For many people who love food, dinner is the most exciting part of their day. It’s often a meal where you can experiment, test fun recipes, and more. However, it’s also a meal that can easily pack on the calories and make you more prone to belly fat.
While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in your dinner from time to time, and food should be enjoyed and filling, if you’re trying to lose weight or have excess belly fat or ‘flab’ that you want to get rid of, paying attention to what you eat during your evening meal is important. We spoke with Dr. Hector Perez, a board-certified bariatric surgeon at Renew Bariatrics, about four dinners you may not realize you should cut back on in order to be more successful at losing belly fat. Read more about them below.
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1. Oversized Salads
While a salad may sound like the perfect meal for those looking to lose weight or excess fat, it can actually go downhill rather quickly, especially when you load it with fattening or high-calorie dressings and toppings instead of nutritious veggies and lean protein.
"A salad seems like a harmless, healthy dinner choice, but additions can quickly turn it into a calorie bomb," explains Dr. Perez. "A few tablespoons of ranch, blue cheese, or honey mustard can add hundreds of calories, unhealthy fats, and sugar. Crispy chicken, bacon bits, and croutons are high in saturated fat and calories. And, while nutritious, high-fat additions like cheese, avocado, and nuts need to be eaten in moderation."
2. Pre-Made Wraps
When you're at a restaurant or the grocery store, looking for a quick and convenient dinner, sometimes a wrap is a great idea. It's a little less messy than a sandwich, and tortillas or wraps can hold a lot more than you think. However, unfortunately, those making the wraps behind the scenes might not be as concerned with your waistline as you are.
"A wrap is often presented as a lighter alternative to a sandwich, but this is often not the case," says Dr. Perez. "I've come across many commercially produced, large flour tortillas that have a calorie count similar to or higher than multiple slices of bread. Store-bought wraps are also often loaded with sodium, preservatives, and added sugars. The contents are sometimes the main problem, such as fried chicken, high-fat condiments, or excessive cheese."
3. Loaded Turkey Burgers
If you love a good burger or enjoy a burger patty with something else, turkey burgers have long been known as a super healthy alternative to red meat and a protein-packed base. But when you assemble a turkey burger and add all sorts of heavy toppings and condiments, you begin to take away from its nutritional value.
"A turkey burger is only as healthy as its ingredients and preparation," says Dr. Perez. "Pre-packaged turkey burgers often contain high levels of sodium, preservatives, and fillers to make up for the natural lack of fat. The health benefits are also undone by topping the burger with high-fat cheese, mayonnaise, and large, refined-grain buns. Too many starches can be an issue, too, even at home: many homemade turkey burger recipes add breadcrumbs as a binding agent."
4. Sushi Rolls
Sushi can be quite nutritious when it contains fatty, Omega-3-rich fish and a bit of brown rice and veggies, but if you've ever been out for sushi, you know that's not always the case. These days, eye-catching sushi rolls are often loaded with white rice, extra fillings, sometimes fried ingredients, and are dipped in various sauces. Plus, it's tempting to eat many pieces, making portion control more difficult.
"Sushi can be surprisingly high in calories and sodium," notes Dr. Perez. "The white rice used in most sushi is high in carbs and can have added sugar and vinegar. Excessive soy sauce drastically increases your sodium intake, leading to water retention and bloating. The most popular rolls include ingredients like mayonnaise, tempura batter, cream cheese, and fried seafood, which drive up the fat and calorie count."
