Question #1 September 2014
Factors such as time, food habits, and price all play a part in food choices when dining out. When dealing with clients who are watching their weight, how could you encourage healthier food choices while dining out?
posted by Unknown @ 11:59 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
I would counsel these individuals about frequent eating out by empowering them to make healthy choices ehwn they go out. I would tell them that it is possible to eat out and still eat healthy. I would encourage them to eat smaller portions bacause I believe this is one of the bigest issues with eating out.
I would also encourage them to look at the menu before they go to the restaurant. This would help them to make a better choice when they aren't very hugry or very tempted.
I would definitely counsel my clients to do their due diligence before eating out at any restaurant such as looking over the menu/nutritional data online before hand, by asking the cashier/server/manager for more information regarding the nutrition information of their food and also by educating my clients that when they are the customer at a restaurant, they have the right to make requests. Restaurants are businesses and they rely on paying customer's satisfaction to keep the doors open, so there is never a request too crazy to ask for. The requests may not always be granted, but at least you can say that you tried. Additionally, maybe if enough requests are made, the restaurant will change their menu and include some of these items or modifications due to customer demand. Like I've always said, for a business, nothing speaks louder than the paying customer. We may continually rag on McDonalds and the like, but they are just selling what people want to purchase. It's called capitalism.
Many restaurants are really highlighting their healthier options, due to consumer demand and just to appeal to health-conscious customers. I think I've hyped them up before on one of our previous blogs, but I am greatly impressed with what Denny's has done with their menu. They have their fit fare menu that highlights all of the items that are below certain calorie thresholds, sodium limits, protein, fat and all of that; and it's really easy to read and interpret. Actually, it's very similar to what Tina was discussing in her review of the article for this month in that the use "interpretative" information such as symbols indicating health like an "ss" for "Sodium Savvy" that indicates that the menu item at hand is low(er) sodium. I'm not 100% positive of all of the restaurants that do similar things, but other chains like apple bees do too.
With all of that being said, I would also recommend that to maintain sanity that clients, every once in a while, just go out to eat to go out and not worry about the nutritional content of what they are consuming. I am a firm believer in the power of "cheat meals" and really plan on emphasizing such meals in my future practice. I don't like to preach obsessiveness about EVERY single meal, I like to use the 90/10% philosophy where you eat well, do your research on what your consuming & be conscious about it 90 percent of the time, but 10 percent of the time, just eat and don't worry about it...that kind of thing can drive a person crazy and just letting loose breaks up always being conscious about what you eat.
For clients who want to consume a meal that is higher in something they need to control (calories, saturated fat, sodium, sugar), I would recommend sharing the meal or dividing it in half before they start eating and putting half in a take home container. I also agree with both Jessica and Arthur that looking at the menu before going to the restaurant can help a client make a better choice. It helps if the client makes that decision at a time when they are not extremely hungry.
I agree with Jess about portion control and looking at the menu prior to going out. Those are great ideas so that it's not as tempting when they do go out. Arthur points out that people can make requests at restaurant to meet their diet needs. I'm just wondering if they feel that it's too much too ask for at times and may shy away from that idea not wanting to stick out at the table. However, that is good business if they are satisfying customers and changing menus based on customer requests. I totally agree with the "cheat" meal idea where the consumers don't need to obsess over every meal. I think it's important to realize it's a lifestyle change and not just a fad diet.
Some tips I would give clients would be to:
-Share an entree
-Order the lunch size or appetizer size if available
-Research the restaurant's menu nutrition
-Skip the soft drinks
-Limit the bread or chips that comes before the meal
-Choose options that are not cream-based or fried
-Look for baked options
-Add a salad or some vegetables
-Ask for the healthier options
- Ask for a to go box if you know the portion is large
-Enjoy every bite!
Definitely going into the restaurant with a plan would be my biggest tip. If you can encourage a client to look up the menu online before they go into the restaurant, they can analyze the nutrition information, or at least the ingredients used, and have a solid plan for what they are going to order and eat. This will help those individuals who feel overwhelmed by the options available and will empower them to pick a healthier option provided by the restaurant. I also would encourage them to look for items that have plenty of vegetables or fruit, items that are not breaded, and to choose water or low-calorie beverages when possible. In the end, I would stress that eating out should be a treat and not something that is done every day, so you don't have to worry about eating as healthy as possible. You should be able to enjoy your meal and not feel guilty about it, as long as it's not something that is done all the time.
I think its just most important to remember that fast food and restaurants are a fact of today's society. Like Arthur said, we can't just tell people not to go, because that's not realistic. Instead, we should approach it in a positive way because people deserve to enjoy their food.
