What do you eat when your invited out or to a bbq?

Mrsindepenant1

We eat out a lot and tonight are going to a bbq at a friends. I don’t know what will be served, most likely home kill sausages and steak and salads, potatoes. We have been asked to bring a salad. But I don’t know what to do for myself. I can’t exactly take scales and weigh all my food hahaha. I was thinking of precooking some prawns and taking something else for myself all weighed out but wouldn’t that seem rude? What do others do when they are invited out?

happymom221

Take a big lettuce salad and your favorite home made dressing. Fill 3/4 of your plate with that and take thank you bites of some other interesting foods

paperpudding

i do the same at BBQ's as at all other away from home or non pre measured lunch box meals - aim to eat sensibly and estimate what cannot be measured accurately - eg I might log one sausage (and assume it is same as sausages I have measured previously at home, 1 hamburger- ditto, 100g potato salad, 1 slice of bread ,100g coleslaw etc.

Estimate the serving size of things like coleslaw and assume they are same calorie count as ones I have previously measured.
I'm sure they are not but averages out.

What I would NOT do is take my own single serve pre measured meal. I would just eat sensibly, estimate and not do something which draws attention to myself and my weight loss program.

CarvedTones

I don't eat beef or pork, so bringing a couple of chicken or turkey sausages to toss on the grill isn't rude; expecting them to provide an alternative for my choices might be though.

bisonpitcher

I usually just try to make the best choices I can and enjoy it. If it's family, I do bring my scale and weigh out things.

gallicinvasion

I usually plan my day before I go. If I want a hot dog or a burger, I pre-log it as to estimate how much it’ll be. I also agree with myself that I can have lots of salad, a half cup of the best-looking side dish, and a half-serving of a dessert if it looks really good/special/delicious. Then I eat a regular or slightly smaller breakfast/lunch and go with my BBQ plan. If there’s something unexpected there that I want to spend extra calories on, I won’t deny myself (and usually there will be room in the weekly calories for this). And by the way, for all of these items I’m making a good-faith calorie estimate; can’t be perfect but you get as close as you reasonably can.

The downfalls for me now are alcohol and the foods that you just pick from absentmindedly (chips, cheese and crackers, etc). I try to avoid sitting next to those, and I usually either plan to have 3 low-cal alcoholic drinks if I can fit them in, or no drinks at all. (No point in wasting calories on drinks if I’m not gonna be feeling tipsy!!)

TavistockToad

Mrsindepenant1 wrote: »

We eat out a lot and tonight are going to a bbq at a friends. I don’t know what will be served, most likely home kill sausages and steak and salads, potatoes. We have been asked to bring a salad. But I don’t know what to do for myself. I can’t exactly take scales and weigh all my food hahaha. I was thinking of precooking some prawns and taking something else for myself all weighed out but wouldn’t that seem rude? What do others do when they are invited out?

Bbq steak and salad sounds great to me.

Gjust guesstimate the size of the meat.

Francl27

Make a lower calorie salad (although personally I love corn/bean salads), fill up on that, and enjoy the meat. Grilled meat really isn't horrible, even a sausage is maybe 300 calories (big pork one) and not that hard to fit in. The hard part is avoiding sauces and chips (and dessert).

It's just one meal. Even if you underestimate a little, it's not a huge deal.

Chef_Barbell

I'd eat a steak... med rare. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Je55ica_79

I'd eat the healthiest options there and enjoy time with friends. Avoid chips, dips, breads and eat protein and veggies.

quiksylver296

Chef_Barbell wrote: »

I'd eat a steak... med rare. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Mmmm hmm! And hopefully there are brownies!

shunggie

I went to a football playoff party last weekend. Someone brought a green salad and I had a HUGE plate of that and then just a few "snacks". Salami and cheese on crackers. I did great until the game got dicey then I lost my mind but until then I was good. I blame the Chiefs defense but I had a good plan if I had stuck to it. Good Luck!

Gisel2015

Mrsindepenant1 wrote: »

We eat out a lot and tonight are going to a bbq at a friends. I don’t know what will be served, most likely home kill sausages and steak and salads, potatoes. We have been asked to bring a salad. But I don’t know what to do for myself. I can’t exactly take scales and weigh all my food hahaha. I was thinking of precooking some prawns and taking something else for myself all weighed out but wouldn’t that seem rude? What do others do when they are invited out?

