Going out to lunch is a simple nightmare

tracefan

Try the light menus etc. but seriously even though the calories are listed. We all have no idea what they put in the food. I know this is obvious. But sometimes I just don't want to cook. Kwim?

kshama2001

Sure, you have more control when you cook. But when I get lunch at someplace like Panera, I feel that what they list for nutrition is close enough.

auddii

I just ate out at pei wei. I scoped out the nutrition information first, went with a lower calorie option and logged it. It may not be exact, but I'll live.

zyxst

Best advice I got was to eat half the meal and box up the rest for later.

janjunie

tracefan wrote: »

Try the light menus etc. but seriously even though the calories are listed. We all have no idea what they put in the food. I know this is obvious. But sometimes I just don't want to cook. Kwim?

You are paying for the food you have every right to ask what is put in it. The obvious solution would be to not eat out if it's something that really bothers you though. If you don't feel like cooking TV dinners have ingredients and health info on the back of the box and it's easy to find low calories meals.

sunandmoons

Take lunch with you. Once in a while its ok to eat lunch out. If you eat a big lunch then skimp on dinner. Or better yet eat half or ask for a smaller portion. Ask the wait staff. They will accommodate you.

Lourdesong

At chains I'm not too concerned, uniformity among their establishments (e.g. A Big Mac in Tennessee should taste no differently than a BIg Mac in Montana) is prized much more than are creative chefs who play by their own rules.

Ninkyou

Eating out really shouldn't be that stressful. There are just some things you need to let go. If you want to eat out, then log the calories best you can and stop worrying about every grain of salt, every pat of butter, every "is this GMO", etc and just enjoy the meal for what it is. Or find a restaurant that caters to your very specific needs. Or make meals ahead of time and eat them later.

Asher_Ethan

I usually add 10% towhatevery they said their calories are.

lorrpb

I eat half, take half home, and usually make that last for 2 more meals. Of course, some dishes reheat better than others.

bluefish86

If it's once in a while, I wouldn't worry too much. Overestimate if you don't know the exact portion size or if you think the nutritional value isn't accurate. If you're going out all the time and you find it too difficult to log, maybe it's time to switch up your routine and start making your own meal... that way you know exactly what you're eating.

ew_david

it's not that serious

TexasPaige

I travel a lot for my work, so I encounter this all of the time! I've found a couple of things to be helpful - sometimes I bring my lunch in the form of a shake, and sometimes I look up the nutrition info for the place I'm going ahead of time so when I get there, I already know. You can even log it before you go, so you won't be tempted by anything else!!! Good luck!

tracefan

True. I do overestimate. But going out isn't an everyday thing so I'm not truly concerned however when I do go I don't want to stress and I try my best to just eat the meal I think would be ok. Unfortunately some times even a meal I think isn't too bad can still be high in calories. Eating half the portion is the best option for sure. Thanks

tracefan

TexasPaige wrote: »

I travel a lot for my work, so I encounter this all of the time! I've found a couple of things to be helpful - sometimes I bring my lunch in the form of a shake, and sometimes I look up the nutrition info for the place I'm going ahead of time so when I get there, I already know. You can even log it before you go, so you won't be tempted by anything else!!! Good luck!

Thanks. Sounds good. And Protein bars are my safe net.

cwolfman13

I eat out maybe 3-5 times per month...nothing I'm going to get too worked up about. The calories are relatively accurate...beyond that, I really don't need to know exactly what's in it.

WinoGelato

Ninkyou wrote: »

Eating out really shouldn't be that stressful. There are just some things you need to let go. If you want to eat out, then log the calories best you can and stop worrying about every grain of salt, every pat of butter, every "is this GMO", etc and just enjoy the meal for what it is. Or find a restaurant that caters to your very specific needs. Or make meals ahead of time and eat them later.

^This.

callsitlikeiseeit

i eat out all the time.

relax.

log as best you can and if it gives a calorie count, trust it. dont try to micromanage it. if you want total control youll have to do all the cooking at home lol

theawill519

Echoing what others have said...

It ain't all that serious. What they have listed is close enough. Worst case scenario, you gain a few fractions of a pound. So what? Burn it off the next day.

FabianRodriguez94

I assume that every restaurant underestimates by 150-300 calories, so I will usually account for that

kshama2001

tracefan wrote: »

True. I do overestimate. But going out isn't an everyday thing so I'm not truly concerned however when I do go I don't want to stress and I try my best to just eat the meal I think would be ok. Unfortunately some times even a meal I think isn't too bad can still be high in calories. Eating half the portion is the best option for sure. Thanks

Seems like looking the food up online ahead of time would make things less stressful?

Sabine_Stroehm

We eat out often, and I eat out often. If this is a lifestyle, it has to accommodate eating out. I figured out a strategy that works for me. I tend to order caesar salad with protein, or protein and veg. No heavy or syrupy sauces etc. And as the other poster said, if I order something more substantial I ask for a box as it arrives and immediately pack half of it. ORRRRR I share an entree and a simple salad with hubs. This approach works VERY WELL

AnnPT77

As an adjunct strategy, don't be afraid to ask (politely, of course) if they can do variations that aren't explicitly listed on the menu. The worst that can happen is that they'll say "no".

At a restaurant where I go often with my rowing team, my standard order is the veggie burger, without the bun, substituting a side salad for the listed side options, hold the croutons (. . . all of which makes enough room in my calorie budget that I can have, say, the grapefruit IPA, 'cause I do like my craft beer ;-) ).

So, if you see things on the menu that look close to healthy, see if they can omit the sauce, broil instead of fry, change sides, go light on cheese, etc. I've occasionally gotten the response that things are pre-prepped in some way that makes my request impossible, but very often it's "no problem". When the server is helpful with this sort of thing, I make sure to tip well.