Eating out can be tricky because as Tina pointed out it depends on a lot of different things. It also depends on the client! I would want clients to try and limit how often they are choosing to eat out, and to enjoy the dining out experience when they do choose to eat out. I wouldn’t want them to deprive themselves of eating something that they enjoy so I would try and recommend adding vegetables to their order (either adding it to a sandwich, or ordering fruits or vegetables as a side) or making simple switches, like drinking water instead of a soda. I would also focus on portion control. That way, clients would still be able to order something that they would like but just eat less of it! If time is a factor and you’re looking for something on the go, there are probably a few different options for them to choose from so I’d encourage them to choose one of the healthier options. For example, I would offer somewhere like Chipotle that has beans, brown rice, and fajita veggies and can be quick versus somewhere like McDonalds where healthier choices are harder to make.
Arthur also brings up a great suggestion of doing your research before going out to eat. Making healthier choices is a lot easier when you know which options are the healthier ones! It’s easy to find nutritional information online on pretty much any restaurant these days.
I really like what Jeanne said about splitting a meal or dividing it in half with the intent to take it home. That's a fantastic idea, and probably something that we could all do more of. Restaurant portions are usually larger portions than we'd serve ourselves at home and this is especially the case when we consider that many people order drinks, appetizers, desserts etc.
Jeanne also brings up a great point (one that I wouldn't even have thought to mention) about the importance of dividing half of the meal before starting to eat. Waiting until you've already eaten 90 percent of it probably isn't the best time to start thinking about taking some of it home for later. So, by cutting it in half right away, you eliminate that risk of just mindlessly eating the entire thing.
Or, even better yet, just ask for a half portion or order something that offers a "half portion" option. There was this restaurant near my hometown called the "Machine Shed", and from what I remember, most everything on their menu had both full and half options which I always thought was really cool. It's surprising that more restaurants don't do such a thing. Maybe in the future with enough influence from health conscious customers as well as future nutrition professionals, such as us, we can make that a reality!
Like many have mentioned already, I think portion control is a big issue when dining out. Especially if the person is with a big group of people and engaged in conversation, they may not realize just how much they are eating. Before they know it, they’ve eaten their entire entrée, which may have actually been two or even three servings. I think encouraging mindful eating when dining out can help with this problem. Suggest clients eat slowly, take pauses when eating, and sip water during the meal. Also, tell the client to try to be the first person to order, so they may not be swayed by less healthful orders of their fellow diners. Also, I would encourage drinking water, since many people forget about liquid calories, which add up quickly in soda and alcoholic beverages. Also, going in with a plan of what to order and looking up nutrition information online can be helpful. I would work with clients to develop a plan for them. I would ask them what their favorite restaurant is and their favorite meal at that restaurant. Then I would give them tips about how to “healthify” their favorite dish. Such as if they like a crispy chicken sandwich with French fries, I would suggest they instead order a grilled chicken sandwich with sauce on the side, and a side salad or vegetables. Or I would do a type of “Eat this, not that,” idea where I would help the client look up nutrition information online for their favorite restaurants and help them identify healthy options and the least healthy options to limit. I would try not to label foods as “bad,” just help clients identify foods that should be consumed only once in a while.
I would want to talk to them about where they are dining out first, and then start to look at the menus with them. Part of the problem might be that they are choosing restaurants that are very limited in healthy options. In those cases, I might try to steer them toward some restaurants where it's easier to make healthier choices (Chipotle, Panera, Subway, etc.).
Either way you go, I think it's best to help them understand what they are choosing and why they are choosing it. You want to give them tools, rather than just telling them which dishes are healthy and which aren't. Maybe sit down with them and look at a food app that provides the calorie and nutrient info. That would be a good tool for them to use on their own after that. That way, they can plan ahead and decide what to order before they go. It might help prevent bad decisions on the spot. Another method would be to compare a dish at a few different restaurants. So, comparing the chicken sandwich at a few places just so they can see how differently it adds up depending on where they go.
Agree with Susan about going in with a plan. If you’ve got a weakness for fast food, it really helps to know what you need to do before you get there. Thankfully our phones make that so much easier to do now. While it would be ideal to encourage water over soda, as some have mentioned, a better strategy for some clients might be to encourage smaller sodas with no refills. That way they’re not being encouraged to give something up all at once.
Caroline pointed out that people often don't realize the number of calories in soda and alcoholic beverages. I think that's a very important point. Some margaritas, for example, have over 700 calories. That doesn't leave you many calories for a day's worth of food.
Arthur also mentioned appetizers and desserts. I would suggest that if someone wanted an appetizer, that instead of having it on before a full meal, make it part of the meal. Pair it with a salad or vegetable, or share one meal and one appetizer among 2 or more people.
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