2. Meals Away From Home

3. Americans Are Eating Out More and Cooking Less
Average person eats more than 4 meals per week prepared away from home.
No longer is eating out a special occasion for the average American. It’s more often a daily occurrence and frequently several meals a day.
If you consider every eating-out occasion a time to splurge and cast aside all nutrition concerns, you may pay the price in extra pounds and poor nutrition.
How many meals did you eat prepared away from home in the last week? (Take a few minutes to let the audience recall)
Breakfast?
Lunch?
Dinner?
If you eat out only occasionally, you can afford to splurge a little. But if it’s a frequent occurrence, you should pay closer attention to what you’re getting and what you may be missing!

4. The Challenges Fat, fat everywhere!
Portions large enough for a sumo wrestler.
At restaurants, it’s definitely a challenge to eat less fat and cholesterol because there’s simply fat everywhere
Portions are large enough to feed a Sumo wrestler in many restaurants!

5. The Challenges Loads of sodium Focus on meat
Fruits and vegetables few and far between
Many restaurants use enormous amounts of salt to make food taste better. If you need to watch your sodium intake, you’ll need to stay away from certain items and make special requests.
Even if the sodium information is available for a particular restaurant, the cook may have a heavier hand than usual and you may get a lot more than you expected.
Meat is the primary focus at most restaurants - whether it’s fish, chicken or beef, protein takes the center stage at most restaurants. Most steaks are at least 8 ounces cooked.

6. Portion Distortion

7. Do You Suffer From “Portion Distortion?”
According to the National Restaurant
Association’s Dinner Decision Making
Study, most consumers rank portion
size as one of the 10 “hallmarks of a
great place to eat.”

8. Portion Choices

9. Can You Achieve Your Nutrition Goals and Still Eat Out?
You Can If You Plan
Can we achieve your nutrition goals and still eat out?
Yes, you can eat healthfully in 99% of restaurants but it takes careful planning and attention to what is being served when you eat away from home.

10. Eating Out Strategies
Since eating out is part of our culture and we are not likely to change any time soon, here are some strategies that may help you stay healthy in spite of it all.
Some may work for you better than others but any of them can work in a given situation whether it is eating in a restaurant or eating at a party.

11. Survival Strategy #1 Know what you want before you go in.
Call ahead for the menu – decide what you will eat when you are not hungry.
Don’t consider other menu items once you get there.
Order before others to avoid changing your mind.
First, know what you want to eat before you arrive. If you wait until you are hungry and walk cold into a restaurant or party, you will be more likely to eat high fat, high sugar foods.
Getting a copy of the menu ahead of time by requesting a menu to be faxed, or getting it from their Web site helps.
If you’ve already made your selection, you will not need to look at the menu when you arrive and be tempted by other items. Also, ordering before your dinner companions will not allow you to be influenced by what they order.

12. Survival Strategy #2 Have it “your way.”
Ask if special preparation requests are possible.
May I have the
fish grilled, please?
The next strategy is to order your food your way.
You can implement this strategy by asking the waiter or waitress how the food is prepared before you order and requesting it broiled or grilled instead of fried, if possible.
There are some words on the menu that can alert you to the fact that a menu item may not be the best choice. A later slide will list some of these terms, but sometimes you still need to ask more questions about how the food is prepared.
The wait staff can also tell you if special requests such as not adding salt to a dish.

13. Strategy #2 (cont.) Substitute healthier menu items.
Vegetable instead of French fries
Salad with low-fat dressing instead of coleslaw
Whole-grain bread or bun instead of white bread
Request substitutions (like vegetables or salad) for high-fat foods like potato chips or French fries.
You can request sandwiches to be made with whole-grain bread or buns.

