Restaurant Calorie Counts Don’t Help
Posted in Health & Fitness on 06/30/2010 03:44 pm by adminApparently the recent healthcare legislation forces restaurants to put calorie counts on the menus, and it turns out that isn’t doing any good whatsoever! A few cities and companies have gotten out ahead of the new healthcare legislation, and early studies are showing the menus aren’t changing and patrons aren’t changing the choices they’re making.
The problem with this approach is that many people “turn the brain off” when they eat out, or they eat out with the intention of it being a break from their diet. Most people, after all is said and done and the receipts are reviewed, don’t change what they’re eating. We’ve previously discussed secrets to losing weight while eating restaurant food. As we’ve suggested before, it’s not about finding out what the calorie and fat content is, but rather it’s about making healthier choices!
The simple truth is that restaurants are by nature going to serve fatty dishes for one of several reasons. As you’ve probably noticed when shopping for groceries, the better ingredients are more expensive. Plus, fattening foods have actually been proven to be chemically addictive, and if these companies are anything like the cigarette companies, they may not be above using that fact to their advantage to get you to come back. Serving size, meanwhile, is simply a revenue-boosting technique: if you get more, you’ll be willing to pay more. So you should be conscious of the fact that most restaurant portions are really 2 or 3 servings, and bring half of what you get home!
A modern solution to the restaurant dance is to access nutrition info on your smartphone.
Several companies are currently offering iPhone calorie counting apps. These apps can help you with the info for 400,000+ restaurant dishes while you’re out and about. This way you don’t have to remember to check the restaurant’s website before leaving home, you can actually make informed choices on the go! Isn’t that the way it should be?
So you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want to know how to get a flat stomach. Two thirds of Americans are obese or just overweight, and have the same need that you do, so this epidemic is staggering in proportion. Clearly, if you have pounds to shed, you’re not alone. Smart food choices and a healthy serving of willpower are both very important. Each time you splurge, or if you choose from the menu without knowing, you’re pushing yourself back away from your goals. Always keep that in mind!