The average American goes out to eat between 3 and 4 times per week.  It may be a way to socialize and is certainly a treat, but could it be bad for you? 

According to a recent article by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CPSI), many of American’s favorite restaurant chains don’t provide nutritional information about the foods on their menu and consumers may be eating foods that are loaded with fat, sodium and mega - calories.  For example:

• Ruby Tuesday’s “Colossal Burger.” Ruby Tuesday actually became the first big chain to put nutrition information on its menus. Unfortunately, it scrapped that initiative, presumably because it meant the sale of fewer Colossal Burgers. With 1,940 calories and 141 grams of fat (more than two days’ worth!), one of these mega burgers is equivalent to about five McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.

• Uno Chicago Grill’s “Pizza Skins.” “We start with our famous deep dish crust, add mozzarella and red bliss mashed potatoes, and top it off with crispy bacon, cheddar, and sour cream,” says the menu. The menu doesn’t disclose that this fusion of pizza and potato skins—which is meant to precede a meal of pizza—packs 2,050 calories, 48 grams of saturated fat, and 3,140 milligrams of sodium (more than a day’s worth).

• Ruby Tuesday’s “Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta.” Pity the poor diner who thinks this healthy sounding entrée is on the light side: Thanks to its parmesan cream sauce and layer of melted cheese, the 2,060 calories and 128 grams of fat make it the equivalent of two 12-ounce sirloin steaks, two buttered baked potatoes, and two Caesar salads.

• Cheesecake Factory’s “Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cake.” There’s room enough on Cheesecake Factory’s sprawling menu for advertisements, but evidently no room for nutrition information. If one is undecided among brownie, pie, or cheesecake for dessert, this 1,380-calorie menu item helpfully provides all of the above. It’s the equivalent of eating two Quarter Pounders plus a large fries—for dessert.

Though fast-food chains or coffee shops typically serve much smaller portions than these and other major table-service restaurants, they too can provide some startlingly high-calorie items. A venti-sized White Chocolate Mocha and a blueberry scone from Starbucks would provide 1,100 calories—or about as much as one would find in a Burger King bacon double cheeseburger, medium fries, and medium Coke.

Unlike foods purchased at the market, there is no requirement that restaurants provide nutritional information on the foods they serve.  Luckily, much of the information can be obtained on the Internet.  If you go out to eat from “time to time”, it’s probably better NOT to know so that you don’t feel guilty and can just enjoy the experience.  However, if you’re downing several Colossal burgers every week, a quick check on the nutritional content of what you’re eating might do you – and your heart – some good.

For additional information from the CPSI, see www.cspinet.org/.