Estimating restaurant food?

IAmA_Beast
IAmA_Beast Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
Hello all!

I wanted to know what was your method for trying to estimate nutritional value from restaurant food. I eat a chicken salad every day (I get it for free from a local Italian restaurant) and I would like to accurately log it.

I don't own a food scale (yet). Its a basic salad with just chicken, iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, a few pieces of carrots and cucumbers. Every website I go to try to compile the data I get 250-500 calories...thats a huge freaking difference.

Any suggestions would be helpful!

Replies

  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    What does MFP say when you add the ingredients individually? Look at what certain ounces of meat are online and compare that to what you ate. I always overcompensate on the dressing and put everything in as ranch.
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
    The contents aren't high in cals.

    Chicken about 100g = 100cals
    Veggies also about 50-100 cals
    It's the dressing that makes the difference. Maybe you can ask at the restaurant. A yoghurt dressing would be much lower than mayo or oil dressing for example.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Buy a food scale. They're not expensive.
  • lambchristie
    lambchristie Posts: 552 Member
    Hello all!

    I wanted to know what was your method for trying to estimate nutritional value from restaurant food. I eat a chicken salad every day (I get it for free from a local Italian restaurant) and I would like to accurately log it.

    I don't own a food scale (yet). Its a basic salad with just chicken, iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, a few pieces of carrots and cucumbers. Every website I go to try to compile the data I get 250-500 calories...thats a huge freaking difference.

    Any suggestions would be helpful!

    Have you looked to see if the Restaurant is in MPF Database: IE: Wendy's Southwest Chicken Salad?

    Some (most) restaurants are in there ... and if not; one may pop up that has a salad similar to the one you ate. Choose the one closet to you.

    OR, make your own 'recipe' of the salad you eat...adding ALL the ingredients and save it to your recipes.
  • ajominy
    ajominy Posts: 87 Member
    When I eat out and the restaurant doesn't' have nutrition info, I look up similar restaurants and see what their calories are for a similar meal. If I can't find something comparable, I will individually list the ingredients, if possible. For what you listed, I would definitely just calculate the ingredients individually and see where that gets you. Invest in a cheap food scale to help you. Can you use your own low cal dressing instead of what the restaurant provides to save on calories? Once you figure out your estimate, you can save it under "my foods" and then you will have it there everyday and you won't have to constantly be putting in every ingredient.
  • bsuew
    bsuew Posts: 628 Member
    easiest thing if you don't have a scale. 3 oz of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.
  • CandiQueen
    CandiQueen Posts: 57
    This is awesome for salads. Just put what is in it and it will tell you how many calories are in it.

    http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/build-a-salad/
  • 4_Lisa
    4_Lisa Posts: 362 Member
    Usually either by going to their website (if available) or through an app that breaks down restaurant items
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Hello all!

    I wanted to know what was your method for trying to estimate nutritional value from restaurant food. I eat a chicken salad every day (I get it for free from a local Italian restaurant) and I would like to accurately log it.

    I don't own a food scale (yet). Its a basic salad with just chicken, iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, a few pieces of carrots and cucumbers. Every website I go to try to compile the data I get 250-500 calories...thats a huge freaking difference.

    Any suggestions would be helpful!

    If you eat this a lot, it would help to reverse-engineer the thing at home and see if you can approximate the taste. Ask them what is in the dressing--and assume that a restaurant uses more oil and salt than you would at home. I usually add a tablespoon of oil (at least) to my meal entry if I am guesstilogging.

    You should get better at guessing the weight of stuff if you weigh food at home, too, though I doubt I am any more accurate than +/- 2 oz (56 g) when it comes to restaurant portions.
  • knityoupants
    knityoupants Posts: 76 Member
    I used to just sit down and figure out that sort of thing the best I could, then just list it as it's own item (because you get it so often). However, I quit doing this because I wanted to account for slight differences in the ingredients... now my diary is largely a list of ingredients, and I like that.

    Also, I work in a bar and get fed there sometimes so am able to talk to the chef about particular quantities and ingredients, haha... if you're getting a free salad, maybe you have the same sort of relationship going on? Take advantage! It's rare with restaurant food!
  • IAmA_Beast
    IAmA_Beast Posts: 8
    Thank you all SO MUCH for your suggestions!

    I am going to go several routes to get an idea of how much everything is. I know for a fact he uses Newman's Own French dressing (I usually estimate I use about 4tb - I'm so bad lol but its soooo good)

    I'm going to ask him about the chicken prep because it definitely has a bit a salt in it. The deck of cards trick came in handy because I eat about double that! Who woulda thunk!

    This place is a ma and pa Italian restaurant...I think he would lose half his business if he had to list calories. Totally worth it though...his calamari? :heart:

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