I eat with moderation while controlling the portions. Be careful with alcoholic drinks.
I eat less during the day, and/or I try to exercise more, so I have extra calories for the gathering,
If you are taking a salad, make it extra big so you can eat more of what you made.
Don't go to the gathering hungry. Eat something light at home so you don't "attack" the food table.
Save weekly exercise calories for special occasions.
I never/ever take the food scale out of my kitchen. I would consider that very tacky and inappropriate (unless there is a medical necessity). Heck, I don't weigh my food either when I have company.
Enjoy the company and the BBQ.

rohhse

I eat salad! I'll sometimes eat a scoop of potato or macaroni salad and log it as best as I can. I know it won't be very accurate, but it's a once in awhile thing. Usually I'm active at a BBQ too. I eat meat, so I'll do a hamburger patty without a bun and cover it with condiments, lettuce and tomato.

Boomshakalaka01

I guess it would depend... If it's a cheat day, I'll indulge a little more than normal. If I'm trying to watch my caloric consumption, vegetables and protein.

estherdragonbat

I generally try to anticipate the menu ahead of time and pre-log what I plan to eat. I make sure to include something a little indulgent because it really helps me avoid feeling guilty about eating it if I can see on my diary, "Hey. This is X number of calories and I have room for it!"

One thing I do avoid, and this is strictly because I find them hard to moderate and the calories can be all over the map depending on what's in it and the amount of dressing, are the "mayonnaise-y deli salads". Potato, creamy coleslaw, egg; if I weren't vegetarian, then tuna and chicken salads would make the list too. Because I can go off the rails so easily on portions, my personal rule for me is to only eat those salads if I 1) made them myself and put the ingredients into the recipe builder or 2) bought them in a container with a nutrition label. Again, that's me.

777Gemma888

Eat. If it'll make you feel better, make your salad something guiltless . One meal is not deleterious to your weeks totals or your goals. Meat plus salad.

Enjoy your friends BBQ .

RoxieDawn

I eat a little bit everything. A planned BBQ fits in my calories just fine, it may consume most of my calories for the day so I make sure protein is my top choice first and fill in the rest with sides and even a little dessert.

garystrickland357

I'd eat the steak and/or BBQ. I've learned it's about portion control. There's nothing wrong with the foods that will be there other than they are calorie dense and you'll need to be careful. You asked what we would do - here's another way I look at it: It may be very hard to stay within your calorie allowance at the BBQ, but that doesn't spell disaster. I personally would eat a light breakfast and lunch, saving some calories for the BBQ. You can't "go nuts" and eat all you want (binge). If I go over I can eat a bit less tomorrow. I probably will exercise a bit more too.

NovusDies

I'd also suggest being picky. A bbq does not always mean it will be good food. I can't tell you how often I have been at one of these things and the meats are just hammered by overcooking. Sometimes the potato salads or slaw will be so overdressed with mayo they are inedible (to me).

The one thing you really want to avoid is getting home and realizing you ate a bunch of calories while not really enjoying them.

Try getting sample portions on the higher calorie stuff to start and then go back for seconds on anything that is really good.

garystrickland357

NovusDies wrote: »

I'd also suggest being picky. A bbq does not always mean it will be good food. I can't tell you how often I have been at one of these things and the meats are just hammered by overcooking. Sometimes the potato salads or slaw will be so overdressed with mayo they are inedible (to me).

The one thing you really want to avoid is getting home and realizing you ate a bunch of calories while not really enjoying them.

Try getting sample portions on the higher calorie stuff to start and then go back for seconds on anything that is really good.

There's a lot of wisdom right there...

nooshi713

I eat chicken if it is an option. I dont eat pork and ribs are usually pork so I avoid them.

born_of_fire74

Mrsindepenant1

So the friends who had the bbq have come here before and bought a pre weighed meal as one of them were also on some diet. Not low calorie but the one where they drink goop.
I decided to take my own, shrimp and rice salad. I also took a large salad for everyone else. They weren’t offended at all. The wife understands what I’m going through and has had to do the same thing. Tonight however we are going to another friends, I’ll probably just save as many calories as possible and eat a steak and basic salad. I might even offer to bring the steak for everyone and pre weigh my piece at home. I’m doing so well and have lost 4kg in 18 days, mostly water weight I assume but any loss is a good loss. My guesstimates on weights are terrible so I really don’t want to be guessing too much. I also went over my calories lastnight by about 200 so I need to make sure I don’t go over again and make a habit of it.