Eat Out Eat Well

Eating with Family and Friends

Do Your Surroundings Affect How Much You Eat?

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Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusets

Madison Square Garden, New York City
Volpaia, Tuscany, Italy
Penn Station, New York City

Where Would You Rather Eat?

Duh!!!  Obviously, most people would choose the beautiful settings in the Martha’s Vineyard or Tuscany pictures — or anywhere in the world that is just as serene and welcoming.

But . . . the real question is:  what is your goal?

The Setting And Your Surroundings Will Affect How Much You Eat

They will also affect how fast you eat and how long you take to eat.  According to Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating and director of Cornell’s Food and brand Lab, the atmosphere of a restaurant can get you to overeat in two ways:  if it’s really pleasant you want to stay longer — and therefore order and eat more, or if it is very brightly lit and perhaps loud and irritating you usually gulp and run, probably overeating before you realize that you’re full.

Red and Gold Decor Versus White Tablecloths

Fast food and high turnover restaurants are decorated for speed eating.  No pleasant pastels and soft music here. Instead you’ll find loud music, noise reflecting off of hard surfaces, and high arousal color schemes, often red and gold.  It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to your brain that  you are full and this red and gold, noisy environment makes you gulp your food and reach for more way before 20 minutes have come and gone.

On the other hand, people tend to linger at restaurants with low lighting, soft music, flowers, and tablecloths.  The attentive waitstaff are there to offer you more and more food courses — and you are likely to jump at the offer(s). In this type of eating environment you end up ordering and eating more than you had planned.

SocialDieter Tip:

Restaurant decor is not an accident — it is designed with the intention of keep you at the table longer or getting you to eat and run.  How long does it take you to gobble down a Big Mac or chow mein?  The red and gold color schemes in many Chinese and fast food restaurants encourage you to chow down quickly.   The white tablecloths and soft music of the “fancy” restaurant you frequent make it oh so easy to linger longer — and order another glass of wine, dessert, coffee, and after dinner drink.  Know your setting:  pace yourself in the speed environment and avoid the temptation to keep ordering in the relaxed environment.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame . . . And Let Me Eat For Nine Innings

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Batter Up

Baseball season is in full swing. If you’re going to be at a game – major league, minor league, or little league – it’s become almost a habit to chow down on the food being hawked by vendors or purchased from the food court.

Listed below are examples of some snacks and drinks common to baseball games.  You might be surprised at the calories in some of your favorites.

SocialDieter Tip:

To avoid the caloric onslaught you can:

  • Choose your food wisely
  • Avoid eating every inning
  • Bring some of your own snacks with you
  • Drink water or non-caloric drinks
  • Eat and/or drink “lite” versions (just be aware that some reduced or fat free foods have just as many calories as full fat varieties – fat has been replaced with sugars

Game Time Food and Drinks

Beer

Bottle of Budweiser:  144 calories, 12.8 carbs, 4.7% alcohol

Can of Bud Lite:  110 calories, 6.6 carbs, 4.2% alcohol

Bottle of Miller Lite:  96 calories, 3.2 carbs, 4.2% alcohol

Bottle of Miller MGD 64:  64 calories, 2.4 carbs, 2.8% alcohol

Non-alcoholic Drinks

Snapple Orangeade (16 oz):  200 calories, 52g sugars

San Pelligrino Limonata (11.15 fl oz can):  1

41 calories, 32g sugars

Perrier Citron Lemon Lime (22 oz bottle):  0 calories

Vitamin Water Focus Kiwi-Strawberry (20 oz bottle):  125 calories, 32.5g sugars

Hint Blackberry (16 oz bottle):  0 calories

Can of Coke (12 oz):  140 calories, 39g sugars

Bottle of 7Up (12 oz):  150 calories, 38g sugars

Gatorade G Orange (12 oz bottle):  80 calories, 21g sugars

Root beef float (large, 32 oz):  640 calories, 10g fat

Water (as much as you want):  0 calories

Snack Food

Fritos (28g, about 32 chips): 160 calories, 10g fat

Ruffles potato chips (28g, 12 chips):  160 calories, 10g fat

Rold Gold Pretzel sticks (28g, 48 pretzels):  100 calories, 0g fat

Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn (28g, 1 ¾ cups):  160 calories, 10g fat

