How often do you eat out? As I recently mentioned, I’ve been cooking a lot more these days. Still, I live in New York, and in a particularly foodie neighborhood, to boot. Whether it’s brunch at Buttermilk Channel, green curry at my favorite Thai joint, or even the amazing fried-and-sugared dough balls at the corner pizza place (which, for the record, are so delicious that I’d take them over the finest dining any day), there’s literally temptation at every turn.
I’d never give up restaurants entirely; having an amazing meal that someone else prepared for you is one of the great joys in life, I think. But a brand-new study has me thinking that I need to be more careful about what I order–and that I may even want to cut out one more restaurant meal each week.
Why? Because each meal you eat outside of your home weekly puts on two pounds (i.e., if you have dinner out every Friday, it will result in a two pound weight gain over the course of the year), according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service. The reason: people consume an average of 134 extra calories when they eat outside their homes, regardless of whether they’re having fast food or a fancy dinner, researchers found. No surprise, restaurant diners to make worse choices, too—replacing the low-cal fruits, vegetables and whole grains they’d eat at home with fat, sugar, alcohol and empty carbs.
What’s crazy is that most Americans dine out four to five times a week. That means an eight to ten pound weight gain yearly—no small amount, especially if it’s repeated year after year.
So what’s a food-lover to do? Obviously, learning to cook is a good start, and ordering smaller portions (I often get two small appetizers instead of an entrée) doesn’t hurt. I recently spoke with some savvy dietitians about this very topic for an upcoming story for Forbes.com; I’ll be sure to post it here so you can read their advice on how to have your takeout and stay thin, too.
–Camille
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I am shocked that that many people still eat out so much each week, especially considering the economy. I wonder, if restaurants put calorie count in their menus, would impact what we order? I was at a sandwich place in a mall randomly enough (I think Melt) and they post calories. It definitely influenced my choice in sandwich.
SO true. In some restaurants even a single “appetizer portion” is enough food for a meal! Especially with fine dining, if you’re in for an app, a main course, and a dessert, the calorie count is truly staggering. So much easier to make wise choices at home.