Is Dining Out Destroying Your Diet?

I sure I’m not the only one who has had every intention of eating healthy while dining out only to later discover that my choice wasn’t waistline friendly at all…or the first who has watched an “Eat This, Not That” segment panicking that something I’ve ordered might be included on the “not that” side of the table.  The truth is, when eating out, we’re really putting a lot of faith into the hands of strangers.  How can we be sure that we’re making our intended choices?  Can we trust the restaurant-endorsed healthy option symbol?  For those states that mandate calorie disclosure, are we confident in that number? 

Kitchen’s Closed (as my mom would say)

Digging deeper into the nutrition counts of restaurant meals is particularly important, as more consumers are eating outside of the home more frequently.  According to a 2011 LivingSocial survey, Americans are eating nearly 5 restaurants meals each week.  That’s almost 250 meals every year!  These out-of-home consumption stats combined with America’s growing obesity rate, which according to the CDC is one-third of Americans, only reinforces the need for those looking to eat healthier to be confident in their selection at restaurants and the information these restaurants provide (if any).   

Perhaps There’s No Need to Stress…Perhaps

Maybe all my worrying is a bit excessive.  According to a study in JAMA from the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University, researchers discovered that overall, the calorie counts from restaurants were quite accurate.  Ironically, the items most frequently off were those with the lowest reported calorie counts, which ended up testing about 100 calories higher than the reported value.  While it is reassuring to know that the restaurant-reported values are, for the most part, accurate, perhaps the greater concern is where consumers can receive this information.  Living in Chicago, I always appreciate visiting New York City and seeing the calories on menus.  I’ve absolutely used it as a helpful guide in determining my selection.  That said, this information isn’t always widely available or accessible.  Pulling up the website and searching for the nutritional data on my phone while I comb through the menu is hardly appealing.  I’d love to see greater transparency in restaurants so consumers who are looking for healthier meals can trust that there are options for them and be confident in the accuracy of this information.

What do you do to eat healthy while dining out?

Chocolate Milk is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Lunchroom…Gets No Respect

For the past three or so years now, there’s been a very contentious debate on the admission of chocolate milk in the lunchroom.  The blogosphere is packed with both supporters and critics, and some districts across the U.S. have issued a ban (in some cases, only to reinstate the beverage soon after).  In terms of the scientific support, there is both national survey information, as well as localized research both leading to similar results.  There are two commonly referenced data points.  Approximately 70 percent of the milk served in lunchroom nationwide is flavored, and when flavored milk was removed from schools, children drank about 35 percent less milk.  This latter figure I find the most interesting.  Of course, chocolate milk is not as healthy as plain milk, but is this the lunchroom food fight we should be having? 

Kids are already falling short on essential vitamins and minerals, and milk, including chocolate milk, is loaded with Vitamins A and D, as well as calcium and potassium.  According to the New York Times, nearly three-quarters of teens are deficient in Vitamin D, and The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development claims less than 10 percent of girls and only 25 percent of boys 9-13 years old meet or exceed adequate intakes of calcium.  The primary argument for banning the beverage is in regards to the sugar content.

I found Chef Marshall O’Brien to have a fair assessment of the situation in his blog post entitled “Chocolate milk for school lunch? Yes, with an asterisk.”  In the current state of school lunches, kids will have a hard time obtaining the nine essential nutrients chocolate milk brings to the table.  The budgets are large enough and the culinary skills aren’t sharp enough to bring balanced, diverse and nutritious options for kids.  The countless studies can’t be denied.  Let’s focus the conversation on fried foods, heavily processed foods and beverages laden with empty calories like sugary fruit drinks and sodas.

The new direction with chocolate milk is the right one.  ABC News reports that chocolate milk is now being reformulated with reduced calories and fat, more natural sugars and the elimination of high fructose corn syrup. 

Now what about the rest of the food tray?

First Course

This is my first attempt at having a blog.  While I work on crafting my overall theme, I'd like to think of this blog as starting off shall we say tapas style...a little of this and a little of that.  Hopefully, in the end, it'll all seem to blend together quite nicely.  And if not?  Then, I hope I had a good time trying!  In the meantime, order the patatas bravas...they're always a hit.