14. Strategy #2 (cont.) Request items on the side or removed.
Let’s see... how can I
get less fat?
Butter
Sour cream
Mayonnaise
“Special” sauce
Salad dressing
Cheese
Bacon
Nut topping
Avocado
You can also ask that an added ingredient be left off or served on the side so you can control how much you eat:
Butter on a baked potato or on toast
Sour cream on potatoes or Mexican food
Mayonnaise or a special sauce on a sandwich
Salad dressing on a salad
Cheese on a sandwich, bowl of chili, salad or entree
Bacon on a sandwich, potato or salad
Nuts on a salad, entree or dessert
Avocado on a salad or sandwich

15. Strategy #2 (cont.) Beware of these menu descriptions:
A little more butter
will make it taste
even better...
Fried, deep fried
Sautéed in oil or butter
Crispy
Batter-dipped
Cheese sauce
Golden brown
Au gratin
Creamed
Here are some menu descriptions that may warn you to avoid a certain dish when you are choosing from a menu. Most of the time they mean fat, fat and more fat.
Unfortunately, restaurants love fat because it makes food taste good and keeps it moist.

16. Strategy #2 (cont.) Opt for these menu descriptions:
Boiled
Grilled
Broiled
Stir-fried
Blackened
Light wine sauce
Broth (soups)
Low-fat or fat-free salad dressing or mayonnaise
The news, however, is not all bad for menu descriptions. Here are some you do want to look for when you order:
In food preparation, definitely look for poached, grilled, broiled (ask for the food to be broiled “dry” to eliminate added butter), stir fried, blackened and cooked in light wine sauce. Even though stir fried is still “fried,” the food is usually cooked in a very small amount of oil and not a large amount of solid fat like butter or hydrogenated shortening.
Broth when ordering soups – most broth based soups are low in fat;
Lettuce and tomato are great low fat, low sodium sandwich toppings
Low-fat or fat-free dressings can be used not only on salad but also as dips for vegetables, toppings for potatoes and even spread for breads

17. Survival Strategy #3 Curb a ravenous appetite.
Eat light snack 1 hour before meal if extremely hungry:
Fruit or whole grain crackers.
Curb your appetite at the restaurant:
Drink water with lemon.
Eat broth soup.
Eat salad with light dressing.
Another strategy is to not go to a restaurant when you’re starving. When you are extremely hungry, you naturally crave high fat, high sugar food. How can you take the edge off your hunger before you go out and yet not ruin your appetite totally?
Most people find eating a light snack like a piece of fruit or a few crackers helps curb their appetite. Once you go out, you can also fill up on a big glass of water or other calorie-free drink or some fat free broth soup or salad with light dressing before eating the rest of the meal.

18. Survival Strategy #4 Share a meal.
Share food with dining companions.
Divide large entrees in half.
Add salad or soup.
Choose appetizers, soups, salads in place of entrees.
Because of large portions at restaurants now, sharing meals is a good way to cut the calories at least in half and save money, too.
Some restaurants will even put the divided meal on two separate plates if you ask. If you feel you might be a little hungry with only half, begin with a low-calorie soup or salad.
Example: One person might order a steak and salad bar and share with someone who orders just the potato and salad bar. Then they share the steak and potato.
Instead of an entree, you could order an appetizer, a soup, and/or salad.

19. Strategy #4 (cont.) Share the bounty.
Plan to take leftovers home.
Ask if smaller portions are available:
Kiddie/junior size.
Lunch portion.
Order one dessert for the table.
If you have no one to share with, take half of it home to eat the next day.
Ask if smaller portions are available.
If you crave something sweet, divide and conquer again. Often one dessert can easily satisfy a whole table of friends.

20. Survival Strategy #5 Fill the doggie bag before you eat.
Ask for a take-home container when the food arrives.
Be a member of the “Leave-a-Few-Bites-on-Your-Plate” club.
If you can’t resist eating everything on your plate, remove the extra before you dig in.
Most restaurants will provide you with a take-home container if you ask. Request to have it provided when the food is delivered. The key is to remove the extra portion before you eat, not afterward.
Many people are members of the clean-plate-club and will eat whatever is in front of them even if it means feeling stuffed afterward.

