Canadians are eating more and more outside of their home. According to a national survey, 54% of Canadians eat out once or more each week. Why is this so common? Approximately 40% of Canadians eat out for convenience, or due to a lack of time or culinary skills. On the other hand, about 52% of Canadians eat out as a treat, to socialize, or to celebrate a special occasion. While we encourage you to eat mostly home-cooked meals, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy a meal in a restaurant, such as celebrating a special event, a business gathering, or simply out of a desire to explore new cuisines.
What Counts as Eating Out?
While we typically think about restaurants when we mention eating out, eating out also includes meals, snacks, and drinks from places like:1
- Coffee shops
- Food trucks
- Vending machines
- Cafeterias
- Fast food outlets
Foods served in these sorts of places tend to be high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat. When we eat too much of these nutrients, there’s an increased risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.1 Home-cooked meals offer better nutritional value and are more economical. In addition, home cooking allows you to use better quality ingredients and reduce your meals’ fat, sodium, and sugar content. Since eating home-cooked meals is not always an option; let’s look at how to make healthier choices when eating out.
Making Healthier Choices
Canadians tend to use nutrition information to make informed choices when it’s available; 57% of Canadians always, often or sometimes changed their order based on nutrition information on menus or menu boards.2 As consumers, we have the right to know what’s in the food we’re eating. We can let that knowledge guide our decisions and help us make healthier choices.
It is crucial to learn how to make healthier choices at restaurants without feeling deprived. This will help us maintain our health goals while still enjoying the going out experience. If we frequent restaurants regularly, it becomes even more important to make balanced choices. There are many efforts to keep in mind that can make a big difference.
5 Practical Tips for Eating Better in Restaurants:
1) Check out the menu online before heading to the restaurant. This will help prepare you for the restaurant and give you more time to think about what you’d like to order. Many factors can influence our choices, such as feelings of hunger, delicious food smells, and the atmosphere.
2) Eat a small, balanced snack before arriving at the restaurant. This limits temptation and prevents feelings of extreme hunger. After all, how many times have you ordered a feast when you are starving?
3) Limit the amount of added fat when possible. Below are a few useful tips that you can do when you’re at restaurants to limit added fat:
- Ask the server to receive sauces and dressings on the side.
- Specify that you would like bread that is not buttered.
- Choose a broth-based soup instead of a creamy soup.
- Add milk to coffee instead of cream.
- Substitute mayonnaise for mustard or other light sauce in a sandwich.
- Choose options that are grilled, baked, broiled, or poached when possible.
4) If you plan on ordering a dessert, why not choose a lighter meal. For example, choose a portion of grilled meat or fish with a side salad, and leave out the starch (i.e. potatoes, pasta, rice, etc.). Some desserts are lighter choices than others, such as fresh fruit, sorbet, or frozen yogurt. These tend to be lighter choices instead of a brownie with ice cream and chocolate syrup. If you really want that brownie, you can always share it. More pleasure to go around!
5) Sharing is caring. You can always choose a larger meal like pizza, pasta or quesadillas, and share the portions with friends and family at the table. Order a garden salad on the side and keep a balanced plate in mind – aim for ½ the plate in vegetables, ¼ of the plate in starchy foods, and ¼ of the plate in meats and alternatives.
Finally, frequency is key - your daily habits will mainly determine your long-term health and quality of life. Although treats and restaurant food may not always be the healthiest choices, they’re necessary at times; they can please our taste buds and our spirit. Therefore, it’s essential to let yourself enjoy life’s special and delicious moments in good company!
DRRD Nutrition can help!
Meet with your registered dietitian at DRRD Nutrition to learn how to balance your diet, while adapting it to your unique lifestyle. We all struggle with different environmental, emotional, and physical barriers that slow our health progress. Professional support and individual strategies can help you overcome these challenges, and most importantly, achieve your long-term health goals.
Sources:
- Choose healthy menu options. (2019, December 23). Canada's Food Guide. https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eating-recommendations/limit-highly-processed-foods/choosing-healthy-menu-options/
- Statistics Canada. (2016) Eating Out: How often and why? Retrieved 2020, Jan 5, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2019003-eng.pdf?st=j2SBRSnc.