Eating For Health

Who doesn’t like to eat out and enjoy meals with family or friends?   Many of us now bring hand sanitizer to restaurants when eating out and think we have done our “germ prevention”.   But did you know that there are many items in restaurants full of germs?   What are these items and what steps can you take to enjoy eating out without risking getting ill?   WebMD has a great article outlining these items, Germiest Things in Restaurants .    Menus:   Many times, I get to a restaurant and pull out my hand sanitizer, clean my hands, and then open the menu.   But WebMD notes some of the germiest items in a restaurant can be the menu.   Ever get a paper menu?   Paper menus are less germy than the plastic menus.         Suggestion :   Look at the menu and then wash or sanitize your hands, especially before enjoying some finger foods like many appetizers.   (See:   Healthy hints for choosing restaur...

Who doesn’t love to eat out and start off the meal with some appetizers?   Half the fun of eating out with friends and family is deciding which appetizers to order.   We often order more than one so we can share.   My husband and I like bruschetta from a local restaurant.   This bruschetta is loaded with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and is very tasty. But many people will be surprised that some appetizers are really gut bombs.   Not only loaded with calories but loaded with saturated fat and sodium.   Some people can afford some extra calories.   I had a student that was a carpenter.   He ate 5,000 calories a day and was not overweight.   However, even he should pay attention to how much saturated fat and sodium is in foods, including appetizers.   Some appetizers have more calories than the meal you will be eating.   A nutrition newsletter I receive provided a good overview of restaurant appetizers.   What to watch ...