21. Survival Strategy #6 Add to a meal.
A container of milk or juice
A piece of fruit
Some cut-up vegetables or a salad
Some homemade soup
Since many menus don’t offer fruits and vegetables, you may want to supplement a menu, particularly if you order takeout.
Supplement with low-fat milk, juice, a piece of fruit or some cut up vegetables or salad or add a cup of soup.

22. Survival Strategy #7 Pack a meal from home occasionally.
Healthy “planned-overs”
Lower calorie frozen entrees
Made-ahead soups and stews
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Salads with reduced calorie dressing
Potatoes or sweet potatoes with toppings
Finally, consider not eating out as often. What are some good foods that you can bring for lunch? (Allow audience to answer)
You can bring some leftovers from a meal you had the day before (I call them “planned-overs”), a lower-calorie frozen entree, a soup or stew you made earlier in larger quantities and froze in smaller packages, quick salads (the bagged pre-made kind found in the supermarket is good) or even regular or sweet potatoes you can pop in the microwave and top with low-fat cheese, chili or mixed vegetables.

23. Strategy #7 (cont.) Know benefits of brown-bagging.
Controlled portions
Healthier
Cost-efficient
Time for exercise
Meals prepared from home have several benefits:
Your portions are controlled
You can make your lunch as healthy as you desire
It’s much less expensive than eating out
Not spending the time to drive to a restaurant gives you some time to go for a walk before returning to work

24. Eating Out Steak/Seafood Restaurants
Choose small portions – split the entree or get a doggie bag.
Choose lean cuts of grilled beef, chicken, seafood.
Ask for veggies; request without butter sauce.
Request sauces, butter, dressings on side.
Let’s now talk about some specific types of restaurants and discuss some of the challenges and how you can overcome them.
What are some of the challenges you face at steak and seafood restaurants? (Let audience answer)
They are more likely to have some healthy food options. However, it may take some willpower to resist temptation.
Choose smallest steak possible - leanest cuts include filet and sirloin.
Grilled fish and chicken - ask for sauce on side
Watch portion size of potatoes - ask for butter on side
Choose low-fat salad dressing on the side
If you plan to take part of your meal home, request doggie bag in advance.
Ask for basket of bread to be brought with the meal rather than tempting you while you’re waiting.

25. Eating Out Balancing the Buffet
Survey before you serve.
Use smallest plate possible.
Pile no thicker than deck of cards.
Make 1-2 tablespoon portions – lots of white space.
Buffets can be a real temptation to people who have weight problems. Here are some ways to control overeating:
Before you pile on the food, take time to really look over all that is being offered. Ask yourself –
a. What do I really like and what would I really miss if I didn’t get at least a taste?
b. What is lower in calorie and fat that will satisfy me as well as the higher calorie and fat items?
Then only take what you really want in small amounts. You’ll be surprised how satisfied you feel with less food if you think it through.
Use the smallest plate possible (salad or dessert plate) especially if you know you can’t resist seconds.
Pile portions no higher than a deck of cards and limit each serving to 1-2 tablespoons. (A tablespoon is about the size of two thumbs pressed together.)
Leave lots of white space around each item so the plate looks full faster.

26. Eating Out Balancing the Buffet
Fill ¾ of plate with lower-calorie vegetables and fruits.
Settle on one portion of one meat selection.
Sit away from buffet table.
Get dessert after, if you still want it.
If possible, fill ¾ of the plate with the lower calorie items you will enjoy.
Sit as far from the buffet table as possible so you will have to think twice before going back for seconds.
Finally, don’t take dessert when you get the rest of the meal. Instead, make yourself get up to get dessert after you have eaten the other food. You may find you really are not hungry enough to make the effort to go back. You will also be less likely to get 2-3 desserts instead of one.
But remember if you really can’t resist eating all you can eat at buffets, then you should enjoy this kind of meal service less frequently.

