It seems nowadays, more and more individuals and families are seen eating at restaurants rather than cooking meals at home. Maybe it’s the thrill of indulging in new, deliciously prepared meals in a different atmosphere than the usual dining room or kitchen or maybe it’s just the ease of having a meal prepared for you while you relax in conversation with family and friends. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that eating out has become all the rage through the past years. However, even though experiencing new foods and atmospheres through these diverse restaurants is enjoyable, it has greatly contributed to the obese epidemic that has hit our country. From the large portion sizes to the fattening ingredients and preparation techniques, restaurants are leaving their customers wondering what they could possibly eat that won’t make their belt buckles pop. Of course, giving up going out to eat is unreasonable to ask of anyone, so I chose to research a nutritional education material that may help usual restaurant goers pick healthier choices and save them from putting on some extra pounds.
The educational material I chose is the book, “Eat This, Not That!” The book is very informing in regards to those who dine out frequently or for those who just like to know what the nutritional information of their ordered meal actually is. The book alphabetically lists popular restaurants along with information about their most favored meal. It then compares the nutritional content of that energy-dense food to a more nutrient-dense meal choice found at that same restaurant. The content compared includes calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and sugar. In some editions of the books, other helpful information such as a “Worst Foods in America” list as well as healthier choices for items that children enjoy consuming. The book also has some great comparisons of food to buy at the grocery store such as the healthiest type of frozen pizzas, cereals, juices, frozen meals, etc. As a personal owner of one of the books and health conscious eater, I know that the information is very helpful when trying to continue to practice healthy eating outside the house as well as what items to purchase at the store.
The most surprising and interesting aspect of this material, in my opinion, is the content itself. There are many options that seem to be the healthy choice at restaurants, when in reality, you are really eating almost a whole day worth of calories in just one meal! For example, the restaurant Applebee’s is featured in the book along with two of its meal choices; a “Steak and Grilled Shrimp” option and a “Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad” option. Which do you think is healthier? Most people would probably pick the salad because leafy greens and veggies are associated with health right? WRONG. When comparing the two options, the steak and shrimp come to about 400 calories while the salad is over 1,000 calories! That’s crazy! This is the perfect example to show how people’s perspectives of food and meal choices can easily get them into trouble calorie-wise. It’s interesting to think about how much we “think” we know about food and what is healthy for us and then to look at this book and be completely baffled at what is actually true about the decisions we are making!
As a nutrition educator, I would definitely use this material with a group of parents who find it hard to cook meals at home everyday because of their busy schedules. While giving an intervention on quick and healthy meals that can be prepared at home with limited time, I would present the book at the end of the presentation. I would do this just in case some parents are still thinking, “I still don’t think I would have time to make all that!” In this way, I could still help them choose healthier options at the convenient places they eat at. It would also remind them that eating healthy doesn’t mean they have to give up eating out. Overall, I think this material will really help parents in making better choices for themselves and their kids while dining out as well as helping them ease into the transition of cooking more at home.