A Texas-size steak may seem a great deal when you’re ordering at a restaurant, but just how close is it to a healthy portion?
Seared steak with maple mustard sauce
125g steak: 770kJ,
26g protein, 9g fat,
3g saturated fat, 2g iron
vs
What we get in a restaurant
300g steak: 1840kJ,
63g protein, 21g fat,
8g saturated fat, 5g iron
If we think about our ideal dinner, we aim for about a half-plate of low-energy veges, a quarter of the plate is for the protein portion and a quarter for the carbs. Of course, that does rely on us not having oversized plates (more on that next month).
But when we go out for a meal, what are we getting? Most restaurant steaks are advertised at around 300g raw weight, around double the recommended portion size.
While you might not be having restaurant steak every night, it opened our eyes to see the difference in size.
We’re advised not to overdo the red meat – 750g raw weight a week or less – as higher amounts are linked with colorectal cancer risk.
These oversized portions leave little room for our veges. And if you choose fries and creamy sauces with your restaurant steak, the energy from your meal will quickly stack up too.
Being aware of how different home and restaurant portion sizes are, and thinking about how much red meat you have each week, helps you make considered choices.
A serving of lean meat is generally around 125g-150g in raw weight, which is around the size and thickness of the palm of your hand (not including fingers).
www.healthyfood.com
