Healthy Choices in Restaurants and Fast Food Chains

Whether it's a business meeting over lunch, dinner from a neighborhood carry out, or a fast food meal with the kids, eating out is a part of our lives. We eat out because it's easy, it's quick, and it's fun. But is it healthy?

It can be. Plan ahead, choose wisely, and you'll find foods that fit into your meal plan. Many restaurants are trying to meet diner's health needs. You want healthy foods because you want to stay healthy and you're not alone. More and more people want healthy food choices. Some are watching calories. Others want to keep cholesterol under control or eat less fat.

Some restaurants offer foods lower in cholesterol, fat and sodium, and higher in fiber. All restaurants offer sugar substitutes and diet drinks. Most have fruit juices and decaffeinated coffee. It is easy to find salads, fish, vegetables, baked or broiled food and whole-grain breads.

Many restaurants have menu items that are "heart healthy." They list total calories and the percent of calories from fat for these items.

If you take medication pills it pays to think about when you'll eat as well as what you'll eat. You can avoid problems by planning ahead: If you're eating out with others, ask them to eat at your usual time. Make your plans so you won't be kept waiting for a table when you should be eating. Have reservations and be on time. Avoid the times when the restaurant is busiest so you won't have to wait. Ask whether "special" dishes will take extra time.

Believe it or not, you can make healthy fast food choices. How? Know exactly what you are ordering and plan ahead. Keep the ground rules of good nutrition in mind: eat a variety of foods in moderate amounts, limit the amount of fat you can eat, and watch the amount of salt in food.

It is easy to eat an entire day's worth of fat, salt, and calories in just one fast food meal. But it's also possible to make wise choices and eat a fairly healthy meal. An average fast food meal runs about 685 calories. It's not too high for a meal, but for a snack it is.

If breakfast is your fast food meal, choose a plain bagel, toast, or English muffin. Other muffins may be loaded with sugar and fat. Order cold cereal with fat free milk, pancakes without butter, or plain scrambled eggs, Avoid bacon and sausage.