Published Sunday, March 31, 2002
HERMITAGE
Choose wisely for healthful dining outBy Erin Remai
Herald Staff Writer
Eating out in restaurants used to be a treat for special occasions.
But in today's fast-paced world, grabbing a meal on the go several times a week rather than sitting down to eat a home-cooked meal has become a part of life.
In recognition of National Nutrition Month, Karen Dahl, community education dietitian at Sharon Regional Health System's Cancer Care Center, presented "Wise Choices When Eating Out," on Thursday at HealthPlace in Hermitage.
Mrs. Dahl said eating meals in restaurants started to become popular in the 1800s. Saloons were the first places where people ate meals outside the home.
In 1950 24 percent of a typical American's food dollars were spent on restaurant or take-out food, Mrs. Dahl said, citing research. The latest estimate is 44 percent of food dollars are spent away from home.
The average American 8 years old and older eats out four times a week. Lunch is the most popular meal eaten out, Mrs. Dahl said.
"Eating away from home is just part of our fast-paced lifestyle," Mrs. Dahl said. "Therefore, we have to choose foods that are healthy for our own well-being."
Although restaurant food can be heavy on calories, fat and sodium and the portion sizes are often much larger than one person can eat, there are ways to make healthy choices while eating out, Mrs. Dahl said.
By following five strategies, eating out can be a more healthy experience:
Mrs. Dahl also gave examples of how to lower fat and calories when eating in American, Mexican, Italian and Chinese restaurants.
At an American fast-food restaurant, instead of ordering a double cheeseburger and large fries, order a single hamburger and small fries.
A Mexican restaurant menu contains many high-fat, high-calorie items such as cheese, guacamole, sour cream and fried tortilla chips and taco shells. Mrs. Dahl suggested fajitas with flour tortillas that you can put together yourself rather than a fried chicken enchilada smothered with sour cream sauce and cheese.
Italian menus contain many low-fat items such as pastas and broiled meats, but garlic bread, foccaccia and alfredo sauces are loaded with fat. Avoiding deep fried items and heavy cream sauces and sticking to tomato-based sauces can cut the calories and fat from an Italian meal, Mrs. Dahl said.
It's easy to make healthy choices at a Chinese restaurant, Mrs. Dahl said, where the main ingredients of many entrees are rice, noodles, vegetables and little meat. However, deep-fried egg rolls and wontons, sweet and sour dishes and stir-fry prepared with a lot of oil and high-sodium sauce can diminish the health quotient. Sticking to steamed rice and noodles and avoiding fried rice and lo mein noodles can keep a healthy eater on track, Mrs. Dahl said.
Above all, when it comes to eating out healthfully, "Practice makes perfect," Mrs. Dahl said.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Erin Remai at
eremai@sharon-herald.com.