Study finds many chain restaurants failing to meet nutrition guidelines

When you eat out, you probably like to indulge. But you might be surprised at just how much your meal is ruining your diet.

According to a recent study, many restaurants are failing nutrition guidelines.

There's lot of perks with eating out. We don't have to cook the meal ourselves and you get enjoy things you normally wouldn't have.

But the recent report shows 96 percent of restaurants are not meeting USDA guidelines for calories, sodium, saturated fat and total fat.

“Restaurants are marketing things in ways that make items look like they're individual portions when in fact they're not, they're making things sound healthy by using buzz words like grilled or sautéed when in fact they're loaded with salt and fat," says Adina Fradkin, a clinical dietician with GBMC.

She says it's important to do your research ahead of time to make sure the meal you're ordering isn't ruining your diet.

Fradkin says, "One of the best resources we have right now is the internet and that's where I found the nutrition information for all these foods."    

And what she found was eye opening.

"Appetizers actually fared worse than entrees. I think a lot of people would be surprised by this because you think you're getting a little appetizer, you're getting a little bite before your meal comes, but really these are such calorie bombs, they have more calories in them than just your entree alone," says Fradkin.

Fradkin says don't be fooled by some foods that appear to be healthy. They could be loaded with fatty toppings or unhealthy dips.