A new study
confirms that eating out, no matter what type of restaurant you choose, is less
healthy than eating at home. Using dietary
intake data gathered from 24-hour food recalls of more than 18,000 U.S. adults,
the analysis revealed that eating at
full-service sit-down restaurants is nutritionally similar to eating at
fast-food outlets and that eating at home is significantly healthier.
Compared to eating
at home, eating out at either sit-down or fast food outlets, led to an average
increased intake of nearly 200 calories per day. As for sodium and total fat,
both fast-food and restaurant diners increase their intake but full-service
restaurant meals contained an additional 412 mg of sodium compared to home
while fast food offered 297 mg of additional sodium.
Still, fast-food
meals got poorer marks with respect to excess saturated fat content. Fast-food meals also contained significantly
more sugar and significantly less fiber, potassium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty
acids, and vitamins A and C than home-cooked meals, while full-service
restaurant meals did not. Interestingly,
when participants ordered out from sit-down restaurants, they consumed less
than when they ate out. This was not the
case at fast-food restaurants. The
authors hypothesize that eating in the home setting rather than at a
restaurant, prevents impulse orders of desserts or extra drinks and may
facilitate adding some healthy foods from home to the take-out.
What to do: Prepare food at home as a much as
possible. Menu planning is one of the
most effective ways to increase meals prepared at home. Convenience foods, (e.g. frozen meals, canned soups, ready-to-eat grilled chicken, etc.), though often high in sodium, can
also be a reasonable calorie-controlled home option. Combining these with frozen veggies steamed in
the microwave or fresh raw vegetables can result in very quick, healthy
meals. There's also always eggs or
canned tuna for a lightning fast healthy dinner.
When you do eat
out, look for entrees that include lean proteins and plenty of vegetables. Avoid options high in carbohydrate (i.e. pasta entrees) or cream (i.e. Alfredo sauce) and meat fats (i.e. prime rib). Also focus on keeping the portions
controlled. When available, choose the
small option, half-portion, or kid's sized meals. And, extras such as bread, drinks that
contain calories, and dessert.
Adapted from articles available at:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_153530.html
http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-study-fast-food-restaurant-20150720-story.html
Source:
An R. Fast-food and full-service restaurant
consumption and daily energy and nutrient intakes in US adults. European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Available online ahead of publication 1 July 2015. DOI:
10.1038/ejcn.2015.104
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