Is Restaurant Food Healthy? New Study Suggests Restaurant Food Is Fairly Comparable To Junk Food!

Home cooking is the best way to curb the calories, fat, sugar and other nutrients that families consume as restaurant food is reportedly not healthier than fast food, according to the new study.

People have previously associated fast food with junk food, Ruopeng An, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign noted.

"But, people don't know much about the food provided by full-service restaurants and if it is better or healthier compared to fast food or compared to food prepared and consumed at home," An told Reuters Health.

An used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for his study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The NHANES regularly collects health and dietary information from a representative sample of the U.S. population.

Over 18,000 adults answered survey questions about what they had eaten over a two-day period. Nearly a third of participants reported eating fast food on at least one day if not both, and one quarter reported eating full-service restaurant food on at least one day.

Those who visited fast food restaurants consumed as average of 190 more calories per day, 11 grams more fat, 3.5 g more saturated fat, 10 mg extra cholesterol and 300 mg additional sodium as opposed to participants who ate food prepared at home.

Those participants who denied at full-service restaurants consumed about 187 more calories per day as compared to those who ate food prepared at home, 10 more grams of fat, 2.5 g more saturated fat, almost 60 mg more cholesterol and over 400 mg more sodium.

Basically, every time people go out to eat, they may end up taking in an average of 200 more calories than if they eat at home, according to a paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In fact, in some respects restaurant outings seem to be less healthy than eating at a fast food outlet. While those who eat at a restaurant may be taking in more nutrients such as vitamins, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids depending on what they order, they are also likely to consume more sodium and cholesterol, National Post noted.

"An explains that people may be at higher risk of overeating in a full-service restaurant than when eating fast food," An explained.

According to An it appears that "dietary behavior is influenced by eating environment" and several factors such as longer dining time, socializing and greater variety might contribute to excess calorie intake at a full-service restaurant.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires restaurants with 20 or more locations to provide calorie content and nutrients content in the menu labeling, however that's not applied to most full-service restaurants, An noted.

"So people who consume food at full-service restaurants are not aware of the calorie and nutrient content in the food served (and) are more likely to overeat and are less cautious about the extra calories they intake from the full-service restaurant."

The findings did not surprise Lori Rosenthal, a dietitian at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

"When we prepare our own meals we know exactly what the foods we are eating contain," Rosenthal told Reuters Health by email.

"When dining out, we are leaving the ingredients to the chef or fast food chain," she said. "When we make our own, we are in control."

Lori Rosenthal, who wasn't involved in the study, said cooking at home lets people make healthy substitutions such as swapping out full-fat cheese for reduced fat versions.

Rosenthal added that individuals are more likely to have "cheat meals" or "splurges" in restaurants than at home, nevertheless habits can help curb the calories.

"Before heading to a restaurant look up the menu online," she said. "This helps to avoid succumbing to the pressure of ordering before reading all of the options."

"Don't be afraid to ask how menu items are prepared and stick to those that are baked, broiled, grilled or steamed." Also, "Choose dishes that contain vegetables (i.e. veggie omelet, kabobs or pasta primavera) or request they be added." Rosenthal also suggested.

"Be mindful and slow down," she added. "Take the time to chew, taste and savor your food - you'll naturally eat less and enjoy your meal even more."