April 8, 2008
Healthy Dining Out
With our busy lives these days we are more apt to dine out, pick
up take out food, or have food delivered to us. The problem is
we are not aware of the calories and fat we are consuming when
we continually eat food other than what we, ourselves have
prepared.
The average dinner meal at a restaurant is 1200 calories, and 60
grams of fat. Men should not have more than 70 grams of fat a
day, and women 40 grams of fat a day. One meal alone can make up
one whole days worth of fat, or two, in the case of women’s
diets. If you do find a meal that is low in fat, make sure you
do not consume such a large serving that you eat more calories
than you should.
There are restaurants out there that do have meals considered
lower in fat and calories. If you do not see it on the menu ask
your server for the information. Remember low carb is not
low-fat. When you are eating a low -carb meal out at a
restaurant you are usually eating high-fat. Make sure you do not
take in more than 20 grams of fat in a meal. Below is a list of
restaurants that offer low-fat meals.
RESTAURANTS
APPLEBEE’S CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN CLAIM JUMPER CHILI’S
MACARONI GRILL TGIF FRIDAY’S MIMI’S CAF OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE TONY
ROMA’S
FAST FOOD
ARBY’S BURGER KING CARLS JR. CHICK-FIL-A JACK IN THE BOX MC
DONALDS SUBWAY WENDY’S KFC
We use food as an important part of our cultural and social
lives to connect with one another. We also use it as a comfort
when we have had a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, or a bad
year. Reducing the foods we do not need helps us stay healthy in
mind and body.
Remember, even though we are overwhelmed, stressed out and
tired, we must make healthy decisions when it comes to what we
eat. Trans fat, found in most cooking oils in restaurants- is
the worst kind of fat you can put in your body. It increases the
level of blood fat called triglycerides, and has even been found
to contribute to insulin resistance, which raises the risk of
Type 2 diabetes. Children as young as 10 years old are
developing heart disease and diabetes. Set an example for your
children and ensure you both will live long, healthy lives.
