Even though people are dining out today less often than in the past, according to a recent Zagat survey, the average person still eats out 3.2 times per week (previous statistics were 3.3 times per week). While it can be easier to cook a healthy meal at home, knowing what all of the ingredients are, it's still quite possible to eat well at a restaurant as long as you do some investigating before going out. Most restaurant websites have the nutrition information for their menus. Waiting until you get there is a recipe for disaster, as you can easily choose with your stomach instead of your brain. We'll look at a common situation many of us face each week.

As we were getting our morning started, my wife got an email from a friend inviting her to lunch at Red Robin, a burger restaurant here in the Twin Cities. Actually, they're all over the country. To make sure she didn't sabotage her nutrition plan, she got on their website and did a little homework prior to going out for lunch.

A Typical Scenario

When invited to go out, many people won't consider what they're going to eat until they get to the restaurant. The smell of the food, the pictures on the menu, the descriptions of the menu options can all lead to diet sabotage. Since my wife was planning to go to Red Robin, we'll use that menu as an example.

Let's say you wait to get to the restaurant to decide what to order. If you wait, it's much more likely you'll go with what your stomach is telling you. Here are some of the menu options, and their associated nutrition information.

• Royal Red Robin Burger with Fries (no soda): The "It's the weekend. I'll eat whatever I want" meal: 1625 calories, 101 g fat, 108 g carb, 66 g protein
• California Chicken Burger: The "It's got chicken on it so it must be good for you" meal: 946 calories, 57 g fat, 49 g carb, 55 g protein
• Caesar's Chicken Wrap: The "Wraps are healthy" meal: 852 calories, 43 g fat, 69 g carbs, 40 g protein
• Fajita Fiesta Pollo Salad: The "I need to eat more salads" meal: 1000 calories, 62 g fat, 59 g carb, 51 g protein
• Onion Rings: The "I barely ever order them so I'll treat myself" side dish: 724 calories, 54 g fat, 62 g carb, 7 g protein

The menu is pretty extensive, and contains a LOT of great tasting items, too many to include in these examples. The point is, it's pretty easy to eat half or more of a day's worth of calories in a single meal. Doing that 3.2 times per week, even with an otherwise healthy diet can quickly halt or even reverse the results of a sound nutrition plan. Now, let's look at this with a little bit of planning. Fortunately, at Red Robin, like many other restaurants, you can customize your menu item of choice. Their website shows you what it does to the nutrition information to exchange or replace ingredients in any of the menu items.

My wife was looking for a salad, which is pretty typical for a lunch meal for her. The Cobb Salad sounded good. The Cobb Salad with Ranch dressing looks like this:

1156 calories, 82 grams of fat, 44 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fiber, 56 grams of protein

Can you eat a salad without dressing? Absolutely! This one has blue cheese and avocado on it too, so there's plenty of extra flavor without the need for dressing. When you drop the dressing, the meal looks like this:

736 calories, 38 grams of fat 42 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fiber, 54 grams of protein (A reduction of 420 calories!)

That's a lot better! What else could be done? Well, she was not going to be super-active today, so the focaccia bread really wasn't necessary. She also doesn't care for black olives or tomatoes, although they could certainly could have been left on if she did. Without the focaccia bread, tomatoes or olives, the salad still had grilled chicken breast, one ounce  of blue cheese crumbles, avocado (healthy fat), hard-boiled egg, crumbled bacon and salad mix. The nutrition information now looks like this:

495 calories, 27 grams of fat, 14 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, 49 grams of protein (Another reduction of 241 calories!)

Not bad at all! Plenty of healthy protein, a reasonable number of calories, healthy fat from the avocado and not a ton of excess carbohydrates that would leave her drained of energy later in the afternoon.

Summary

Dining out can be an enjoyable experience and does not need to be one of the reasons for not managing weight. With a little bit of planning, you can enjoy a great meal at your favorite restaurant. A couple of additional reminders for the next time you eat out are:

- Skip the soda. Drink water, unsweetened tea, milk, even a glass of wine, which can all be a lot less calories that soda.

