Menu-Listed Calories – Don’t Count on It

If you’re trying to lose weight, chances are someone has advised you to avoid eating out at restaurants. It’s easy to pile on the calories at the salad bar. And you don’t really want to know how much salt goes into your favorite entree.

To help customers watching their waistline, restaurant owners will sometimes list how many calories a particular food item includes.

But a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows you might not want to trust those figures.

Researchers from Tuft University found that one in five meals from 42 restaurants had at least 100 more calories than advertised.

Now, 100 calories might not seem like that much, but when you think about how often you eat out, those calories can add up to pounds pretty quick.

Registered Dietitians often recommend preparing your meals at home to keep track of calories, fat and nutritional benefits.

It’s much easier to know what’s in your food, when you’re the chef.

Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.

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