I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read that if you want to lose weight you should avoid restaurants and eat at home. In fact, we’ve written it before! Well, it doesn’t really matter where you eat. If you eat more calories than you burn, you’re going to gain weight; your gut doesn’t care where those calories come from.
There are also countless news stories out there about how American portion sizes have been steadily increasing over the past 50 years or so. And now, even The Joy of Cooking is doing it’s part to keep America fat! The classic American cookbook, published since 1931, has changed at least 17 of their recipes so that they have at least 63% more calories per serving! It’s a conspiracy I tell you!
This article from the LA Times, cites examples from recipes such as beef stroganoff, waffles, and sugar cookies. The increase in calories usually came from either an increase in portion size (the same recipe making 5 servings instead of 10) or from the addition of extra higher caloric ingredients like butters, sugars, oils, and meats.
So be careful, just because you’re cooking at home doesn’t mean you’re cooking light!
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So true. Especially living in the south, family get-togethers consist largely of high calorie casseroles, fatty meats, pies and desserts. For some this is a weekly event.
I really have to watch myself (at home and at a restaurant) when it comes to portion size. I like eating at home because I can use a smaller plate, so it is easier to control portion size.
I am also a big believer in not wasting food, and it is a lot easier to pack of leftovers at home then it is at a restaurant.
The moral of the story here is to only eat as much as you need to in order to feel full. If you eat until you’re stuffed in order to “clean your plate”, you’re going to put on weight. I’m kind of curious as to why the Joy of Cooking increased their recipe sizes. Do you think they were getting complaints about their portion sizes being too small?
- Dave
I agree that its simply easier to control portions when eating at home, and harder when you’re out at a restraunt.
Even though you might be eating more calories than you burn at home, it’s still going to be rare to see people who are EXTREMELY obese who regularly cook at home. I’d rather eat fettuccine alfredo that I make myself than anything from Olive Garden anyway. Plus you know what goes into meals you make yourself. If you’re putting a stick of butter/cup of shortening/cup of cream in something, you KNOW it’s not light.
I was impressed by the waffle recipe in The Joy of Cooking, wherein the butter content can vary from 1/2 a stick to two sticks. “Use 4 tbsp butter for a reduced-fat waffle, 8 tbsp for a classic light and fluffy waffle, or 16 tbsp for the crunchiest, most delicious waffle imaginable.” Which one would you choose?
Very true. There is absolutely nothing that can’t be eaten to excess at home. Realistically though, if one is trying to lose weight, it’s usually easier if you cook at home rather than guess at what you are getting in restaurants. You just don’t know for sure what they are putting in in terms of added salt, sugar and fat.
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