According to a new study:

Dieters actually tend to make snap judgments about the healthfulness of food based solely on its label, instead of its ingredients.

You may not be surprised by this, but if you walk into a McDonald’s and order a cheeseburger, small fry, and a diet soda, you will be eating around 530 calories. Not bad, huh? You could also walk into a Panera Bread and order a half steak and white cheese sandwich with creamy tomato soup, and a mango smoothie. This meal racks up 1190 calories! For some people, that is their entire recommended calorie intake for ONE day.

This example proves that eating at ‘healthy’ fast food restaurants like Panera Bread, doesn’t always yield low calorie or low fat foods. Sometimes McDonald’s does win. 1,190 calories is a lot for any one meal. You may be wondering, “what can I do to make sure this doesn’t happen to me?”

• Research. Use the Anytime Health diet tracker to research calorie amounts in the food you will purchase.

• Plan Ahead. Put food into your diet tracker before going out. This will help you stay on track with your goals.

• Enjoy. Don’t forget, eating is an enjoyable experience! You don’t have to eat celery all day. (Although, it is quite tasty with peanut butter!) Just remember, it’s all about calorie balance!

What is your favorite thing to eat while dining out?