What are they putting in my food?!

elle18287

Today I went to Applebees with a friend. When we left, I explained to her that I sometimes worry about going out to eat because even if the restaurant lists their nutritional info, they could be putting extra oil or more sauce in our food, because they do not always measure when food is prepared. Does anyone else ever worry about this? She said I had an obsession. I think it is important to think about these things though, especially when we are dieting and concerned over what is going into our bodies. Maybe I am just nutso, lol.

Pandorian

If you're that concerned about it that a variation on how they prepare your food is a big issue the solution I see is to not eat out, period. You have full control over the food you're eating that way. If you're willing to eat out you should be willing to take a bit of variation from time to time when you go out and have fun.

TinaS88

Yeah I do sometimes. But as long as you aren't eating out more then you are eating in, you should be fine. A few extra once in a while isn't going to do any damage.

deadbeatsummer

I think sometimes there is a line you have to draw and maybe here is where it needs to be drawn.
If you start worrying about that.. then what about factories adding extra ingredients to foods we have from the supermarket?
where do you stop worrying?

it's not like you eat out all the time so if you give yourself a little leeway with eating out, your more likely to stick to the programme for the long term instead of getting cut up on the little details.

tl;dr: don't sweat the small stuff.

ElyseL1

I totally do!! Especially at places like Applebees, Mels, Red Robins, ect. Anywhere where a lot of the options are mostly fattening I get worried. Thats why at a lot of places I only eat half the plate and am on the generous side with calories consumed.

jenillawafer

I have this same fear, so perhaps I'm a nutso as well. :laugh:
I used to be consumed by this idea, so rarely went out to eat.
Since most of my social life is based around food (none of my friends care about 'dieting'), I felt like the odd one out.
Though, I try not to think about it too much anymore.. since I enjoy the company.
I tend to pre-log on these occasions and make healthier options throughout the day to keep myself in check.

lmelangley

Just remember that they could also be using less of the oil and sauces than are recorded on their nutrition facts. I figure it evens out in the wash- life's too short to worry about an occasional hundred calories here or there. And, if you are that concerned, I think you need to stop eating out.

That being said, I've been pretty loosey-goosey with my eating regime with no timeline in mind to losing the 45 lbs I wanted to drop, and it took me over a year. If you're looking for faster results, you might not want to listen to me.

TeenaMarina

No, I think it's a valid concern. I manage a bakery, and we - as should every restaurant, deli, grocery store, etc. - have portion controls in place. Not only does it keep costs in line, but it makes for a more consistent product. It's really hard to always guarantee that, though, since it's not always the same person making the food. For example, we have this cake that's supposed to have 4 oz of filling in it, by weight. That portion is in place so that I know how much profit we're making on the cake, and also so that customers can go to our website and find accurate nutritional info on that cake, based on its having exactly 4 oz of filling. However, I have this new decorator who thinks she's doing the customers a favor by eyeballing the amount of filling, and "plumping" up the cake, therefore giving them a better deal and a "better" cake. But - as I've explained to her - she's ruining my bottom line (no pun intended) and making the nutrition facts I've calculated now invalid.

I absolutely believe you can't trust that your food is exactly the same from one visit to the next at any restaurant, even a national chain with set menus and set standards. And, after being in the foodwervice industry for so long I have seen first hand that just because a menu says that a dish has X, Y, and Z in it doesn't necessarily mean they didn't also throw something else in there, or that they didn't just double the amount of Z. Honestly, eating out scares the crap out of me from a weight loss perspective, unless it's way basic food., like a salad where I can see all the ingredients and control the dressing, etc.

elle18287

Thank you guys.... I don't feel so crazy anymore, haha.

bluejayyy

omg whenever I go out to eat I am always worried about how they cook it/preserve the food. It freaks me out to think what goes on in the kitchen to make everything taste so goood. I never tell my friends though because I feel judged..I just try to choose the healthiest options (I usually go with a salad because I love salads anyways and how much can you add to veggies? I mean come on if they are adding preservatives and flavoring I am disappointed

airangel59

I eat out a lot and I find if you speak to the wait staff and tell them you are watching yourself, ask them how the food is prepared and if they can cook it another way or use less butter/oil etc.

True you don't really know if they are actually doing it or not, but at least you can make an inquiry.

I figure I'm probably off calorie wise each day by something I over or under calculated so I do leave room in the calories. For fats/sodium/etc it is a crapshoot though.

TheRealParisLove

Sauces and dressings on the side will help keep control of the worst offenders. Grilled meats should be pretty safe, you can judge the approx weight by size, a deck of cards = 4 oz meat roughly. Log in an additional tablespoon of oil if the food seems particularly greasy. If you tell the waiter you are an athlete in training (if it is reasonable) and have to limit your fat and carbs, they are usually really helpful. Also try tipping before the food comes, and tell him you will tip again after if you liked how it was prepared.

I know the heavy tipping is expensive, but so is heart disease.

ScarlettLeto

I COMPLETELY understand how you feel! I always worry that the portions are too big or they might have put something else in my food, especially since I'm vegetarian I always worry that they might have put a meat product in my food!