UK Restaurants – What Are you being served?

Adults in the UK consume an average of 9g of salt a day, 3g higher than recommended by health experts

The fact is that when you’re eating out you don’t realise how much fat, salt, sugar and calories your meal contains. Add to that the fact that you often end up eating more than you would if dining at home and you’re in danger of tipping the scales (metaphorically if not literally) to the limit.

Pre-packed food sold in shops and packaged food in cafes (sandwiches, salads, desserts, drinks, etc) must, by law, display nutritional information and a list of ingredients. The Food Standards Agency’s ‘traffic light’ initiative also helps the consumer to make healthy choices.

However, there is no similar legislation affecting restaurant food and this makes it harder for the diner to gauge the fat, salt and sugar content.

Surveys reveal that around two-thirds of people would like to see nutrition labelling on menus and on menu boards in fast-food restaurants. Apart from helping all diners to make healthy choices, food labels are very important for people with diet-related diseases.

You might be rubbing your hands with glee at the thought of what great value for money you’re getting when the waiter presents you with a large plate piled high – but it’s your health and wellbeing that could be picking up the tab.

At the other end of the scale you might be fazed by the size of the portion on your plate. If you grew up in a household where your parents encouraged you to ‘eat it all up’ you might find it hard to overcome that early conditioning – but you’ve grown up now and you don’t have to ‘lick the platter clean’. There is no-one to chastise you. The chef won’t be offended.

That old cliché of chewing each mouthful ten times really works – eating slowly allows the message to get through to your stomach that you are full’. At that stage … stop! And if you can’t bear the thought of wasting good food, ask for a doggie bag.