Cracker Jack (28g, ½ cup):  120 calories, 2g fat, 15g sugars

Curly fries (7 oz)  620 calories, 30g fat

Kettle corn (31/2 cups):  245 calories, 6g fat

Candy

Raisinets (1/4 cup):  190 calories, 8g fat, 27g sugars

Peanut m&m’s (about ¼ cup):  220 calories, 11g fat, 22g sugars

Snickers (1bar, 59g):  280 calories, 14g fat, 30g sugars

Large cotton candy:  170 calories, 0 fat

Ice Cream

Good Humor Chocolate Éclair (1 bar, 59g):  160 calories, 8g fat, 11g sugars

Fudgsicle Fudge Bar (1 bar, 64g):  100 calories, 2.5g fat, 13g sugars

Klondike The Original (1 sandwich, 81g):  250 calories, 17g fat, 18g sugars

Planter’s Dry Roasted Peanuts (1oz):  170 calories, 14g fat, 2g sugars

Blue Diamond Almonds (1oz):  170 calories, 14g fat 0 sugars

Planter’s Nut & Chocolate Trail Mix (1oz):  160 calories, 10g fat, 13g sugars

Burgers (Yes) Or Hotdogs (No) on Your Grill?

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Burgers – Is That A Yes?

Sort of.  A study just published in the journal Circulation analyzed the effects of eating red unprocessed meat  (100g a day of unprocessed beef, pork, or lamb) compared to processed meat products (50g of meat preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or with added chemical preservatives such as sausages, bacon, and salami).

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public health analyzed data from studies that looked at red and processed meat consumption and possible links to heart disease and diabetes. The studies included over 1.2 million people who were followed from 4 to 18 years. The conclusion:  red unprocessed meat isn’t associated with an increased risk of diabetes or coronary heart disease.  Eating the equivalent of one hot dog or two slices of deli meat a day (50 g of processed meat) is associated with a 42% higher risk of coronary heart disease and a 19% increased risk of diabetes.

Suspected Demons:  Salt And Preservatives

We’re used to the US guidelines that recommend eating less red and unprocessed meat  — but these guidelines are based on the projected effects of the saturated fat and cholesterol in the meat.  Red meat and processed meat contain a similar amount of both of these, but processed meat has about four times the amount of sodium and 50% more preservatives (like nitrates) than unprocessed red meat.

Conclusion:  this study (a systematic review of nearly 1,600 studies from around the world that looked for links between processed and unprocessed red meat and the risk of heart disease and diabetes) suggests that salt and other preservatives might explain the higher risk associated with processed meat.

What Kind Of Meat Are They Talking About?

This study defined processed meat as any meat preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or with added chemical preservatives. This includes bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs, and processed deli and lunch meat.  The unprocessed red meat included beef, lamb, and pork, but not poultry. On average, a 1.8 oz (50 g) daily serving of processed meat (half the weight of the unprocessed meat in the study), the equivalent of one to two slices of deli meat or one hot dog, was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of diabetes and they found no higher heart or diabetes risk in people who ate only unprocessed red meat.

The average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats in the United States contain similar average amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. But processed meats have, on average, four times more sodium and 50% more nitrate preservatives.

Is This A Greenlight To Chow Down On Red Meat?

Not really. Eating unprocessed beef, pork, or lamb appears not to increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes — but there is no reduced risk either. There’s also a suspected association between processed and unprocessed meats and a higher risk of some cancers (especially colorectal) so it will be important to evaluate unprocessed vs. processed meat and their effects on various cancers.

Although cause and effect can’t be proven by this long-term observational study, the results do suggest that the salt and preservatives in processed meat are culprits.