27. Eating Out Deli Delights
Go light on meat, heavier on lettuce and tomato.
Choose mustard, vinegar instead of mayo and oil.
Be aware of high-sodium pickles and olives.
Request baked chips or pretzels in place of regular chips.
Is it easy to eat healthy at delis? What are some of the obstacles?(let audience answer)
If you’ve ever gone to a New-York Deli, you’d be amazed at the portions of meat in a sandwich.
Some delis will let you order half the meat.
Choose leaner meats and plenty of lettuce and tomato.
Get just mustard or mayo on the side.
If you’re watching your sodium forgo the pickles, olives, smoked meats, chips, and pretzels.
Baked chips or pretzels are a lower-fat choice than regular chips.
Go light on mayonnaise-based salads like potato and macaroni.

28. Eating Out Ying and Yang of Chinese Food
Green tea may have benefits.
Won ton and hot and sour best soups.
Steamed dumplings better choice than egg roll.
Choose chicken and seafood over beef, duck and pork.
Depending on where you eat Chinese or other Asian foods, they can be very low in fat or very high in fat. Many inexpensive Chinese restaurants have extensive menus that offer a wide variety of items. Here are some things to consider when you order:
Green tea may be very healthy for you. It is believed to have many antioxidants that may prevent chronic diseases.
When choosing a soup, realize that many will have MSG which causes numbness and tingling in some people. MSG can also raise the sodium level of the food. For the lower-fat, lower-cholesterol soups, choose won ton or hot and sour soup. Some restaurants also serve a corn soup that is very good but remember all are high in sodium.
Many people also feel an egg roll is an essential of a Chinese meal. A lower-fat choice, however, is steamed dumplings that are filled with variety of lean meats and poultry and vegetables.
Chicken or seafood will be the leanest choice for your main dish.

29. Eating Out Chinese Food
Choose dishes with more vegetables.
Choose plain rice rather than fried rice.
Limit sweet and sour dishes.
Limit dishes with nuts.
Desserts – sherbet, fruit, fortune cookie.
Look for entrees that feature Chinese vegetables and broccoli. Or ask them to include extra vegetables if not included.
If you are with family and friends, buy one vegetarian meal and one meal with meat, chicken or seafood and share.
Request that the MSG be left out.
Ask for white rice instead of fried rice to keep your fat and sodium intake lower.
Dishes with sweet and sour sauce and nuts will be higher in fat and calories than other dishes (i. e. Cashew Chicken vs Chicken with Broccoli)
One good thing about Chinese restaurants is that dessert is usually fruit, sherbet or a fortune cookie - all low-fat choices.

30. Eating Out Making the Most of Mexican
Request no chips and salsa.
Choose grilled (burritos, enchiladas, fajitas) over fried (chimichangas, tacos).
Choose dishes with beans, chicken and seafood over beef and pork.
What are some of the challenges at Mexican restaurants? (Let audience answer)
Mexican food can be high in fat depending how it is prepared. Many times you can control how much fat is added to the food.
Request chips to be taken off the table or at least stop at one basket!
Know which items are grilled and which ones are fried. Chimichangas and tacos are usually fried. Choose burritos, enchiladas or fajitas that use soft tortillas.
Choose dishes featuring beans, white meat of chicken and seafood over beef or pork.

31. Eating Out Making the Most of Mexican (cont.)
Ask for sour cream and guacamole on the side or request “none.”
Order taco salad without the taco shell.
Chili or other soups are often low in fat and high in fiber.
Since most Mexican dishes are prepared after being ordered, don’t hesitate to ask that the sour cream, cheese or guacamole to be left off or cut in half. Some restaurants may also use lower fat versions of these products.
The taco salad can be ordered without the taco shell. This really cuts the fat and calories.
Many Mexican soups are rich in fiber and vegetables. Don’t add fat with sour cream, cheese or taco chips.

32. Eating Out Italian Restaurants
Pasta
Size up portions.
Choose tomato or marinara sauces instead of cream sauce, cheese sauce, Alfredo or butter sauce.
Bread/breadsticks
Often doused in fat.
Pasta can be a good choice if you watch your portion - you often get enough for several meals. (Show food model of ½ cup spaghetti, if available.)
Choose tomato sauces in place of cream sauces or pasta with lots of cheese - the fat is much lower.
Bread is usually not whole-grain at Italian restaurants and is often doused with butter or oil.

