Are You Underestimating Calories?

As you know, one of my favorite mantras is “Unwise, Better, Best.” And while I think under most circumstances it can help, sometimes the best choice may not be that good. For example, the Ruby Tuesday’s Avocado Turkey Burger sounds pretty healthy, and might in fact be better than most of their other burgers, but at 1130 calories there are probably many other items on the menu that would be better choices.

The fact is that we tend to significantly under estimate the calories in food, especially if we think it is a healthy choice. Brian Wansink, who you may recognize as the author of one of my favorite books, Mindless Eating, said, “when people are eating in a restaurant that they think is healthy, they grossly underestimate how much they ate by about 50%.”

Even dieticians do a lousy job of estimating calories in the food served in restaurants. Over 200 trained dieticians were asked to estimate the calories and grams of fat in five typical restaurant meals. They significantly under estimated the calorie and fat content. For example, they on average estimated the calories in a burger and onion rings meal to be 863 calories when in fact it was 1550 calories; they estimated a tuna salad sandwich to be 374 calories when in it was almost double that at  720. If even well trained nutrition professional have a difficult time estimating calories in restaurant meals, imagine how bad the rest of us do.

Fortunately, more restaurants, especially chain restaurants, are posting their nutrition information online. In fact, the FDA will soon require all restaurant chains with more than 20 restaurants to make that information available to their customers. So the next time you go out, take a few minutes to see if the restaurant you are going to has posted their nutrition information online. If so, you will be in position to make a more informed choice. In addition to checking the specific restaurants’ websites, websites like Livestrong.com, myfitnesspal.com, sparkpeople.com and calorieking.com provide the nutrition information for dozens of restaurants in one convenient place.

A Lesson on Restaurant Games: The Xtreme Eating Awards

Even as obesity rates continue to climb, American restaurants continue to find creative ways to pile on the calories.  Applebee’s new advertising  campaign slogan suggests you should get your food, “stacked, stuffed and topped”.  An article in this month’s issue of one of my favorite health newsletters, Nutrition Action Health Letter, exposes some of the worst restaurant items you can order. Dubbed the XTEAM 8. 

 Here they are: ( for comparison, the average adult should consume about 2000 calories, 1500 – 2300 mg of sodium and 20 gms of saturated fat per day)

Restaurant - Menu Item - Calories - Sodium (mg) - Saturated Fat (g)

IHOP - Monster Bacon ‘N Beef Cheeseburger - 1250 cal – 1590 mg – 42 g

Denny’s - Fried Cheese Melt - 1260 cal - 3010 mg – 21 g

Great Steak - Extra Large King Fries - 1500 cal - 4980 mg – 33 g

Applebee’s - Provolone Stuffed Meatballs with Fettuccine - 1520 cal – 3700 mg  – 43 g

Cheesecake Factory - Farmhouse Cheeseburger (with out fries) - 1530 cal - 3210 mg – 36 g

Cheesecake Factory - Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake – 1540 cal – 59 g

Cold Stone Creamery - PB&C Shake - 2100 cal – 68 g

Morton’s - Porterhouse Steak (24 oz.), mashed potatoes and creamed  spinach – 2570 cal – 2980 mg – 85 g

You can only make well informed decisions if you are well informed

The other day some friends and I went to the movies and following the movie, we stopped by IHOP. While everyone was going  around the table placing their order, I was surprised to hear one of my friends order the Appetizer Sampler, which includes mozzarella sticks, onion rings and crispy chicken strips, served with honey mustard and marinara sauce. I was surprised by his order because he was just telling me about his new weight loss goal and how he had been eating well for the past few weeks. I jokingly said, “Well, I guess tonight’s your splurge night,” and he genuinely replied, “What do you mean? I ordered a healthy option.” He went on to explain how he would have usually ordered something closer to the Breakfast Sampler, which includes two eggs, two bacon strips, two pork sausage links, two pieces of ham, hash browns and two fluffy buttermilk pancakes. So to him, the Appetizer Sampler was the better option.

If you have ever attended Bob Wright’s Restaurant Game lecture, then you probably know that it’s easy to underestimate the quality of produce and calories in restaurant dishes. As Bob preaches, the best way to know if you are making a wise decision is to be informed. Head to the restaurant with a game plan. The more familiar you are with the menu, the better able you will be to categorize dishes into “unwise, better, and best.”

Before going out to eat, I like to plan what I am going to order ahead of time. Usually, I’ll have at least two options in mind so I still have some wiggle room to change my order while I’m in the restaurant. Look up the nutrition facts before arriving to the restaurant. If you don’t have time to look up that information before sitting down to eat, there are several phone apps and websites that make it easy to find nutrition information. Personally, I find livestrong.com user-friendly and very informative. Finally, always chart your calories. Writing out the calories you consume and the calories you burn everyday can help determine your eating habits. Meeting your daily calorie goals also gives you a since of accomplishment everyday! Visit our Track Your Meals page for a free downloadable food journal. Had my friend done his homework, he would have known that although the Breakfast Sampler was still high in calories (1180 calories), it was about 600 calories less than what he thought was a healthier alternative (Appetizer Sampler-1780 calories)!

Dining Out Guide: Asian Cuisine

It's getting closer to the weekend...and for me that usually means dining out.

This weekend, I am planning to visit one of my favorite restaurants Hinoki -- I never pass up a night of fresh sushi!

So for one of America's most popular take-out options - look below for the 'Unwise, Better, Best' options.

As always, PORTION CONTROL is key.  Generally, while dining out you will receive a larger portion than normal.  Try asking for half of your meal boxed 'to go' before they serve it to you.  Or split the entree with a friend.

 

UNWISE

-  Fried Rice

-  Egg Rolls - can have up to 200 calories per roll!

-  General Tso's Chicken (a sweet and spicy deep-FRIED chicken dish)

-  Sweet and Sour Pork -- generally anything labeled 'Sweet and Sour' will contain lots of sugar and calories!

-  Pot Stickers (Deep Fried Veggie Dumplings)

-  Tempura -- don't let the name throw you off, tempura means 'fried' so even if it is Tempura Veggies - BEWARE!

-  Soy Sauce -- watch portions, contains LOTS of sodium!

-  Lo Mein noodles -- be wary of HUGE portion sizes.

- Sushi choices that are tempura based with extras like cream cheese or mayonnaise dressings, like the Philly Roll.

 

BETTER/BEST

-  Egg Drop or Wonton Soup

-  Shrimp Chow Mein

-  Moo Goo Gai Pan (Sliced chicken breast and stir fry veggies, usually in a light sauce)

-  Chop Suey (One of the few dishes often prepared without meat - VEGGIE OVERLOAD!)

-  Hot Mustard Sauce

-  Miso Soup

-  Stir Fry Veggies

-  Edamame (Soy beans)

-  Cucumber Salad

-  Sushi -- choose Maki Sushi, Salmon and Tuna Sashimi

-  Ponzu and Ginger Sauces/Dressings (ask for all dressings and sauces on the side!)

 

My mindful eating challenge:  Try using chopsticks!  Not only will it help create the ultimate Asian experience, but will slow down your eating. 

Have you ever tried eating rice with chopsticks?  It's like dancing with two left feet!

 

One last thing, don't forget your fortune cookie!  A low-calorie, low-fat dessert (only 30 cals per cookie) -- with a surprise inside. 

Today's fortune: