Restaurant Food Calories

The average American spends half of their food budget eating out. Certainly a problem if you consider that calories in restaurant foods are usually much higher than the meals you prepare at home. Add to that the fact that restaurant food calories are also usually much higher than what restaurants advertise... (See fast food statistics and the dangers of fast food.)

The Journal of the American Diabetic Association published a recent study of 10 restaurant chains, (including Wendy's and Ruby Tuesday) and found that out of 29 selected meals the total calories were on average 18 per cent higher than what was advertised. Even frozen supermarket meals like those from Weight Watchers, South Beach Living and Healthy Choice had on average 8 per cent more calories than what nutrition labels advertised.

It's also true that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows a 20% margin of error, nonetheless, if every time you ate out, and got a couple of hundred calories more than what you thought, that can really add up. There's a big demand for restaurants to put calories and nutrition values on menus, but that's only useful if the nutrition and calorie content is correct.

Calories in popular restaurant meals

On average a restaurant appetizer, main course and desert has around 1,000 calories! There is a big move for restaurants to provide nutrition information but even with that information we still usually get more salt, calories and fat during heavy handed food preparations.

To help you make healthier eating choices here's a list of some high calorie, sodium and fat content restaurant meals to avoid:

• A large cheese steak and fries can bring a whopping 2,000 calories, 45 grams saturated fat and 5,000 milligrams sodium to the plate!
  
  
• Bacon cheeseburger, fries and chili sauce. These meals usually pack well over 1 000 calories and are high in saturated fat and Sodium.
  
  
• Just a half rack of Ribs and sauce can add close to 500 calories, and 12 grams of saturated fat and 2,000 milligrams of Sodium. The more the sauce, the worse it gets.
  
  
• An adult portion of chicken lasagna cooked with a creamy sauce could surge well beyond 1,000 calories, 30 grams saturated fat and 3,000 milligrams sodium. A lot worse than you thought, and the cheesier the sauce, the worse the outcome.
  
  
• An adult portion of Fried macaroni and cheese with a creamy marinara sauce could easily pump you up with 1,500 calories and over 60 grams saturated fat!
  
  
• Fried onion rings and dipping sauce. Keep in mind that most of the extra calories that you consume come from the sauces and fried condiments.
  
  
• A 32oz Shake could easily bring another 1000 calories to the total!

Using restaurant food calories facts to make healthier eating choices

• Check the restaurant nutrition facts and information online before you go out to dine. A little bit of planning in advance could save hundreds of calories from your meals.
  
  
• Consider healthier alternatives, like baked or grilled meals. Substitute fries with grilled vegetables or a baked potato.
  
  
• Of course salads are a healthy option, but not if you drench them in super calorie and sodium boosting dressings, croutons and salts. Consider that most 2 ounce salad dressing sachets contain around 150 calories and 15 grams of fat. Choose either low fat dressings, or sprinkle a light dressing of vinegar and olive oil.
  
  
• Watch your portion size. Often we eat beyond we are full. By choosing half portions you could vastly reduce the restaurant food calories intake. Alternatively share a full portion with a partner or keep half of your meal as a take away.

 

 

Hope you will use these restaurant food calories facts and tips to help you make healthier eating choices. Now navigate from restaurant food calories to fast food nutrition facts.
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