33. Eating Out Italian Restaurants (cont.)
Pizza
Start with garden salad to fill you up.
Stick with thin crust; avoid stuffed crust.
Low-fat Toppings
Pineapple
Canadian bacon, ham, grilled chicken
Vegetables: spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peppers
High-fat Toppings
Extra cheese
Pepperoni
Sausage
Bacon
Have a salad to start to fill you up. Otherwise, it’s easy to eat too many pieces of pizza.
Thin crusts are lower in calories and carbohydrate. The new stuffed crusts are higher in fat and calories.
Choose lower fat toppings with lots of vegetables.
Avoid extra cheese and high-fat meats.

34. Eating Out Fitting In Fast Foods
Fried Chicken
Hard to imagine, but do you think you can still eat healthy and eat at fast food restaurants?

35. 1 of Every 3 Meals Currently Is Eaten in a Fast-Food Restaurant
Fast food restaurants are loaded with sodium, fat and calories but hard to stay away from if you have children.
If you choose to go, make healthier choices and don’t forgo good nutrition entirely.

36. Eating Out Breakfast on the Go
Less Healthy Options
Biscuits or croissants with sausage, egg, cheese
Bagels loaded with cream cheese
Donuts
Lattes, mochas and cappuccinos with whole milk
Healthier Options
Bagels with spreads on side
Jams/jellies
Breakfast sandwiches with bagels or English muffin
Flavored coffees with skim milk
Although cereal with fruit and skim milk is a better bet, many people rush out the door without breakfast - stopping at a fast food restaurant for a sausage biscuit or bagel loaded with cream cheese.
What would be a better choice? (let audience answer; suggest bringing something from home that you can grab and go with)
For a quick breakfast on the run, opt for a bagel instead of biscuits, croissants or donuts to get less fat. Don’t let them put the cream cheese on for you because you’ll have enough for 4 bagels! Get it on the side or go for jelly instead.
Specialty coffees are much higher in calories than just plain coffee if they’re made with cream or whole milk - choose skim instead.

37. Eating Out Breakfast (cont.)
Less Healthy Option
Sausage biscuit w/ egg
Orange juice
= Meal total
670 calories
33 grams fat
1,015 mg sodium
Healthier Option
Egg McMuffin
1/2 Orange juice (8 oz)
= Meal total
390 calories
12 grams fat
830 mg sodium
Breakfasts at fast food restaurants are often extremely high in fat. A sausage and egg biscuit piles on the fat and calories (and cholesterol). If you want an occasional breakfast sandwich, choose the Egg McMuffin. It contains about 1/3 the fat and ~200 less calories.

38. Eating Out Sandwich Options
Choose regular, small, junior or single burgers.
Choose grilled chicken.
Use ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce instead of mayo, special sauces.
Split fries.
Make special requests.
“Hold the cheese…”
“Hold the mayo…”
If you’re in the mood for a burger, think small and order the regular or junior sizes.
Skip the special sauces and mayonnaise and opt for ketchup or mustard instead. You may have to wait a few minutes for your special request, but it will be worth the fat savings. Hold the cheese and save 100 calories. Hold the mayo and save another calories! Or opt for one or the other, if you must, but not both.
Most burger places won’t have fruits and vegetables, but you can split an order of fries to keep the calories and fat at bay.

39. Eating Out Sandwich Lunch
Less Healthy Option
Regular burger
Medium crispy fries
Chocolate shake
= Total meal
1,352 calories
66 grams fat
2,480 mg sodium
Healthier Option
Grilled chicken sandwich
1/2 order regular fries
Bottled water
= Total meal
345 calories
16 grams fat
625 mg sodium
Order a grilled chicken sandwich and split the fries with your lunch companion at Hardee’s and you have a super-low calorie lunch. You even have room for a carton of milk and a piece of fruit from home.

