Is eating out making you fat? New research

Dining out can add a staggering 200 calories to your daily intake, new research has found. We quizzed the researchers on how to avoid eating-out spread 

Everybody enjoys going out to eat, whether it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. And while it’s fun, it does have a few negative consequences, around 200 extra calories daily of negativity to be precise, new research has found.

Researchers at The University of Illinois have discovered that preparing your own food can save you 200 calories per meal. Liza Powell, professor of health policy and administration, believes that going out for meals should be considered as a treat and not a day-to-day activity.

The researchers asked 12,000 participants aged from 20-64 to complete a survey over two days about what food they had eaten. The results showed that the people who ate at fast-food or full-service restaurants ate an average of 194-205 calories per day.

The results also showed that participants were not reducing their calorie intake before or after their meal out which meant they were consuming a considerable amount more calories than what they would have done if they prepared every meal themselves.

Liza Powell, professor of health policy and administration at the University of Illinois (where the research was done) has put together five tips on how to how to eat out in a healthier way

1. Ask for a half a portion or ask if they can put half in a takeaway bag so you can enjoy the rest the following day.
2. Go for a healthier side such as salad and/or vegetables instead of ordering chips (or other fried food).
3. Ask to have your sauce or dressing on the side, then you can control how much you have. Waiters are used to it, it doesn’t make you a diva!
4. Watch out for empty calories in sugary or sweetened drinks, stick to drinking water instead.
5. Treat eating out as an occasional treat and be more adventurous in the kitchen, don’t rely on restaurants. Read more

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