My boyfriend and I went out to eat tonight and I was really astounded by something. I was reviewing the options to find something that wouldn't be too horrible for me that also sounded half way decent.
I hadn't looked at the options before we left and there were a lot of things on the menu that sounded good so I asked my boyfriend to whip out his phone and see if he could find the nutrition info. for me to help in my decision.
Option 1: GRILLED BUFFALO CHICKEN
Grilled tender slices of chicken breast tossed in our Buffalo sauce with lettuce, diced tomatoes, Cheddar Jack cheese and a side of Bleu cheese or Ranch for dipping
NUTRITION: 932 calories/ 50g fat/ 26g sat. fat/3868mg sodium/40g carbs/36g protein/4g fiber
Option 2: BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICH
Breaded tender chicken breast cooked crispy, tossed in our Buffalo sauce and served on fresh roll with Bleu Cheese
dressing and celery sticks
NUTRITION: 713 calories/46g fat/20g sat. fat/2487mg sodium/50g carbs/33g protein/4g fiber
I was very surprised to see the grilled version had more calories, more fat, and more sodium. I was also very surprised that a simple grilled buffalo chicken sandwich had nearly 1,000 carlories and 50g of fat. This is a prime example of why I firmly believe all restaurants should print nutrition information right on the menu. Sometimes it really is hard to tell which option would be better. I personally tend to live by the rule grilled is better than fried, but apparently I was wrong, at least in this instance.
I also think it's completely ridiculous that restaurants serve such humongous portions that are filled with so much fat. Maybe it's just me since I am a smaller woman and don't require a lot of calories in a day, but to have a burger on a menu that contains 1249 calories and 86 grams of fat is kind of wrong. That is fairly close to the number of calories and significantly more fat than I am supposed to consume in an entire day.
In case anyone is curious, I ended up ordering (and enjoying)...
Option 3: CHICKEN 'N BACON CLUB
Featuring grilled sliced chicken, sliced bacon, American cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion and chipotle mayonnaise on toasted roll
NUTRITION: 546 calories/27g fat/8g sat fat/1010mg sodium/43g carbs/34g protein/4g fiber
So what do you think? Were you surprised by the above nurtrition information? Do you think restaurants should put nutrition information on the menu itself?
I think the Jack Cheddar tipped the scales.
Hmmm... I dunno. Both the other options have cheese as well!
I try to just live by the "everything in moderation" rule. When at home, I try to concentrate on eating "real food". When not at home, I eat what sounds good without worrying about whether or not it's bad for me. I figure as long as it's not every day, it's probably not going to kill me to eat a fried/grilled whatever.
I think it's a misnomer that calories are bad. Calories are energy, that's all. We need a certain amount to keep going, and sure we do tend to eat too many (compared to the amount that we actually use), but I don't think that means we need to count every last bite. I think it means that we need to be more active, and eat more "real" food (as opposed to processed food). I figure if I just start living more intentionally healthy, the rest will take care of itself.
Jennifer, for the most part I compeltely agree with you. I used to 100% agree with the "everything in moderation" rule, but now I'm not quite as sure. I still agree with it, but it seems I can eat the "bad" things much less frequently than I used to be able to.
You are right, calories themselves are not bad. But you do need to be sure to take in less than you use (if you are trying to lose weight). It also totally depends on where those calories are coming from -- fat, protein, carbohydrates, etc. and how your body processes them.
If you are only eating out on rare occassions, sure, it won't kill you to splurge and eat some unhealthy things or eat a ton of extra calories.