40. Eating Out Chicken Sandwich Lunch
Less Healthy Option
Battered chicken sandwich
Fries (small)
Brownie
= Total meal
1,020 calories
45 grams fat
1,615 mg sodium
Healthier Option
Chargrilled chicken sandwich (w/o butter)
Carrot raisin salad
Ice cream cone (small)
= Total meal
530 calories
13.5 grams fat
1,170 mg sodium
Many restaurants butter the buns. Asking for the sandwiches without butter on the bun reduces the fat by 3.5 grams and 40 calories.
Chick Fil-A offers a healthy carrot-raisin salad and a small vanilla cone, which, along with a chargrilled chicken sandwich, gives you a mere 500 calories.

41. Eating Out Sub Lunch Less Healthy Option
Cold cuts trio on 6-inch white roll
Mayonnaise, pickles, lettuce, tomato
Regular potato chips
= Total meal
785 calories
48 grams fat
2,155 mg sodium
Healthier Option
Turkey sub on 6-inch whole-wheat roll
Mustard, tomato, lettuce, peppers
Baked potato chips
= Total meal
420 calories
7.5 grams fat
1,250 mg sodium
You’ve all heard of the person who lost 245 lb eating at Subway for lunch every day.
Subway definitely has some healthier options than high-fat meat and cheese sandwiches with chips.

42. Eating Out Chicken Restaurants
High-fat Choices
Fried chicken with skin
French fries
Biscuits
Cole slaw
Potato salad
Fried vegetables
Lower fat Choices
Chicken, white-meat without skin
Corn, green beans, mixed vegetables
Rice
Mashed potatoes without gravy
Fast food chicken restaurants vary in what they offer.
Kentucky Fried Chicken and Church’s have more of the traditional fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and corn.
Boston Market (if available in your area or when traveling), depending on the franchise, has rotisserie chicken, turkey and ham and offers more choices of sides including mixed vegetables (broccoli, carrots and cauliflower) green beans, carrots, creamed spinach and rice. The nutritional information is available on their web site. Some of their sides are very low in fat and calories.

43. Eating Out Salad Bar Tips
Good choices - fresh vegetables, fruits, beans.
Limit coleslaw, potato salads and pasta salads.
Go easy on cheese, eggs, nuts and croutons.
Skip bacon bits.
Dress the salad with vinegar, lemon juice or low-calorie dressings.
Request dressing “on the side.”
Use the “dip and stick” method.

44. Add Healthy Snacks To Meet Your Goals
Low-fat milk
Low-fat yogurt
Fresh fruit
Baby carrot sticks
Vegetable juice
Cereal, fruit and skim milk
If you find that you’re short on fruits, vegetables and dairy foods, use some of these foods for snacks.
For example, if you know you’re eating at a fast-food restaurant for lunch, plan to take some fruit or carrot sticks for an afternoon snack instead of a bag of baked chips.

45. Summary: Make Eating Out Healthier for You
Make an effort to eat out less often
Choose restaurants that offer healthier selections.
Decide before you go.
Make special requests.
Share meals or request doggie bag.
Supplement your meals with healthy snacks.
To summarize some of the points we’ve discussed:
Plan home-prepared meals ahead of time, so the result is eating out less often.
When we do eat out, we need to pay closer attention to the choice of restaurant and the healthier foods on their menus.
There are more unhealthy choices than healthy choices at restaurants, but if you plan out your strategies by making special requests and sharing food, you can eat healthier foods.
Keep in mind that there are no “bad” foods - it’s the combination of all the foods you eat throughout the day that’s really important. If you can’t eat healthy foods for one meal, make up for it other times throughout the day.

46. University of Georgia Extension Service Extension Agent (Nutrition)
Adapted from
University of Georgia Extension Service by
Terri Crawford, M.S.
Extension Agent (Nutrition)
Northeast Region
and
Debbie Melvin, M.S., C.F.C.S.
Lafourche Parish