- Ask for extra steamed vegetables or a salad instead of the fries, coleslaw, onion rings, etc.

- Go for grilled chicken or fish, but check on how it is prepared. If you're going for steak, get the filet, as it is much leaner.

- Skip dessert. You REALLY don't need it, and, half an hour after you leave the restaurant, you'll be glad you skipped it. The ten minutes of satisfaction while you eat it won't be worth the extra hour or more you'll need to spend doing intense cardio to burn it off.

The most important part of all of this is to ask your server to prepare it the way you want it. If you wait until the meal comes and you plan to remove the ingredients you don't think you should eat, or plan to leave the focaccia bread on your plate, you'll be battling the will of your stomach. Before the meal is finished, you may find the dressing and bread are no longer on your plate, and it won't be because someone else ate them for you. Plan ahead and enjoy your meal.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

The most recent attempt by the food industry to help people make better decisions about the groceries they purchase will likely make them more confused than ever. The new program  called the "Smart Choices Program," aims to highlight foods in stores that could be considered "healthy." Before you run to the store and pick out all of the foods with the new green checkmark, be sure you know what it is you are purchasing.

Creation of the Smart Choices Program

The philosophy of the program was to create standards for products that follow guidelines from the Dietary Guidelines for American's. For an annual fee of approximately $100,000, food companies can enroll in the program. As long as their food products meet the requirements of the program, they can feature the label on the front of the packaging. This will also eliminate the need for these manufacturers to show their own unique logos to make the product appear more healthy. This is not a program developed by the government. It was developed by many of the leading food companies in partnership with the American Society for Nutrition. Before believing the products that bear the new symbol are actually what you should incorporate into your nutrition program, we'll take a look at what the labels actually mean.

What is a "Smart Choice?"

According to the program, the generic benchmarks for being considered a "smart choice" include the two following points:

1. Nutrition must be less than the following

<35% calories from fat

<10% calories from saturated fat

< 25% calories from added sugar

0 g trans fat

< 60 mg cholesterol

< 480 mg sodium

2. Must include one of the following

> 10% daily value of ONE of the following: calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C OR vitamin E

one serving of ONE of the following food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free/low-fat milk products

As long as a processed food can meet the criteria, it can be considered a "Smart Choice." This means that a huge list of highly-processed foods will bear the logo. While the intention of the program may have been to help consumers make faster, healthier decisions, there are certainly some flaws in the program.

Where are the whole foods?

If you review the list of Smart Choice foods, you will quickly see that almost all of the products listed are processed foods. Processed foods may be used on occasion, but the bulk of a nutritious diet should come from whole foods, which are prepared from their natural state. According to our Life Time Fitness Nutrition Philosophy, the majority of food people consume should come from whole foods. For convenience, a protein shake or meal replacement shake can be beneficial, but at least three times a day, real food should be eaten. A better decision may have been to hang a Smart Choice banner over the areas containing fresh foods, such as the fruit, vegetable, meat, dairy and egg sections of the grocery store.

Does the program favor large food manufacturers?

Will the smaller organic food companies get involved with this program? It may depend on whether they can justify the expense. Even if they are willing to invest the $100,000, the Smart Choice logo on a box of Fruit Loops would be the same logo that would be on a box of Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, which is a gluten-free organic cereal made by Nature's Path. They are far from the same in their nutrition value, but would bear the same logo.

Checking the list of dairy products today, nothing was listed. However, a few days ago, the list included dozens of fat-free dairy products. From a consumer's standpoint, it will easily appear that the fat-free, pasteurized, homogenized commercial milk products are healthier than the non-homogenized, fat-containing, organic milk products coming from grass-fed cows. If you'd like to learn more about the difference, check out the Experience Life article Skimming the Truth. It is not likely a local farm which produces real milk would invest in the logo, and some products that are higher in fat content may not qualify even though they provide far more nutrition. There are also no whole eggs on the list, but there are pasteurized, fat-free egg products.

