As I discussed last week, eating out can be a challenge as you aren’t sure how the foods are prepared, what types of foods are used, and what the food prep consists of. You may question, are the healthier looking choices sometimes worse for you? A salad over a hamburger should always be healthier, right? We find that in some scenarios this is not the case at all. Because of added seasoning, dressing, and breading the choices that appear to be healthier can have more calories. A way to avoid some of these unnecessary calories is to ask for the dressing on the side, or ask for your meats grilled instead of fried. If you eat at a restaurant regularly it’s not a bad idea to look at their menu online for their nutritional values. This could help you make a healthier decision when going out to eat. In addition, you may also consider using a pocket guide book such as Calorie King’s book (www.calorieking.com) or using an app on your smart phone. Besides making a good choices, portion control is essential! Take half of your meal home or share with a friend or family member. That alone will cut down on calories, fat, and sodium.
Here is a fun quiz to help you compare some foods and see which have more calories. The results may surprise you.
1) Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad (with dressing) Vs. Applebee’s Bacon Cheeseburger
2) McDonalds the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes Vs. McDonalds Angus Delight
3) McDonalds Cheeseburger Vs. McDonalds Chocolate Shake
4) Culvers Fresh Fried Chicken Dinner Vs. Culvers Chicken Sandwich Value Basket
5) Arby’s Medium Curly Fries Vs. Arby’s Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich
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Answer #1 The Bacon Cheeseburger has fewer calories at 970 calories compared to the Oriental Chicken Salad that has 1390 calories.
Answer #2 The Angus Delight has fewer calories at 750 compared to the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes that has 1090 calories.
Answer #3 The Cheeseburger has 300 calories compared to a Chocolate Shake that has 570 calories.
Answer #4 The Chicken Sandwich Value Basket is 422 calories compared to the Fresh Fried Chicken Dinner that has 2220 calories.
Answer #5 The Curly Fries are 540 calories compared to the Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich that has 840 calories
-Kelsey
