Are there healthy eating options at the movie theatre?

Are there healthy eating options at the movie theatre?

Watching a movie in a multiplex seems incomplete without a tub of popcorn and cold drink. But what you don’t realise is the amount of calories you add within those two hours. Earlier people often brought something from home to munch on whilst enjoying the film. But those days are gone when you could sneak in your own snack in the theatre. Nowadays, there’s no choice but to buy those overpriced snacks sold by the multiplexes. These can be very unhealthy.

 Read how to choose wisely when buying snacks in the theatre in my latest article published on the Zee News website: http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/healthy-eating/khaane-bhi-do-yaaron-are-there-healthy-eating-options-at-the-movie-theatre_24072.html

Movie buffs, are you eating healthy at the theatre?

Be it at home or a multiplex, watching movies without a tub of popcorn is next to impossible. It gets even better with a soft drink, isn’t it? But what we don’t realise is the amount of calories we add within those two-three hours. While controlling the habit of binging is easier at home, there’s no choice but to buy those overpriced unhealthy snacks sold by the multiplexes. Nutritionist Sweta Uchil-Purohit tells us how to choose wisely when buying snacks at the theatre. 

Here’s a quick look at the approximate calorie count of some of the popular snack combinations sold at movie theatres:

Snacks	Calories (approx)
2 vada pav + soft drink	670
Veg burger + soft drink	530
Chicken sandwich + soft drink	460
Veg grilled sandwich + soft drink	450
2 samosas + soft drink	440
Potato chips (small) + soft drink	315
Butter popcorn (tub) + soft drink	320
Caramel popcorn + soft drink	330
Nachos (1 bowl) + iced tea	405

If you look at the calories, some of the snacks have almost as many calories as an entire meal! If this leaves you wondering what to do, just keep in mind that the star of the outing is the movie. The snacks and the drinks are just add-ons that contribute to ‘mindless eating’ (eating food without actually paying attention to what and how much is being eaten). 

That being said, there are ways to avoid or reduce the amount of mindless eating at the movies:

Eat a small snack/dinner before the movie: A bowl of fruits, chana chaat, homemade soup or proper meals are great to fill you up. Chances are that if you are already full, then you won’t be tempted to overeat on the snacks.

Pick a snack to share: Nothing better than sharing the calories. Popcorn is always great to share – keep passing on the tub so that you end up consuming lesser calories. You can buy smaller packets of snacks if there are less people to share with. 

Avoid aerated drinks: Drink water or fresh juice without sugar. Iced teas, bottled juices and aerated drinks sold at multiplexes are loaded with sugar, so avoid ordering them unless you have people to share it with. 

Check if you can get made-to-order snacks: Grilled sandwich without the butter or mayo, steamed corn without the dollop of butter, plain popcorn instead of the cheese or caramel flavours, lime juice with 2 tsp sugar (or a dash of salt), fruit chaat without the honey, cream or sugar – are all tricks to reduce the number of calories.

Recommended snacks	Calories (approx)
Steamed corn (no butter) 1 cup	130
Grilled tomato sandwich (no butter/mayo)	170
Plain popcorn (1 cup)	64
Lime juice (2 tsp sugar)	60
Fruit chaat (no sugar/honey)	100
Plain nachos (4-6 nachos) + salsa	135

Choose the lesser evil: In case you are left with no choice, then pick the snack with the least number of calories and share it.

Even though Bollywood movies are longer and last up to two-and-a-half to a good three hours, just remember that nobody has till date starved to death at the theatre. You can always grab a healthy bite after the movie.

Eating Healthy at a PUB? Yes, it's POSSIBLE!!!

Think of pubs and ‘fish and chips’ is the first thing that you associate with it – blame it on the Brits! You’d cringe at the thought of stepping into one if you belong to the ever increasing fitness and health conscious tribe. Well then here’s some good news for you: 

Read more in my article published in Health.india.com on 17th July 2013: Eating Healthy at a Pub? Possible!

Expert tips to eat healthy in a pub!

If you are a health and fitness enthusiast, pubs would be the last place on earth that you would be going to! After all, it is a place where people go to drink and be merry. That said, there are always times when going to a pub becomes a social necessity. We are certainly not advocating the use of alcohol, but merely giving you a few tips that will ensure that these trips can be made healthier than usual.

These days, pubs offer a lot more than fish and chips and with some smart choices you can actually find some healthy stuff in the menu. Nutritionist Sweta Uchil-Purohit tells you how to make healthy choices when in a pub.

For starters: What does one drink in a pub? Answer: Definitely not milk. But beware, you could get more calories from what (and how much) you choose to drink than the cake you refused earlier at the office party! That’s because every gram of alcohol contains 7 calories whereas a gram of sugar has 4 calories. While both these forms of calories are called empty calories, it is easier to go overboard with alcohol as it’s a drink. Add to this the food that you eat and you could be having a whole day’s calories in that one night!  For those who can stick to just one drink, here are a few tips to make sure that that drink lasts for a while to prevent someone from topping it up for you:

• Take small sips instead of gulping it down (in which case you’ll be left twiddling your thumbs while the others are still drinking).
• Nibble on some food in between sips.
• Drink water in between – always good to keep yourself hydrated no matter where you are. Read about the 9 hangover remedies that actually work! 

And here’s a reminder of the approximate calorie* count for different drinks to help you make it last the whole night:

Drink	Quantity	Calories*
A glass of wine	147ml	125 calories
A bottle of Light Beer	355ml	110 calories
A bottle of Regular Beer	355 ml	150 calories
A shot of Hard liquor	45 ml	95calories
A glass of cocktail	133ml	anything from 100-300 calories

 *Note: Calories can differ from one brand to another depending on the amount of alcohol it has.

If you must drink then wine would be a wise choice given the associated health benefits. For the ladies who prefer cocktails here’s a shocker – some of them have more calories than alcohol alone! That’s because the calories from the syrup or sweeteners increase the calorie count in the drink.

If you want to stay off drinks completely, offer to be the ‘designated driver’ and you can be sure your friends won’t try to tempt you to have that ‘one small peg’. Opt for a juice instead of mocktails, as the latter is mostly a concoction of artificial flavours and colours.

Coming to food, follow the golden rule of avoiding food that is fried or greasy (chips, chivdas, fried papads, cocktail samosas, fried peanuts, French fries, fried chicken, Chicken 65, etc) or too sweet (desserts). Indian pubs have a good range of tandoori foods to pick from and these can be good news as these are foods that are baked with just a marinade coating like fish/chicken tikkas or tandoori paneer. Add a salad (without the dressing) and some nuts to munch with your drinks and you could just get home without worrying about that extra time you’ll have to spend at the gym to burn it off!

Here’s how a ‘healthy’ night-out at a pub can look:

Drink: Wine, water or juice

Sides: Nuts (salted nuts can make you thirstier so keep a glass of water handy) and a salad

Nibblers: Tandoori fish/chicken/paneer or grilled chicken/fish/paneer, steamed momos, satay, shish kebabs

Hit the dance floor if the pub has one as there’s nothing better than burning those calories while letting your hair down. All said and done, moderation and portion control is the key to leading a healthy lifestyle, so keep track of the quantity as well. Cheers!