By Martin Dolan
Dolan Law Offices P.C.
While entertaining a client with some of my colleagues over dinner recently, I found myself in a position all too familiar to attorneys. I arrived to the restaurant famished, having skipped lunch as a result of a busy work day. I glanced at the menu of standard chophouse fare and ordered a steak with a side of steamed vegetables. Alongside my entree and starter salad, my companion and I split an appetizer and each of us enjoyed a glass of wine.
Later that evening, feeling full, even though I hadn't cleaned my plate, I wondered about the preparation of my meal. How many calories and grams of fat did I consume? And if I had known the exact nutritional value of my meal, would I have made better choices?
Although grocery shoppers can easily find labels on their purchases, this nutritional information is not yet readily available in restaurants, where lawyers who work increasingly longer hours eat many of their meals.
Last year, President Barack Obama signed a health-care reform bill into law requiring restaurants and retail food establishments with 20 or more locations to post calorie contents on menus and drive-through signs. Other jurisdictions such as New York City and California mandated menu labeling and the restaurant industry supported a national policy to provide consumers with standard information in restaurants across the country.
One would think, with the ugly truth of hyper-inflated portion sizes and calorie counts finally laid out before them, diners would modify their behavior. But the effects of these requirements have been somewhat unconvincing with diners reporting that the new information did not influence them to make healthier choices.
A study published in January 2010 in Pediatrics reported that mothers who were provided with calorie counts made healthier choices for their children, ordering on average 102 fewer calories. But these same mothers failed to make healthy decisions for their own meals.
With menu labeling legislation, and laws such as the cigarette tax, our leaders are increasingly turning to legal mandates to curb unhealthy behavior, but with mixed results. These laws may not prevent every person from engaging in harmful pursuits, but they do succeed in increasing awareness in broader audiences.
Given the limits of mandated menu labeling (and also the fact that it isn't yet in effect in Chicago), how do we decode often calorie-leaden restaurant menus? For some answers, I reached out to Jenny Westerkamp, a nutritional consultant for the wellness consulting firm SportFuel and Eat Like the Pros meal delivery service.
"Restaurants tend to overdo serving sizes to make it look like you're getting a lot for your money," Westerkamp said. A good rule of thumb when dining out, she advised, is to eat half of what's on your plate or order an appetizer portion.
Whenever possible, Westerkamp said to check the menu online before you eat out. Decide what you're going to order before you ever step foot in the restaurant — away from the influence of your dining companions and flashy menu items — and stick with your choice when ordering.
When it comes to dining out, the simpler the food the better it probably is for you. Westerkamp advises her clients to choose basic meat and vegetable combinations and ask to substitute healthy fats like olive oil for butter when possible. She cautions against sauteed or fried preparations — which are code words for cooked in fat — and substitute items that are steamed or grilled. Avoid devouring the ubiquitous bread basket and adding hundreds of calories to your meal, by having a small snack like an apple or a handful of nuts shortly before your meal.
It's no secret that those in the legal profession work long hours. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says at least one third of full-time lawyers work 50 or more hours a week. After three straight, 14-hour days, finding the motivation or energy to seek out or prepare a healthy meal is understandably difficult.
But in case you needed another reason, eating right will do more than stave off weight gain and disease. Proper nutrition is proven to increase your energy and alertness. With the right diet, you may actually increase your billable hours without compromising sleep or your sanity. Choose a variety of whole foods including lean protein sources (chicken, fish or eggs are all good options), healthy fats like nuts and olive oil and an abundance of fruits and vegetables.
Lawyers are often so time-pressed that we can't imagine sitting down to a quiet, leisurely lunch. We skip meals or rush through them at our desks so we don't lose a moment's productivity. These consumption habits lead to our intake of processed, unhealthy foods and perpetuates workplace stress. Spending your lunch hour in the company of a valued friend or trusted co-worker is a wonderful way to release pressure. That way you'll be in better shape to tackle your workload after returning to your desk.
Remember the wise words of Virginia Woolf: "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."