Diet: Is Eating Out In A Restaurant Unhealthy Than Fast Food

The more expensive the better? Not necessarily! A British study compared restaurant meals with snacks and came to a surprising result.

What is eaten is what is on the table - we only have control over what that is when we swing the wooden spoon ourselves. If you eat out of the house, you might think that a restaurant is always a better choice compared to fast food. But that's not always the case.

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Calorie content often unknown:

The University of Liverpool compared what is served in British restaurant and fast food chains.

21 of them were restaurant chains, six were fast food chains - i.e. places where you order at the counter and then eat your meal on site or take it away.

The researchers wanted to challenge the popular belief that you eat better if you sit down at a table in a restaurant and order a meal there.

We have learned to pay attention to ingredients and preparation methods. An essential point that we quickly forget and about which our innkeepers like to leave us in the dark is the calorie content of the dishes on offer.

How many calories can it be?

The study refers to the recommendation from Public Health England that lunch and dinner should not contain more than 600 calories. But those who eat outside often consume more calories.

A main course in one of the fast food restaurants examined contained an average of 751 calories - a comparable lunch or dinner in a restaurant had an astonishing 1,033 calories.

Many of us go out to eat more and more often, so that adds up to a lot. 89 percent of restaurants and 83 percent of fast food places exceed the recommended limit of 600 calories.

More transparency and smaller portions:

A study by the University of Boston came to similar results when it compared restaurant and fast food menus from the United States, Brazil, Finland, China, Ghana, and India.

Almost all of them offered dishes that were too high in calories - 94 percent of restaurants and 72 percent of snacks. Only China also had a good selection of dishes that were not caloric enough.

The researchers pointed out that additional side dishes, appetizers, desserts and drinks are responsible for more calories. What could help

First of all, more transparency and information - the calorie information on the menu would be a real help. In addition, more flexibility by offering smaller portions at an appropriately lower price would be desirable.

Then many of us would not have to wonder why we have difficulties keeping our weight under control despite exercise and a supposedly healthy diet.

Posted at: fastfoodmenuprice.blogspot.com