Obviously the current economy has a negative impact on many Americans. They have had to tighten their belts a few notches along the way. Businesses have also and this has become apparent in the restaurant industry. There are two trends being seen – one of which is obvious to those that can still splurge on a meal out now and then, and one a little less noticeable.

The first is that entrée sizes are getting smaller; rarely does one have enough in front of them to over-stuff themselves. Even appetizers and desserts are being downsized. You may have even noticed that wine and beer glasses are a bit smaller than before. While this may be frustrating in the sense that prices have not declined, there is a silver lining to this cloud in that consumption is lessened which is really a good thing. Consider that a typical restaurant burger can have over 1,200 calories and 2,000 mg of sodium, even a 20% reduction brings it down to less than 1,000 calories and 1,600 mg of sodium with just .8 ounces less meat than a regular quarter-pound burger. You may not really miss the meat, but your waistline will be glad to forego the extra calories and fat. If you want to be healthier, go to http://www.411.ca to look for healthy options that you can do.

Unfortunately, the second trend is not as good. In the effort to reduce costs, other practices may be incorporated such as including cheaper, less healthy, lesser quality ingredients. This is not always easy to discern as you cannot tell that your burger has had a cheaper cut of meat ground into it, for example. Ingredients with less flavor may be boosted by salt, added fat, MSG and other additives making the dish even less healthy.

While the solution to prepare more meals at home will not make the restaurant industry very happy, that is the step that many Americans are taking from a financial and health standpoint.