News

In last week's column, I extolled the nutritional benefits of bringing a home-prepared lunch to work rather than buying lunch from a fast-food or full-service chain restaurant. In most cases, a brown bag lunch saves calories, fat, sodium and, of course, money.

But not everyone wants to pack their lunch every day. Some people aren't prepared to take the time to make a sandwich or put leftovers into a plastic container.

And understandably, some folks prefer to eat their lunch in a restaurant as a much-needed break from the office.

So, how do health-conscious consumers make healthy choices when eating out at lunch, or dinner for that matter? It's a question I'm often asked by my clients.

It not always clear-cut what's healthy and what's not. What might appear to be a good choice can be loaded with calories and sodium. The seemingly healthy Southwest Taco Salad at Wendy's delivers 700 calories, 18.5 grams of saturated plus trans fats (nearly an entire day's worth), and a whopping 1,610 milligrams of sodium -more than one day's worth of sodium.

(The average adult needs about 2,000 calories, 65 grams of fat and 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. The upper daily limit for cholesterol-raising saturated plus trans fats is 20 grams combined.)

Salad bars popping up in malls and food courts often serve salads large enough to feed a family of four. Depending on the ingredients and portion of dressing you choose, some of these gargantuan salads can serve more calories, fat and sodium than an all-dressed burger.

Sandwiches are usually a good bet, but not always. Arby's Market Fresh sandwiches and wraps range in calories from 560 to 817 and can pack in as much as 2,146 milligrams of sodium (nearly a teaspoon).

Many of the Toasted Deli Sandwiches at McDonald's are comparable to a Quarter Pounder with Cheese when it comes to calories and fat. And some have 25 per cent more sodium than the burger.

If you eat lunch at a full-service chain restaurant, large portion sizes can boost nutrition numbers considerably. Boston Pizza's Spaghetti Pomodoro will cost you 900 calories and 1,440 milligrams of sodium. Since when should a meatless meal of pasta with tomato sauce provide half a day's worth of calories?

Research suggests that people don't realize how hefty restaurant meals really are. A 2006 study published in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that consumers substantially underestimated the level of calories, fat and saturated fat in less-healthful menu items such as fettuccine alfredo, chicken fajitas and a burger and fries. Actual fat and calories were double what consumers expected.

So back to the original question: How can you place an order that is not laden with calories, bad fats and sodium?

Unfortunately, there's often no way to tell how unhealthy - or healthy - restaurant meals are. Unlike food manufacturers, which are required to post a Nutrition Facts box on labels of packaged food, restaurant chains don't have to provide nutrition information.

Bill C-283 was the most recent attempt to establish labelling regulations for chain restaurants. The bill, rejected by Parliament in November, 2006, would have required large chains to post at least calories and, space permitting, saturated plus trans fats, and sodium for standard items on menus - the place where consumers can easily see and use such information. Single restaurants, small chains and non-standard menu items would have been exempt.

The restaurant industry insisted there wasn't enough space on menus to list these three numbers and that they wouldn't be accurate. (Surely, they'd be a pretty darn good estimate.) It argued that adding nutrition information would be confusing and frustrating to customers.

South of the border, legislation to mandate menu labelling has been introduced in a number of states and the National Restaurant Association is working hard to halt it.

One argument: If people knew certain foods were high in calories they might eat too little, only to binge later.

Another: People might be more inclined to order high-calorie meals because they're seen as taboo.

That logic sounds absurd to me.

In the same American Journal of Public Health study, when nutrition information was disclosed on menus, consumers were less likely to order high-calorie, high-fat items. Other studies have demonstrated the positive impact of menu labelling: When presented with favourable numbers, people are more likely to choose healthy items.

In its argument to defeat Bill C-283, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association cited its voluntary nutrition information program. Established in 2005, the program requires that participating chains provide nutrient values for self-selected menu items through in-store pamphlets at each location - their availability to be prominently displayed on menus - and on company websites.

Yet, according to a 2007 survey conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a North American food industry watchdog, most of the 27 participating chains failed to live up to their promise. Nineteen chains provided brochures or posters in only a few outlets. And not one restaurant provided calorie counts or amounts of fat and sodium on the menu where consumers could readily see it.

Fifty-nine per cent of Canadian adults are overweight or obese, one million have high blood pressure caused by excess dietary sodium, and three million are expected to have diabetes by the end of the decade.

It's time chain restaurants did more to help Canadians make healthy choices when dining out. Posting nutrition information on websites is a good start, but health-minded consumers need information to guide their choices at the restaurant when they order.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is lesliebeck.com.

*****

Healthy ordering

Until restaurants include the nutritional content of meals in their menus, here are a few tips to minimize calories, fat and sodium when eating out:

Look for broiled, grilled, poached, steamed or baked menu items.

If you don't know what's in a dish or the serving size, ask. Inquire if half portions are available.

To reduce portion size, order an appetizer and a salad instead of a large entrée, or share a meal.

If served a large portion, don't clean your plate. Take home part of your order for a meal the next day.

Ask for a choice of sides - salad instead of fries, or baked potato instead of mashed.

Limit high-fat condiments. Ask for calorie-reduced salad dressing, salsa for a baked potato, or fresh fruit for dessert.

Leslie Beck