Common Sense Health: Takeout meals are rarely healthy

By Dr. Gifford-Jones and Diana Gifford-Jones on September 20, 2024.

Picking up an order of takeout food is a convenient way to get a meal without doing the cooking. Although there are more options all the time, even in the best of circumstances, meals-to-go have never been considered a nutritional boon.

But with the changing lifestyles of each generation, a clear trend continues toward convenience. Sadly, convenience does not go hand in hand with mindfulness about healthy eating by either producers or consumers. With healthcare systems starved for resources to cover so much illness, everyone should be motivated to take a few steps towards better health. That means we need to have a closer look at those takeout menus.

Tufts University reported on a large study involving 35,000 adults that found about 70 percent of fast-food meals and 50 percent of meals at full-service restaurants were “of poor dietary quality”. What’s worse? Only that “less that 0.1 percent – nearly none – were of all the restaurant meals consumed over the study period were of ideal quality.”

What do the experts suggest considering this problem? One consistent message is, “Go for plants.” Plant food that can be eaten in its natural state is particularly good! Think fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Next best are plant foods that are minimally processed, meaning the food has been prepared for sale in a manner that does not fundamentally alter it. Like applesauce that has not been sweetened. Fresh and dried pasta qualify. Frozen vegetables. Milk and plain yogurt. Coffee too.

Plant foods are rich in potassium, which amounts to another benefit. Potassium helps counter the effect of excessive sodium in other foods. Excessive dietary sodium is associated with high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.

Today, most sodium that people consume comes from added salt during commercial food processing. Full-service restaurants and fast-food outlets are often using high amounts of salt. According to the Tufts report, a single full-service meal contained more than twice the daily limit recommendation of 2,300 milligrams of sodium.

Keep in mind that sodium is often found in soups, bread, sauces, dressings, and processed meats, like frozen beef and sausage products.

When eating in restaurants, ask if they have a low-sodium selection on the menu. If ordering a pizza, ask about a whole wheat crust option. And don’t be hesitant to enquire if you can swap French fries for a healthy fruit cup or cottage cheese.

Few people have the fortitude to turn away from meats that have been processed by skilled craftspeople over centuries to taste perfection. Examples are pepperoni, bacon, sausage, and even deli meats like sliced turkey and ham. But these foods are linked to cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and premature death. Congratulations to those who can resist them. For the rest of us, we need to practice moderation. And practice it a little harder.

Try to order sustainably harvested fish. Eat it baked, not fried. That goes for chicken too. Avoid breaded and deep fried chicken that is served with butter and sauces.

But it’s difficult to limit calories when eating out. One study showed that meals in some restaurants, even without the drinks, appetizers, or desserts, contained more calories than recommended for an entire day for an average adult.

Studies have also shown that when people are presented with more food than they require, they eat it.

Human nature is hard to change. And restaurants are going to continue to serve unhealthy meals. So for your next meal out, divide the portions and put half in a takeaway container at the outset. Bon appétit, at a better bargain.

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