04/07/2024
Everyone knows that diets that are high in fat are bad for our health but how do we make the right choices when we are eating out? Most restaurants nowadays provide calorie info on the menus but only a few of them split this info into carbs, fats and protein content.
A meal is considered high in fat if more than 35% of its calories come from fat. Easy to say but what does it mean?
If you are good at maths, you could easily determine that if the meal you fancy is 600cal for example, then it is high in fat if 35% of its calories, i.e. 210cal, come from fat. I bet some of you have already zoned out as math confuses most people. As a former finance analyst, I love my numbers…
So, what should we be looking out for when eating out?
Beware of High-Fat Ingredients: Dishes known to be high in fat include fatty meats (lamb, beef and pork), full-fat dairy products like cream or butter. If your meal contains these ingredients, it's likely to be high in fat.
Look out for Cooking Methods: Cooking methods like grilling, baking, steaming, or broiling typically use less fat compared to frying or sautéing in oil or butter. Meals prepared using high-fat cooking methods are more likely to be high in fat.
Choose healthier options on the menu: Go through the options on the menu and go for the most nutritionally balanced dishes. Choose good source of protein like chicken, turkey or fish (all of these are lower in fat content), healthy carbs like baked potato, rice or pasta. These are usually boiled or baked, so fat content is low. Try to avoid sauces as these are often prepared using butter or cream. Always order freshly cooked vegetables to accompany your meal as they contain lots of vitamins and fibre that are very good for us.