Most Surprising Foods Making the "Smart Choices" List

In reviewing the list of products which will feature the Smart Choice logo, I picked out some of the products that seemed the most out of place. The list will continue to grow as more products are approved for the logo, or as more companies participate in the program. Most interesting is the fact that the cereal category currently contains 203 products! I'm not sure how many cereals actually fit on the shelf of most grocery stores, but it seems odd that a food which is considerably processed, fortified, low in protein, high in carbohydrates, low in good fats, and generally high in sugars would be considered a Smart Choice.

Eileen T. Kennedy, president of the Smart Choices board, told the New York Times, "You're rushing around, you're trying to think about healthy eating for your kids and you have a choice between a doughnut and a cereal. So Froot Loops is a better choice." Most consumers don't need help understanding doughnuts are not a good choice, but whatever happened to eggs and oatmeal for breakfast? Short on time, what about a fruit and protein shake? Below are some products that really seemed out of place receiving a Smart Choice logo:

Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit - Though there are not any additives, it has 100 calories, 26 grams of carbs and 21 grams of sugar per serving, which is only 1.4 ounces. Yes, it comes from whole fruit, but since it is dried, people will eat far more than if they ate fresh fruit.

Cereals: Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Fruit Loops Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms. Some of these cereals contain high fructose corn syrup. None of them provide much of a protein source or other whole-food nutrients.

Processed Meats: The majority of the meats considered "smart choices" are processed meats because of their lower levels of fat. Unfortunately, because of the processing, many of the products have had nutrients removed and the healthy fats that may have been in them at one point, are now removed. Many processed meats also contain extra preservatives. It may also appear to consumers that these processed foods are healthier than the grass-fed, organic, free-range options in the meat section because those products may not have paid for the label. Whole food, organic meats will be higher in healthy fats, but because of the fat content may not qualify for the label.

One other list of products really stood out because of its target market being kids: Kid's Cuisine line of microwavable meals. This is a great example of out of place many of these product are in a list of "smart choices." The following is a list of the ingredients for the Kid Cuisine Cheeseburger meal:

Beef patty on bun: BEEF PATTY: beef, beef broth (water, beef stock), textured soy protein concentrate, onions, salt, flavors

HAMBURGER BUN: whole wheat flour, whey, high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil (soybean and/or cottonseed oils), water, enriched bleached flour (what flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, {vitamin B2}, folic acid), yeast, wheat gluten, contains 2% or less of the following: distilled vinegar, dough conditioners (may contain one or more of the following: mono- and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylates, calcium peroxide, ascorbic acid) salt, cellulose gum, yeast nutrients (monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate), corn starch, soy lecithin, soy flour.

Pasteurized processed American cheese slice: (cultured milk, salt, enzymes, artificial color), water, cream, sodium citrate, contains less than 2% of salt, sodium phosphate, citric acid, acetic acid, sorbic acid (preservative), soy lecithin, artificial color

Corn

French Fries: potatoes, canola oil, salt, disodium dihydrogen phosphate (to promote color retention), coloring (caramel color, annatto extract, turmeric), dextrose

Fruit flavored snack: fruit juice concentrate (apple, white grape), sugar, corn syrup, unmodified and modified cornstarch, ascorbic acid, citric acid, artificial and natural flavor, mineral oil, carnauba wax, artificial color (red 40, yellow 6, blue 1, red 3), water, sugar.

Summary

Most likely, the concept of the "Smart Choices" program came from someone well-intentioned, who wanted to help consumers understand what products were best for their health. It appears to have evolved into more of a way to have consumers rely on more processed foods for their diet. If consumers really need education on what to eat to help combat the obesity epidemic and improve overall health, it's not likely the answer will be found on the covers of processed food packages.

