A IGD report published today summarises an important nutrition trend – 67% of people eat out at least once per week, and in a survey of over 9,000 people:
- 39% said health was a top priority when choosing lunch
- 34% were put off outlets because the food wasn’t healthy enough
- 31% would eat out more often if healthier options were more easily available
- 30% wanted more vegetarian options
The trend shows people are increasingly eating out and would like to eat a little healthier when they do eat out. For many, healthier food choices are the stumbling block.
Here’s a link to the full IGD report.
Healthier eating out
Our nutrition advice if you want to be a little healthier when eating out:
- have a glass of water/milk before you go for a meal. This may reduce strong hunger pangs which may result in unhealthy selection
- if eating later in the evening choose a lighter meal e.g. fish, eggs, vegetarian
- cut down on the carbohydrates in evening meal particularly if you have eaten lots of carbohydrates (cereal, bread, pasta, rice) earlier in the day
- avoid cheese and rich sauces, instead choose tomato based sauces
- choose deserts with less butter and sugar e.g. sorbet instead of ice-cream
- awareness of the amount of ’empty’ calories in alcohol. A small glass of red wine could be considered medicinal, but more than this may adversely affect your health and quality of sleep
- check the food labels. If you have no health concerns go for the item with the most protein. But is blood pressure is a concern choose something with the least amount of salt. If cholesterol is a problem pick something with less saturated fat. If Diabetes is a concern pick something with the least amount of carbohydrates of which is sugar.
- enjoy the occasion, don’t rush
Learn about this and more during one of our nutrition webinars or seminars. Why not educate your workplace too?
A reminder:
- The information in this article is for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice.
- The information is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.
- If you have a diagnosed medical condition, you should consult a doctor before making any major changes to your diet, and;
- Some supplements may interact with medications and you should check with your GP before commencing any supplement programme.
