation process includes a whack of sodium
try eating only half your meal

Most restaurant-sized proportions are large enough for two anyways, so it’s an easy way to cut your salt intake in half. For more information on salt check out last week’s post – Much Ado About Salt.

Take away message: eating out every once in awhile is ok, just don’t be a passive eater! Be cognoscente of what you’re eating and share that dessert or appetizer to minimize a whopping 1,000 calorie meal.

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Image Courtesy of TarynElliott

Let's Eat at Home Tonight