Meals not listed in MFP. HELP!!

Cherryblosm3
Cherryblosm3 Posts: 106 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I need your opinions!!! This has happened quite a bit to me lately (since ive got a new job). Ill go out to lunch with vendors, and id say 70% of the time we go to a restaurant that isnt on MFP or has a nutritional info list. What do i do?! Like today, i have eggplant parm. Couldnt find info anywhere. So i chose an eggplant parm from a diff restaurant. But they were nothing alike!!! HELP!!!

Replies

  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    I do what you did. otherwise you could always piss off the kitchen by asking exactly what went into the recipe...
  • Sarahnade42x
    Sarahnade42x Posts: 308 Member
    Yep, I usually ask if they have nutrition info available, usually with the expectation that they don't (but sometimes they do!). If they don't, I'll have them go easy on the oil/sauce just in case their regular amounts are through the roof.
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    I usually find multiple different variations of any given item in the database, and I just go with one that has a pretty high calorie count compared to others (i.e., hope I am overestimating). It's not exact, and it may from time to time be pretty far off, but, eh - I've got bigger fish to fry than worrying too, too much about being that precise (yuuummmm, fried fish :smile: )
  • Nix_Way
    Nix_Way Posts: 201 Member
    If its a chain resturant I always get a few meals into my own data base for any future reference. If its not a chain, I too alway ask if they have the nutrition info. If they don't- I find something close to it and just add 100 cals so I know aproximately how many to say it is.
    Some days I'm just too anal about it so I have a salad with balsamic. As long as there is no cheese, bacon, eggs etc its usually a pretty safe choice. Or you can get a small steak and a side of veggies! Also good.

    I think it should be a law EVERYWHERE that EVERY resturant has to have the nutririon listed. It can even be online and all they would have to do is print it out if someone wanted to know. Serioulsy!!!
  • Cherryblosm3
    Cherryblosm3 Posts: 106 Member
    If its a chain resturant I always get a few meals into my own data base for any future reference. If its not a chain, I too alway ask if they have the nutrition info. If they don't- I find something close to it and just add 100 cals so I know aproximately how many to say it is.
    Some days I'm just too anal about it so I have a salad with balsamic. As long as there is no cheese, bacon, eggs etc its usually a pretty safe choice. Or you can get a small steak and a side of veggies! Also good.

    I think it should be a law EVERYWHERE that EVERY resturant has to have the nutririon listed. It can even be online and all they would have to do is print it out if someone wanted to know. Serioulsy!!!

    i COMPLETELY agree!!! bigger restaurants have it online or atleast somewhere to find it. But all these one off restaurants down here in Denver dont have anything! They literally just have their menu. So annoying
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    If I go to a restaurant that is not in the database, I look for similar entries in the database and go with the number that appears the most as the entry, then I try to estimate the serving size.

    Not perfect, but it worked for me when I was losing my weight.

    Another method I would use for simple dishes is to build the recipe. I got fajitas once and it was just grilled chicken and some grilled vegetables, so I estimated serving sizes of each item and added them. Again, not perfect, but better than nothing.

    If you are worried that you are underestimating, you can either bump up the amount, or leave 100 or so calories at the end of the day.

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