RESTURANT MEALS

June 6, 2013

Check, Please. Restaurant Meals Pack More Calories Than You Think Why you should save your cash and eat at home   In depressing news of the day, eating out is going to make you fat and miserable.  At least that’s the word in a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed 157 of the most popular restaurant meals in 33 Boston food joints, finding that the average meal packs about 1,327 calories. If you’re bad at math, here’s some food for thought (no pun intended): 1,327 is just a few hundred calories under what an average woman should be consuming every day (barring that you’re an Olympic runner or on a crash diet before your wedding). Wait for it – there’s more. Because 1,327 is also the amount of calories that should be in about two or three meals, not one plate of grub at The Olive Garden. Yeah – and that Caesar salad you’re patting yourself on the back for means that a cupcake binge later on this evening is totally out of the question. Because 1,327 is also the amount of calories that should be in about two or three meals, not one plate of grub at The Olive Garden. Yeah – and that Caesar salad you’re patting yourself on the back for means that a cupcake binge later on this evening is totally out of the question. Are you fucking depressed yet? If you have special dietary needs, you already know that eating out is a constant pain in the ass. But according to the study, some foods ranked worse on the caloric scale than others. The average Italian food meal clocks in at 1,755 calories, while American food and Vietnamese dishes follow close behind at 1,494 and 922 calories per meal, respectively. Pass on the pasta and you’re making progress, honey. Sorta. ‘Cause even if you order something seemingly healthy, the researchers say, the biggest culprit for hidden calories lies in how the food is prepared. Senior study author Susan B. Roberts sums it up nicely: “When restaurants are serving these gross, obscene portion sizes, we don’t know what we’re eating.” To shave off calories (and guilt), Roberts recommends asking for half of your dish to be put in a to-go box right out of the gate. Opting for dressing on the side, grilled instead of fried, and “light on the oil” will also go a long way. Or, you can save your waistline and your money and just not eat out. That waiter will probably spit in your food anyway. Mara Tyler, Managing Editor A  Bay Area health nut with a big mouth, Mara is a writer and marketing consultant who enjoys a lifestyle that affords her the freedom to wear yoga pants every day. Her work has been featured on sites like Redbook, SF Weekly, Livestrong, Healthline, Natural News and Astrology.com. Passionate about women’s health, she shares vegan and gluten-free recipes, nutrition advice, and spiritual musings on her website, MaraKTyler.com. You can also snag a copy of her e-book, Cheap & Simple Vegan Everyday Cookbook. To make her day, follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, @mtyler23.