Eating at Restaurants Can Be as Bad as Fast Food

Whether you're dining out or grabbing a bite on the go, eating at both fast food and restaurant establishments can make you eat more calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium than when you eat at home, a new study reports.

Researchers from the University of Illinois found that people who eat out take in about 200 more calories per day than home-eaters, which can be dangerous for not only weight gain, but heart health.

“People who ate at full-service restaurants consumed significantly more cholesterol per day than people who ate at home,” said study author Ruopeng An. “This extra intake of cholesterol, about 58 milligrams per day, accounts for 20 percent of the recommended upper bound of total cholesterol intake of 300 milligrams per day.”

Eating out makes you overeat

While researchers found people who eat at restaurants were likely to consume more healthy nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and potassium, restaurant-goers also eat more sodium and cholesterol - which Americans already consume in excess, the authors said.

“The additional sodium is even more worrisome because the average daily sodium intake among Americans is already so far above the recommended upper limit, posing a significant public health concern, such as hypertension and heart disease,” An said.

People who eat at restaurants may also tend to overeat more, despite the fact that dining out seems like a healthier option than fast food, An explained.

"My advice to those hoping to consume a healthy diet and not overeat is that it is healthier to prepare your own foods, and to avoid eating outside the home whenever possible.”

Source: News Bureau Illinois