Tricks for eating out

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shans34
shans34 Posts: 535 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My fiancé and I eat out at least once a week. What's your tricks for eating out without going atrociously over your calories?

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  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Avoid fried foods, battered foods, sauces and dressings (get them on the side and dip your fork in it), limit the free bread, and don't get dessert. As much as possible, unless I'm craving something specific, I'll have a salad with no nuts or some grilled meat and veggies (which isn't on 90% of the menus out there anyway).

    If you can, just eat half and box the other half to eat later (that obviously depends on the size of the servings).

    And eat lighter the rest of the day.

    Honestly though, I only eat out when I'm craving something specific that I can't make at home, then it's what I have (and I might box half).
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    If they have an online menu I check that out first. I now have an idea of what I like at the various restaurants/fast food restaurants and can pre-log that if I choose.

    If the meal is going to be fairly large in calories, I usually will have worked out that day and or banked some calories a couple of days in advance, but usually these meals fit in the calories for day, mind you it might be the only meal plus a little more that I have that day.

  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
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    I have a general idea of the calories of various dishes. I examine menus ahead if needed. I eat light the rest of the day and make sure to I get in my usual cardio workout.

    We went out for lunch yesterday. We'd planned to go somewhere I'm familiar with, but that changed at the last minute. I had a cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. I had done an hour of cardio that morning, had my usual breakfast, and skipped my mid-morning and evening snacks. Dinner was as planned, although a little lighter since I wasn't that hungry after the big lunch. Had a piece of dark chocolate before bed and was still 120 cals under. :)
  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
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    Check out the menu online if possible and make choices that will fit into my calorie budget for the day, before going to the restaurant.
    I try to stay away from foods that are fried or smothered in sauces. I don't drink alcohol very much, so that is not an issue for me.
    Save calories for the restaurant meal from other meals for the day if I want to have a higher calorie meal.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    Beef/salmon/chicken with salad/veggies (dressing on the side). If it seems heavy, replace starch with extra veggies.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    shans34 wrote: »
    My fiancé and I eat out at least once a week. What's your tricks for eating out without going atrociously over your calories?

    Salad without dressing or dressing on the side. No croutons or bread. Grilled chicken, salmon, etc. with steamed veggies on the side. Pretty easy. I always replace any potatoes or stuff like that with a second serving of veggies.
  • CranstonJ2016
    CranstonJ2016 Posts: 142 Member
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    I try to look at the menu before going out. I know in canada most restaurants show the calories, pups dont though..I also ask for no starchy stuff like fries or potatoes (my preferance) I usually ask for sauce on the side.

    At the end of the day, it's good to plan and be aware of what your eating but theres nothing wrong with a date night and enjoying yourself :)
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    I eat lunch out at work about once a week at a place like Chipotle or Panera. I have a family pizza night or eat in a neighborhood bar & grill about once a week as well, and about once a month have a date night or a girls night out at a nicer restaurant. I did this while losing weight, and still do now that I'm in maintenance. Some things I do that I found helpful:

    1. Bank calories during the week to use on the weekend. I often save 100-200 cals up each weekday so that I have 500-1000 extra for the restaurant meal or birthday party.
    2. Exercise the day of and eat relatively light so that I have cals for dinner.
    3. Look at the restaurant menu ahead of time to get an idea of what I might order (also gets me excited about the meal). See if they have nutrition info online, or in the MFP database, or if not, look for similar meals from a chain restaurant so I have an idea of how many cals my meal may be.
    4. Prioritize the things I really want. If they have a great dessert menu, maybe just get an appetizer instead of an entree, or skip the bread basket. If it's a steak place, make sure I leave room for sharing a good bottle of wine but maybe skip the appetizer and dessert.
    5. Pick a restaurant I can walk to, or walk around in a neighborhood before or after (we live in an urban area)
    6. Understand that there's likely going to be a spike on the scale from water weight due to sodium, so don't freak out in the days after the meal.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
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    crazyravr wrote: »
    If its a proper sit down restaurant and not a fast food joint its easy. Tell them what you want and how you want it and they will have no problems doing it. Grilled chicken breast with mixed veggie salad (whatever dressing you like on the side) and a baked potato as an example. There is no need not to be eating well while out.
    Most restaurants can accommodate special requests, so don't be afraid to ask them to customize. Even places that say "no substitutions" may allow some substitutions if you ask. For example, if a dish comes with a side of vegetables and something heavier like rice or potatoes, you can ask for extra vegetables instead. Or they may have another side that's not on the menu that you could have. Sliced tomatoes seem to be a pretty common off-menu order - most restaurants have them on hand anyway.

    Salads are a pretty easily customizable menu item. If there's something in there that isn't worth the calories for you, ask them to leave it out or put it on the side so you can control the amount. (I always have them hold the croutons.) Or consider asking them to use only half as much as they usually would. Even if you really love bacon or cheese, you might not really want or need as much as they pile on.

    It can also be a good idea to ask how they prepare foods. They often sneak butter or other higher-calorie things in, to make the food taste better. You may or may not be able to get your food without it, or at least get it on the side.
  • JZygmunt72
    JZygmunt72 Posts: 262 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Avoid fried foods, battered foods, sauces and dressings (get them on the side and dip your fork in it), limit the free bread, and don't get dessert. As much as possible, unless I'm craving something specific, I'll have a salad with no nuts or some grilled meat and veggies (which isn't on 90% of the menus out there anyway).

    If you can, just eat half and box the other half to eat later (that obviously depends on the size of the servings).

    And eat lighter the rest of the day.

    Honestly though, I only eat out when I'm craving something specific that I can't make at home, then it's what I have (and I might box half).

    even with this , I just say, can i get a half order of (say its a pasta dish) and then when i get it, ill split it in half, drink water, eat slower, and if people are still eating and im still hungry I will have the other half (turns out to be 1/4 of the actual meal which is more than enough) and if im tempted to eat it and im just picking at it, if i see a waiter ill ask for a box and box it up right then and there when they bring it so I wont pick at it
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    It depends a bit why you're eating out. I CAN go out and order a chicken breast and veggies. That's something to do if you're eating out because you want to avoid cooking that at home, or you're traveling. To me, it's a waste of eating out. If I'm spending $20 on an entree, I want it to taste good.

    I try to pick something delicious, eat a reasonable portion, and eat lightly the rest of the day. And then exercise. I had a burger and fries yesterday - a truly awesome 4 oz patty burger from a great restaurant, with the upgraded truffle parmesan fries. I estimated it at 900 calories, but ended up at my net 1280 for the day (biked 40 min + walked 6,000 steps + very small dinner and breakfast).
  • rhiawiz57
    rhiawiz57 Posts: 906 Member
    edited April 2017
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    i save up my calories. on days i know i'm going out to eat, i have a SUPER light lunch and do not snack. i'm not a breakfast person either, so by the time i have dinner, i still have a good 1000 calories saved up. i'm nice and hungry when i go out so i can really enjoy my meal, and don't have to obsess about what to order calorie-wise!!!
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Eat half the entree and box the other half for left overs. If it's a sandwich, lose the top part of the bun and make it open faced. Salad or soup to fill you before entree. Definitely prelog!
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Like other said, the biggest thing for me is to look at the menu ahead of time and plan what I'm going to eat and plan my calories accordingly. My husband is not watching what he eats and loves to go out and order apps, dessert, you guessed it. We just don't eat out as much now.

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