Know Your Diet Facts

Anyone who has ever been on a diet- either for weight loss or health reasons- knows how important it is to pay attention to the nutritional information of what you eat. But how can you monitor those calories, grams of fat and sodium intake levels in a restaurant? Most restaurant menus do not include the nutritional information for all of their food and there's no reason you should give up on eating out. For one thing, having to refrain from fun dinners out is a surefire way to torpedo your diet. And you can always turn to DietFacts.com for your nutritional information.

DietFacts.com was founded in 2002 by a woman who wanted to help her father, a Type II diabetic, know where and what he could eat when dining out. The result is a nutritional directory that is essential for anyone who is watching their nutritional levels for any reason. The directory is divided alphabetically by establishment name with hundreds of restaurants listed. DietFacts.com includes the big chain restaurants, fast food joints and many smaller, regional establishments. When you click on a restaurants name, you'll be given a list of their dishes (often with descriptions) that nutritional content is available for.

Take the popular fast food restaurant Arby's for an example. DietFacts.com has 229 listings for Arby's; including sandwiches, side dishes and toppings. The Bacon Cheddar Melt Sandwich is described as "roast beef, pepper bacon and cheddar cheese sauce on a sesame seed bun". One of these sandwiches has 340 Calories (130 of them from fat), 15 g Total Fat (6g of Saturated), 35 mg Cholesterol, 1070 mg Sodium, 37 g Total Carbohydrates (with 2 g Dietary Fiber and 6 g Sugars) and 18 g Protein. Obviously, this is not a nutritious sandwich. A healthier choice would be the Junior Roast Beef Sandwich- "roast beef, sesame seed bun"- with 270 Calories, 9 g Total Fat (4 g Saturated Fat), 30 mg Cholesterol, 740 mg Sodium, 34 g Total Carbohydrates (with 2 g Dietary Fiber and 5 g Sugars), and 16 g of Protein.

Granted, common sense would tell you that the sandwich containing bacon and cheddar cheese would be less healthy than the one that didn't. You wouldn't need nutritional information to know that. But a hungry body can trick your brain into thinking that the difference in nutrition between the two is smaller than it is. And DietFacts.com can help you avoid one of the most common restaurant traps for dieters- salads.

A salad with a fatty dressing and unhealthy toppings can often have more fat and calories than a cheeseburger. If you plan on having a salad the next time you visit your favorite restaurant, check the website first to see which salad on the menu would be the most nutritious (but still tasty) choice for you.