With almost six out of 10 Irish adults overweight or obese, opting for smaller portion sizes can make a difference. This year's Irish Heart Foundation's Healthy Eat Out campaign asks restaurateurs to observe the following guidelines:
- Use all fats and oils sparingly - no more than 10 tablespoons per 20 portions.
- Offer more fruit and vegetables on menus - including fruit juice, fresh, tinned or cooked fruit, salad and cooked vegetables.
- Serve dressings and sauces on the side - and let you make the choice.
- Avoid huge servings of meat, poultry or fish - the recommended serving size for lean, cooked meat/poultry is 2oz and for fish, 3oz.
- Use herbs and spices rather than salt to flavour food - helping to lower blood pressure.
- For more information on portion sizes, check the Food Pyramid on www.irishheart.ie or www.healthpromotion.ie