Tag Archives: restaurant meals

December 1, 2018 · 12:05 am

Tufts on healthy fast food choices

I have been out of the working world for some years, but I remember when I was I found myself dining on fast foods a lot more often than was healthy. Now that I am retired, I can usually fix something for myself that is simple and nutritious so I have lost my reliance on quick fixes.

It may be easier than it once was to find quick-service choices that fit into a healthy dietary pattern, according to the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter.

Fast food restaurants are relatively inexpensive, consistent, quick, familiar, and, for the most part, challenging places to eat if one wants to follow a healthy diet.

Photo by Foodie Factor on Pexels.com

According to the 2018 Fast Food Industry Analysis, one of the biggest forces acting on the fast food industry in America is the shifting of consumers’ tastes towards healthier options. According to the National Restaurant Association, the number of adults who say they are trying to choose healthier items at restaurants is on the rise. To meet this demand, a number of fast food chains have started including some healthier options on their menus (while simultaneously adding other less-healthful choices). Additionally, new franchises have launched concepts based on potentially healthier ingredients; vegetarian main courses and vegetable sides are becoming more common; and some major chains are promising to source fresher ingredients with less additives, purchase free-range chickens, and make other changes to lure health- and environmentally-conscious consumers to their counters. The extent to which these changes are actually improving health remains unclear. Continue reading →

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Filed under fast food, restaurant meals

Tagged as fast food, restaurant meals

September 12, 2015 · 11:19 am

Tips For Eating Healthy in Restaurants – WebMD

WebMD has a writeup on the Worst Restaurant Meals that is worth checking out.

Chicken is normally a healthy choice, but you need to pay attention to how it is prepared and what is served with it.

Here are a few of the highlights:

Chicken is often a good alternative to red meats with their heavy fats, however, restaurants can mess it up big time. Here’s what WebMD say: “Chicken fajitas can be a healthy option. But they’re often served with heaps of sour cream, shredded cheese, refried beans, and fried rice. Pack it all in, and you’ve got plenty of calories to pad your waistline! Instead, load up on grilled peppers, onions, chicken, and fresh salsa. Stick with just one tortilla.
“The Count: 1,300 calories, 47 grams fat, 4,800 milligrams sodium”

Deep dish pizza with sausage is obviously going to be a caloric heavyweight. To lighten the load consider thin crust without the sausage.

Vegetarian Fried Rice is another caloric curve ball. WebMD notes that the veggie options aren’t always the healthiest. They put the count for Vegetarian Fried Rice at 1,090 calories, 19 grams fat, 2,210 milligrams sodium.

At this point it is probably a good idea to remember that the American Heart Association recommends we limit our sodium consumption to 1500 mg per day.

A really worthwhile tip is the one under the heading Eat Better: Find Hidden Calories: “You can skip the most fattening restaurant meals by reading the menu closely. Look for clues. Words like pan-fried, sautéed, battered, breaded, au gratin, cheesy, creamy, buttered, deep-fried, béarnaise, or crispy are usually signs of extra fat and calories. “Crisp” items are often deep-fried in oil.”

Here’s is one that I must fight the temptation over every time I eat out – the basket of bread. When I was gaining my weight some years ago, I would start a meal with a couple of slices of thick Italian bread dipped in olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan cheese – delicious, yes, but diabolical for calories. I probably consumed 500 calories this way BEFORE the entree arrived. Beware the bread.

Regarding dessert, stick with fruits and forget the baked goodies.

Buon appetito!

Tony

How to Eat Healthy When Eating Out

Perhaps the most famous last words are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” But, the following suggestions on how to eat healthy when dining out are very helpful indeed – and from the government.

They are from the Go4Life of the National Institute on Aging, which I have used several times as a source of good health counsel for seniors. In this instance, you don’t have to be a senior to benefit.

It’s important to make good decisions when dining out.

It is fun to go out to eat, but restaurants often serve large meals, high in calories, fat and salt. Don’t hesitate to ask how items on the menu are prepared and feel free to request substitutions more suitable for your diet.

* Order a salad with lean meat, low-fat or fat-free cheese, and other healthy toppings. Choose low-fat or fat-free salad dressing, and ask for the dressing on the side so you can control how much you use.

* Choose foods that are baked, broiled, braised, grilled, steamed, sautéed, or boiled. Avoid fried food.

* Hold the “special sauces.” Ask the kitchen not to top your dish with butter or whipped cream.

* Select foods with a tomato-based or red sauce instead of a cream-based or white sauce. Tomato-based sauces usually contain more vitamins, less fat, and fewer calories.

* Use portion control: Skip the “large” or “super sized.” Ask for “small,” or share a portion.

* Ask for food to be prepared without added salt, and don’t add salt at the table.

* Drink water, fat-free or low-fat milk, or other drinks without added sugars.

* Instead of fries, try a small baked potato, side salad with low-fat or fat-free dressing, or fruit.

* Order an item from the menu instead of heading for the “all-you-can-eat” buffet.

* If you take home leftovers, get them into the refrigerator within 2 hours—sooner if the temperature outside is above 90°F.

If you have any suggestions based on what you do in restaurants, please feel free to comment.

Tony