I assume that many of the people reading this article will be able to understand what a real smart choice is when it comes to choosing foods in the grocery store. Part of the Life Time Fitness vision statement says that we want to be a "macro healthy way of life company and brand." That means we hope to have an impact beyond the walls of our fitness centers. One of the ways we can do that is by hoping our members (and other readers) can help share what they learn about health and fitness. The next time you are at the store and see people who are really trying to make good decisions, please help them out. They may not have the knowledge you do, and may end up buying products based on the label, not knowing that the best choices may not have that logo. If you're not comfortable with that, maybe just share this post with them. Shop smart. Eat well. Supplement right. Be healthy.

As always, comments welcomed!

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Neuman, W. For Your Health, Froot Loops. New York Times. Sept 4, 2009

Glover, K. Froot Loops Unfortunate Mascot for Smart Choices Program. BNET

Helgoe, C. Skimming the Truth. Experience Life Magazine. September, 2009.

Smart Choices Website: www.smartchoicesprogram.com

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

In the first two parts of this series, we looked at health concerns related to protein intake, and what research says about protein intake and body composition. To wrap up the series, today we'll look at recommended intakes, and some general differences among protein sources.

Recommended Protein Intake

The dietary guidelines suggest a daily intake of .8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For a sedentary individual, with no interest in optimal health or body composition, it's possible that the RDA will be sufficient. As was discussed in the section on protein intake and body composition, this still may not be ideal. For a sedentary individual that consumes protein at the lower end of the recommended intake, he or she may not benefit from the satiating effect of protein. In this case, a sedentary individual can end up overeating carbohydrates and fat, and gain excess weight.

For exercising individuals, the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends protein intakes in the range of 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Though research has not shown a benefit for intakes higher than these ranges, some individuals such as bodybuilders and strength athletes consume amounts higher than 2.0 grams per kilogram with no ill effect. Some long-term studies are currently being conducted on active individuals who have been eating upwards of 4 grams kilogram body weight for many years, but it will be some time before the studies are completed. For the purpose of gaining lean body mass, evidence today does not suggest it is necessary to consume more than 2.0 grams per kilogram. However, metabolisms vary, and some individuals can benefit from higher intakes.

Aside from exercise recovery, it is also important for those on a reduced-calorie or a weight loss diet to consume protein on the higher end of recommended ranges. When people eat less calories than their body needs, the body not only reduces fat stores but lean body mass as well. Strength training and higher protein intakes can help prevent or reduce the amount of lean mass lost. Weight management is not about calories alone. It is common for people on reduced calorie diets to focus solely on the number of calories they eat, and not where those calories are coming from.  Most of the time, the lowest calorie foods, are low-fat, low-protein, higher-carbohydrate foods. It is possible to lose weightby simply reducing calories, but if protein needs are not met, the percentage of body fat the individual carries may not change much.

One last point to consider for recommended intakes is how the amount is determined. Many nutrition protocols are based on a certain percentageof calories coming from each of the three macronutrients such as 55% carbohydrates, 25% fat and 25% protein. The trouble with using only percentages is, as calories go down, the actual intake of protein goes down.

The following is an example using a 150 pound female. For the example, we'll use 10 calories per pound for a weight loss calorie amount, and 15 calories per pound for a weight maintenance goal*. If we continue using 2 grams per kilogram of body weight as a protein recommendation, that gives us 136 grams as a daily target.

Weight Loss nutrition plan at 10 calories per pound body weight*

1500 calories

25% of calories from protein = 94 grams of protein

Weight maintenance nutrition plan at 15 calories per pound body weight*

2250 calories

25% of calories from protein = 140grams of protein

That is quite a variance in protein intake! Now let's look at this example a different way, and calculate protein based on body weight:

Weight Loss nutrition plan at 10 calories per pound body weight*

1500 calories

2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight = 136 grams of protein (36% of total calories)

Weight maintenance nutrition plan at 15 calories per pound body weight*

2250 calories

2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight = 136 grams of protein (24% of total calories)

*Calorie amounts are very rough estimates. For accurate, personal caloric needs, be sure to do a CaloriePoint

In the example above, for the weight loss goals, 36% of the calories coming from protein may be considered a higher protein diet. However, because the protein recommendation was based on body weight, it is actually a reasonable amount for this individual's goals. Protein is a building block for many parts of the body.  The requirements for carbohydrate and fat can vary tremendously based on activity level and training goals, but it is not wise to reduce protein in the same way.

