How do you calculate calorie intake when eating out?

madkcole

What's the best way to calculate your calorie intake when eating out?

Machka9

Look up the restaurant information on the internet. Some places actually post calories.

Pre-log ... see if someone else has entered any information from that restaurant.

Do a Google search to see if you can find a recipe site which might have something quite similar to the dish you're planning to have, and especially to see if it lists a calorie count.

If all else fails, do a best-estimate ... but estimate high. So if you can find that a similar dish is 800 cal, enter 1000.

IsaackGMOON

If it's a chain restaurant, chances are there'll be a website with the nutritional information and it might be on the menu.

If not, then you have to try your best to guesstimate. You can always request that the chef doesn't use certain oils or whatever to cook.

I didn't really do all that much eating out when I was losing weight specifically because of this problem.

AuroraGeorge8393

If I'm eating at a chain restaurant I lookup calorie counts online before I go. If I'm eating at a non-chain restaurant or someone's home, I make a note of what I've eaten and then I use calorie king to estimate the calorie count for each dish. Not a perfect strategy, but it leaves me with a rough idea of how many calories I'm consuming.

madkcole

Super, thanks!