Restaurant items

kappenn1

What happened to the ability to search foods via restaurant for diary input? It disappeared awhile ago and wonder why it's no longer available.

janejellyroll

I believe MFP removed that feature -- it was only being tested. You can still search for restaurant items in the regular database.

goal06082021

Sometimes if you just search for a restaurant name, it will still let you use a restricted list of just that restaurant's menu. Be aware, though, that many menus have changed recently and the database has not necessarily been updated to reflect those new menus. Off the top of my head I know Panera Bread and Yardhouse will work, but the entries reflect items that are no longer sold or that don't match the current menus available on the websites for those restaurants.

rocklobster189

Weakest thing about this platform is the absence of accurate restaurant listings and menu items. Feels a bit like a free for all when I choose to eat out (means I’m on my own to figuring out calories, protein, etc). Very disappointed!

Cheesy567

rocklobster189 wrote: »

Weakest thing about this platform is the absence of accurate restaurant listings and menu items. Feels a bit like a free for all when I choose to eat out (means I’m on my own to figuring out calories, protein, etc). Very disappointed!

Well, that is kind of the reality of eating out. Even if a restaurant posts caloric info, you’re at the mercy of a particular cook to use a particular amount of ingredients, fat, preparation style, etc. Their nutritional info is just a guesstimate, too.

The more you practice weighing your food at home, choosing accurate entries in the database, recognizing the presence of potentially high caloric dressing and condiments… the more accurately you’ll be able to mentally deconstruct your meal at a restaurant and enter it piecemeal into MFP, if that’s how you choose to handle it.

You can handle it in MFP a number of ways— quick add calories. Build a meal if it’s something you order frequently. Build a “meal menu” from a restaurant you go to frequently, and delete the things you didn’t order that time. (When you enter one of your meals into the diary log, you can change quantities of any item or delete items you don’t want for that time). When I was eating out frequently, I added a food called “restaurant overage” made to my macro setting that I used to bump up the total calories of any restaurant meal I couldn’t accurately weigh or count, to account for variances of added fats in cooking and my poor estimation skills— it kept me on track when I was traveling for weeks at a time.

You can use non-MFP skills when you choose to eat out frequently. Choose smaller portions- kids meals, senior menus, etc. Order ala carte, with instructions of how you want your food prepared, ie, steamed, boiled, etc to avoid oil if low fat is your choice or no breading/ flour/ gravy if low carb keto is your thing. Bring a portable food scale, slip it under your plate and pick up each portion of meat, carb, fat, and fruit before you start eating to weigh it. No one not at your table will notice, and you can choose if you want to explain or simply smile and offer the scale to anyone at your table who asks about it.

It all depends upon what your goals are and what tools you choose, how intense you want to be or need to be. Some people see obstacles and stop; some people see obstacles and ask for help. Plenty of people have used MFP for years successfully and are here to help.