Protein Sources

The last big piece of the puzzle is deciding on where to get your protein from. Protein sources are sometimes divided between complete and incomplete proteins, which is a way of defining the amino acid content of protein. The terms are not perfect. Generally, plant sources are considered incomplete and animal sources complete proteins. In the case of incomplete proteins, at least a couple of different sources need to be eaten together in order to provide the body with all of its amino acid needs. Animal-based proteins are considered complete proteins as they provide all of the necessary amino acids. It is possible to mix plant sources of protein to make complete protein sources. Because of their high carbohydrate content, it's possible to overeat carbohydrates and calories when trying to achieve a sufficient protein intake on a plant-based diet. The choice to eat or avoid animal protein is a personal one.

Avoiding animal proteins increases the risk of nutrient deficiencies, and it can be more challenging to meet ideal protein intake, but it is still possible, if necessary, to meet protein needs with a vegetarian diet. The difference between a vegetarian diet and non-vegetarian diets deserves much more space than is available here, and will be addressed in the future. As we discussed in the first post in this series, there is not any reason to fear animal protein sources, unless they are heavily processed, or if they come from commercial farms. It is best to choose free-range, pastured, grass-fed, organic sources of animal protein.

In future articles, we'll look at individual protein sources, such as soy, whey, casein, egg, milk, and additional protein sources. Many of these sources deserve their own post in order to weigh out the pros, cons, and ideal use of each. Whey, egg, and milk protein seem to be the best sources from a physiological standpoint. We'll look at this on a deeper level in the future.

Go to: Part 1 - Protein and Health Concerns

Go to: Part 2 - Protein and Body Composition

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Dietary Reference Intakes: Recommended Intakes for Individuals (PDF|87 KB) National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board.

A new movie, in select theaters nation-wide, may help give the general public the education needed to start making different decisions about their nutrition. Food, Inc. uncovers some unfortunate truths behind the food industry, and builds a strong case for buying local and organic. The film covers issues in the food industry such as:

• How our food supply has become infected with E. Coli
• Why the market for soy and corn has become so powerful
• The treatment of animals that give us the majority of commercially raised beef, poultry and pork
• The power the government has over the foods we eat
• The power consumers have when they begin to choose organic and local foods

Eating organic and buying local is often thought of as a decision about health. Health is one of the benefits, but it goes well beyond that. As more people begin buying from local farms, it can help reduce the prices of buying locally, help farmers to earn a more respectable living, improve the treatment of farm animals, and reduce the chance of our food supply being filled with chemically-treated produce or steroid-filled animals. Reading about this subject is important, but seeing the film will help you feel the emotion behind it.

Between the two of us, my wife and I go through about 18 pounds of chicken and beef each week, not including what our two boys eat. In addition, we go through six dozen eggs and a ton of fruit and vegetables each week. The cost of buying everything organic has always held us back. We tended to look at it as more of a health-related decision, and since we both eat very healthy diets, there wasn't enough reason for us to make the change. After seeing the film this weekend, we've made a commitment to do most of our shopping through local farms and look for those that are organic. Our trip to the Farmer's Market on Sunday got us the groceries pictured here. There will be a learning curve, but I'm looking forward to it. It won't be as easy to cook a whole chicken and make use of the entire bird, compared to throwing a few chicken breasts in the oven, but it's exciting to adopt a different way of eating, especially when we consider that the benefits go beyond just our family.

You can find more information about the movie here.

If you're looking for theaters and show times, you can find those here.