SocialDieter Tip:

You’ve heard this many times:  emphasize food that is protective:  fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and nuts. Minimize or avoid processed meats that are high in sodium, additives, and fat. This is not a free pass to eat red meat with abandon but it seems that having unprocessed red meat once or twice a week is a lot better than having processed meat — like bacon, hot dogs, processed ham, bologna, salami — every day.

As one of the lead authors, Renata Micha, of the study says, to lower your risk of heart attacks and diabetes think about the type of meat you’re eating and “processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli meats may be the most important to avoid.”

Why Do You Eat — Even When You’re Not Hungry?

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Have you ever looked down to see crumbs all over your lap with a telltale wrapper clutched in your hand, and asked yourself, “Why did I eat that?”  Or, maybe after your second helping of spaghetti followed by ice cream, followed by a horrendously full stomach you’ve thought, “I’m such an idiot, why did I eat all of that?”

Why, Oh Why?

Why do we eat so much – often when we’re not even hungry? There are a bunch of reasons. They’re not difficult to understand – the hardest part is forcing yourself to take a good look at your habits and routines.

What Time Is It?

You might not realize it, but your body generally likes routines and your brain likes structure. One reason you’re hungry at noontime is because you’ve taught your body to expect breakfast, lunch and dinner around the same time every day. So you eat at the appointed hour – hungry or not.

See It, Eat It

Your body anticipates what and when food is coming. Doesn’t your mouth water thinking about Mom’s Christmas cookies or the hot cheesy pizza from your hometown hangout? How difficult is it to not eat once your mouth is watering and the thought of that food gets into your head?

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

You could chow down on a large meal but, as full as you might be, still make room for dessert.  Why? Probably because your desire for something sweet hasn’t been satisfied. Monotony often leads to searching for something different.  Ever been on a diet where you eat the same thing all of the time?  What generally happens when you can’t stand it any more?  Enough said.

Doesn’t That Smell Delicious?

Sight and smell can start a cascade of appetite signals.  The wafting scent of something delicious is one way your body knows that food is close by. This can trigger insulin secretion – which makes you think you’re hungry. If you think you’re hungry, you eat.

Booze

Beer, wine or liquor can impair your judgment, which often results in eating more.  Watching what you eat is harder if you’ve been drinking.

It’s Cold Outside – Or In The Restaurant

Ever walk into a restaurant and feel like you’re going to freeze? Restaurants often intentionally keep the thermostat set low because the colder the temperature, the more you tend to eat.  Heat can act as a satiety signal. Your metabolism tends to drop when it’s time to eat and eating warms you up.

Candy, Pasta, Cereal, Bread, Cookies; Refined Carbs and Sugars; A Whole Lot Of White Stuff

If you eat a meal that’s filled with refined carbohydrates like white pasta or white rice, in only a few hours your body may crave food again. Simple carbohydrate foods are digested quickly which causes blood sugar to spike and then drop. When your blood sugar crashes, you’re a lot more interested in food because your body is sending messages to take in food to help raise blood sugar levels again.

Habits and Routines

Doing the same thing each day, taking the same route home, going into a restaurant with a certain specialty, walking into Mom’s kitchen and heading straight for the cookie jar, are all habits or routines.  For instance, many people find that changing up the route home – avoiding passing right by their favorite bakery or ice cream parlor – will eliminate the craving for a food that had become part of an afternoon routine.

Holidays, Traditions, and Celebrations

Somehow special events scream, “All filters, guards, restraints, and rational thinking are dismissed for the event, day, or season.”  Think about the last wedding you went to, Thanksgiving dinner, or last year’s mega Christmas party.  Did you eat and drink more than you wanted to – or should have?  Why? For many of us a special occasion signals eat and drink without constraint.

Happy, Sad, Spurned, Rejected, And Any Emotion In Between

Yep, emotions. Emotional eating is a frequently a way people suppress or soothe their stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness, loneliness, and a whole spectrum of negative emotions. These are things that can be caused by major life events or by the hassles of every day life. High calorie, sweet, and fatty foods, often in large quantities, tend to be the choice of emotional eaters.

