verdict
After all, going out feels more luxurious than eating at home. Hope is right that if you’re doing it often, it’s worth paying attention to.
“If you think about it objectively, a three-course meal is a large portion, much larger than if you were to eat dinner at home. Additionally, the portion sizes are much larger in a restaurant than at home. ” says Hope. “Share what you can and ask if you want all three courses.” every time. Skip the bread basket as you will have eaten your lunch before your starter arrives. ”
There is a psychological trap. When you’re paying for food, you feel it’s important to keep eating even when you’re full to get your money’s worth. To break out of that mindset, Hope recommends being mindful to appreciate your surroundings and servers. “Think about how the money you pay for the food, as well as the staff, decor and building, will be used,” she advises. “Then you might feel safe leaving something on your plate when you’re full.”
More than that, we all have a duty to be aware of what we’re eating and drinking, even if it’s not explicitly stated on the menu. For example, if a drink contains even a small amount of alcohol, you don’t need to share any calorie information at all, even if it has the same or more calories as a soft drink. But calories are still there, just because they’re not easily seen. Alcohol contains a lot of sugar.
“It’s impossible to say with certainty whether calorie counts on menus are completely accurate,” admits Hope. “Different chefs use different amounts of oil and seasonings, different sizes of meat or fish, and some add more sauce. Similarly, 500 kcal of fruit is better than 500 kcal of processed sugar. But… If you’re trying to encourage people to make healthier choices, I think it’s better to do something than nothing. Take advantage of what you can and try to make smart decisions.”
Like many diners, I always consider eating out to be a treat, so I didn’t pay much attention to my menu choices. After conducting this experiment, I looked into not only how often I ate out, but also what I ate when I did.
Eating out can be fun and you don’t have to constantly count calories, but the more you eat out, the more careful you need to be when you do it.
