Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Eat Healthy at Fast-Food Restaurants?

One of the major barriers to eating healthy that many people find is that they think they do not have the time. Often, when this is the case, they resort to eating at fast food restaurants. Although many of these restaurants are expanding their menus to include healthy food choices such as salads, wraps and fruit, they are still offering many unhealthy foods. One of the biggest problems with eating the less healthy choices is that the serving sizes are much larger than what they actually should be. For example, most fast food chains offer larger sizes of hamburgers, soda and french fries that are often 2 to 5 times larger than the original size. If you were to eat one of these larger meals, it can contain almost the amount of calories that you should be consuming throughout the day and not just in one meal. Not only do fast food restaurant serve larger portions, but often sit down restaurants serve larger portions as well. For example, if you ordered a pasta dish, it is often 2 to 4 times larger than the normal serving. It is also not uncommon to find that the amount of pasta in a restaurant sized dish is 1 pound. This is the same amount of pasta you get when you buy a box in the supermarket. However, eating out sometimes cannot be avoided; here are some tips to help you make healthier choices when doing so:

• Avoid "upsizing" your meal at fast food restaurants
• Try eating at a fast food restaurant that specializes in soups, salads and sandwiches
• When ordering a dish at a sit down restaurant, split it in half right away and take half home so as to avoid eating the whole plate
• Don't feel as though you have to clean your plate when eating out
• Drink water or juice instead of soda
• Don't let the bread basket sit in front of you while you wait for your food. Take one piece of bread and ask the server to take the rest away.
• Have a snack before you go out to eat. This will keep you from overeating at the restaurant.

Sources:

• Mayo Clinic http
• Young and Nestle (2003)