SocialDieter Tip:

Most of us have times when we eat when we’re not hungry.  Sometimes it’s a one shot deal – or maybe it’s something that happens annually, like at Thanksgiving or Christmas.  We can learn to manage by balancing caloric intake and increasing activity levels.  But, if emotional eating triggers smothering stress or unhappiness with food – or if eating becomes a form of procrastination or relief from boredom, extra weight can begin to pile on.  It may be time to take stock of your habits and routines and to come up with a plan to shake things up a bit.

The Goat

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Katsikaki:  Kid Goat

It all started last fall on a trip to Washington DC. I had dinner at Komi, a fabulous Greek/Mediterranean restaurant.  The highlight (or one of the highlights, there were many) was katstikaki, Greek for a kid goat.  I have had goat before, but this preparation was memorable.

Fast forward 5 months.  I paid a visit to a butcher in New York City to order lamb for Easter dinner. This particular butcher only sources from the Northeast.  “No lamb,” I was told – “Easter is early and the local lambs are not ready – but we are stocking goat for six weeks through Easter.”

I’ve never prepared goat before, but was up for the challenge.  However, animal lover that I am, I had to dissociate the image of the animal from the meat.  Goat would be fine as long as it did not bear any resemblance to the animals at the nature center or the ones I’ve seen perched on the sides of cliffs.

I placed my order for two legs of goat (they’re small), which I later had to increase to three – everyone I invited was so intrigued by the thought of goat, they agreed to come.  I even tried for four legs, but ended up with a tripod – the supply was exhausted!

Goat: the most widely consumed meat in the world

Goat is a staple of Mexican, Indian, Greek, Southern Italian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and other cuisines. Baby goat, also called cabrito or capretto, is low in fat and cholesterol.  It is similar to venison in its flavor and texture, but it isn’t gamey.  Kid goat meat is tender and delicate like young lamb and is similarly prepared. Mature goat meat is tougher and more strongly flavored. Goat meat (also called Chevon), can be stewed, baked, braised, grilled, roasted, and barbequed.  Some cultures roast the goat on a spit or in a pit.

Goat Nutrition

Goat is nutritionally superior to beef or chicken, with a low fat content. Since goat is a red meat, it contains iron and B vitamins.

According to the USDA:

3 oz. cooked (Roasted) Calories Fat

(Gr.)

 Saturated Fat

(Gr.)

 Protein

(Mg.)
Goat 122 2.58 .79 23
Beef 245 16 6.8 23
Pork 310 24 8.7 21
Lamb 235 16 7.3 22
Chicken 120 3.5 1.1 21

Cooking Our Goat

How to cook our three legs of goat prompted much family discussion.  One son suggested roasting the goat on a spit in the front yard, another suggested digging a pit in the back yard, the third, wisely, suggested braising it, indoors, in a large pot.  I was on a quest for goat info. I googled and talked.  I asked a couple of chef acquaintances.  I went to primary sources:  a couple of Greek mamas who own diners and cook lots of goat.

Bottom Line

You can cook goat, especially baby goat, much like lamb.  When it came down to the wire, we ended up making goat stew – two different ways. We browned cubed goat, along with onion, garlic (lots), carrots, and celery.  With a house full of people crowding the kitchen and eating constantly, we did the prep work and browning the night before and the stewing the next day.  Because we couldn’t decide on our preferred flavorings, we made two stews – one with red wine and tomato paste, the other with white wine and lemon.  We also made liberal use of oregano.  We served the stew(s) with orzo, asparagus, and sautéed kale.

No Leftovers

Everyone – from an eighteen month old to an 85 year old – ate goat – both kinds.  No clear favorite for red wine/tomato stew vs. white wine/lemon stew.  A great meal, flavorful, satisfying, and quite nutritious.  Room for dessert.