DunbarFit

If there was ever only one thing you could do to control your health, it would be to control what goes into your mouth. Nothing else impacts your health more than the quality and quantity of food you consume. It impacts most, if not all of your important biomarkers from your bloodwork and bodily testing including inflammation levels, blood sugar, oxidation, glycation, heart health metrics, brain health to your mood, energy and libido. Simply put, control what you eat and you give yourself better control over how you think, feel and live. 

Yes, the exact diet and what we should eat may be one of the most controversial aspects of how to maximize our healthspan and lifespan but how we best go about that particular diet, is not as controversial. 

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA, eating out can carry varying degrees of miscalculated calorie counts. In one study, 19% of items were found to be off by 100+ calories and another similar study noted that some foods can be more than 20% higher in caloric content than reported (1). Most menu items were pretty accurate but the ones you need to be calorically accurate that involve a variety of different foods, oils and sauces are often the ones most incorrect. Even if restaurants are acting in good faith, several factors can throw off the meal: 

• Portion size — a cook may give you 7 oz of beef instead of 6 oz.
• Oil and butter — probably one of the biggest sources of error.
• Sauces and dressings — amounts aren’t necessarily precisely measured.
• Cooking methods — particularly frying and sautéing in oils and butter
• Ingredient selection— different cuts of the same meat can have varying levels of fat
• Extra items — bread, cheese, toppings, condiments, etc.
• Recipe changes — the nutritional facts may not perfectly reflect what’s currently being served.

A separate JAMA study of independent or small chain restaurants, where nutritional information wasn’t provided, found restaurant meals averaged 1,327 calories, with substantial variation between meals. For a man at 200lbs, 1,327 calories can be more than half of the calories he needs to maintain his weight. For most women, it can be much more than half. Even if you are active, that still puts a large dent in how many calories you have left in the day.

In addition to the caloric content and guesswork when eating out, your decision making needs to be more refined and on point than usual. Restaurants are notorious for focusing on taste over health. Given how customers and critics are hyper fixated on food quality, taste and presentation, I don’t blame them for focusing on what keeps the business running. However, you now have to overcome the plethora of fried food, white flour, added butter, added sugar and other delicious but highly unhealthy food items that make up the menu at so many restaurants. Deep frying is especially more common when eating out and can add 2-3x the calories after you batter and deep fry the food–not to mention a contributor to obesity and a plethora of so many health issues (2).

Why are we eating out?

If eating out can vary in caloric content, quality of food, increase the likelihood of overconsuming and make it that much more difficult to obtain and maintain a healthy body and mind, why are we eating out so much?

According to recent polling in 2024, ~75% of Americans say they prefer to eat out or order takeaway because they prefer not to cook (2). This statistic is not surprising. We’re all busy and on the go more than ever, sometimes working more hours than is ideal or just juggling family time and life’s busyness. Eating out or having food delivered is faster, requires little to no work to prepare the food and definitely does not require doing the dishes. However, it often leads to overly consuming calories and often from the wrong foods.

The Challenge

As I coached more and more clients looking to lose weight and drop bodyfat, I came to realize some were not losing the weight they thought they should. Almost always, it came down to tracking what they were actually eating. Some tracked most of the time, others less so. However, even those tracking more often than not had a tough time staying consistent, remembering what they ate or not being sure of the caloric content. 

Apps can be helpful. Many offer the option to take a picture of the food you are eating and to estimate the calories. However, this still leads you to the same issues mentioned previously–guessing the caloric content when you cannot see or measure the butter, oils, added sugar or exact portions. 

The solution is the one we have been avoiding: Learn to become a competent cook.

The first food I ever cooked was a box of macaroni and cheese. It only took a pot of water, pouring in the mac, letting it boil for a bit and then draining it before adding the powder cheese and milk. Not the healthiest but for a kid under 10, it was a good start. Fast forward to adulthood and I have learned to cook many basic foods, often out of necessity. Mainly, because I was hungry and it was cheaper than buying food.

Learning to cook from family is often the best. You learn through trial and error and have someone to guide you along the way and not mention, someone to cook and eat with! If you weren’t so fortunate to have family teach you any basics of cooking, it can be easily accomplished through a few Youtube or social media videos. There are many channels dedicated to cooking healthy food for a single meal or meal prepping for the week. I’ve learned some awesome recipes for healthier baking and all types of variations on the traditional protein, veggie, starch plate from online sources.

The 70/30 Approach

While I aim to eat 90% of my food from my kitchen, a more realistic starting point for most is to consume 70% or more of the foods you eat from your own kitchen. This gives you enough freedom to eat on the go as needed for work and travel or enjoy eating out for date night or with friends and family. 

When eating out is a must, decide if this is a time you are enjoying the pleasure good food and company brings or if you need to strive for a healthier option. If looking for a healthier balance to your meal, aim for foods that you are familiar with or be brave enough to ask your waiter how a food is prepared. If the menu doesn’t say how it’s cooked, your server is more than likely willing to guide you. After all, your experience and enjoyment of what you eat is their goal. 

The simplest strategy when eating out is to find grilled or steamed items. I start with the protein I am interested in and then look for what veggies and starches are included or not. If the protein and veggies are higher in fat because of oil or butter, I will opt out of the starch or not eat it. The starch component is likely the cheapest part of the dish. This provides me a balance of calories and to still enjoy what I eat. 

The last piece of advice on eating out I can give is to eat less the remainder of the day. If you are going to have a hefty brunch, eat very light the rest of the day. If you have a dinner spot you are looking forward to, eat less earlier in the day so you can enjoy it more. Planning out your meals away from home can make them more enjoyable and less guilt free. If that high calorie dinner was a part of the plan and within a balanced diet, eating out becomes a boost to your quality of life and not a deterrent. Just remember, the calories may be higher than you think so round up a bit.

The Bulk Dinner vs Meal Prepping

Two of my favorite strategies for cooking from home involve cooking for more than one meal at a time. The easiest strategy is to cook dinner each night but cook extra so that you have enough for lunch the next day. If cooking dinner feels like a foreign habit, start with something you know from childhood or a simple protein, veggie, starch plate that you actually enjoy. For me, it would be beef or salmon with whatever veggies I have on hand and then decide on the starch—rice/potatoes/quinoa. This allows you to eat two home made meals each day and then you just have to control breakfast. Additionally, if you prefer to skip breakfast as I do or eat very light, you can find healthy options from home or even on the go. Greek yogurt with berries, a protein and collagen smoothie, or sardines are my go to brunch items when I don’t have time to cook earlier in the day.

I highly recommend everyone try meal prepping at least once.  You can meal prep for the full week or just half the week. Meal prepping helps you refine what you are eating and of course makes it much easier to control portions and not overeat. This strategy is best on weight loss diets as eating the same or similar foods allows you to ensure you are getting enough protein while eating foods that fill you up without so many calories. With the meal prep method, you only have to cook and clean pots and pans one time, not every night. If I meal prep for the week, Sundays afternoon or evenings are the best times and allow me to block out 2 hours and in turn, save myself much more time during the week.

Whichever strategy you choose to go with, keep it simple and allow yourself the freedom to choose foods that align with your health goals as well as your taste buds. Eating out too often can ruin your palate’s set point and you no longer enjoy simple foods that are minimally processed. However, cooking from home allows you to reset the level of pleasure food brings and enjoy the taste of real food without the restaurant’s butter and sugar disguising it. After all, home-made food is the key to a warm and healthy heart.