Afraid to eat out

Heliconia

I know the normal tricks - divide your food in half and take a doggie bag home etc., soup to start etc. but I feel like there is NOTHING I can order. When you are only on 1200 cal a day - does anything in a restaurant fit the budget? Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Mindful_Trent

I typically look for a grilled chicken breast with a baked potato (no butter/sour cream/cheese) or a side of veggies (not cooked in oil/butter). This is usually a safer choice than salads, which can be a bit ridiculous with everything they put in them. Another option is the same as the above, but with a SMALL steak (7oz) - ask that it be cooked without a "rub" if possible, which is usually loaded with sodium. I don't eat much red meat at home, so I don't feel bad about eating a steak once in awhile when i"m at a restaurant. Baked fish is also a good choice - make sure you get fish that isn't breaded and try to get it without added sauce/rub. You'll have to ask the waiter/waitress to make sure your food is cooked the way you'd like (without all the extras) but it's worth the trouble, and that's their job, so don't feel bad about making special requests.

megan_mp

If you're into steak, Applebee's has a Peppercorn Asiago steak dinner that comes with steamed veggies and a small serving of red potatoes. The meal is 390 calories and it fills me up when I go!

Also, Olive Garden has an apricot chicken dish that is under 500 calories too...

It can be done! You just have to do some homework.

Good luck!

sarahwright01

plan your day ahead of time so that you have about 400-500 calories to spare.That includes exercise calories.....

then :
at a mexican restaurant order fajitas. Do not eat the tortillas or rice and beans. Or order a vegetarian special minus beans including chicken.
at a thai restaurant order salad rolls, or a spinach salad with chicken and with the peanut sauce on the side.
at Apple Bees or red robin type places: trade out any potatoes or rice with an extra side of vegetables, order chicken or steak however you want
at fast food restaurants, order their side salads instead of fries, and order kids sized hamburgers( if you must)
other options at fast food restaurants include ordering their salad specials.
Olive gardens menu has a lighter fare options. Their apricot Chicken dish is VERY tasty and within your calorie range. (Stay away from house salad....a serving with the dressing=more calories than a bread stick!)
Subway: I always get a 6" roasted chicken on whole wheat with piles upon piles of veggies. They also make very very good salads.

If you know you are going out to eat, check out the website for the place you are eating at and see if they have a nutritional menu. That way you can plan ahead of time.....

also, don't forget to treat yourself every now and again. it is ok to have a cheat meal every once in while!

maroon58

yep, there are items you can order at most restaurants. you can always order grilled chicken with a side of fruit instead of mashed potatoes or fries. stay away from sauces, ask for it on the side that way you can control the amount. try and order items without butter, salt, etc. don't be afraid to ask....most often the are happy to comply. the food isn't always going to be the best thing to eat but really in the long term you will be happy that you ate that instead of greasy fries or a fattening hamburger, lol!

KWright76

I went online to all the restaurants that my family and I would eat at and printed the nutritional menu off the site, so everytime I went out to eat I knew what I could eat and how many calories were in the food ( I carry this with me all the time so I am ready) alot of the food is high in calories so I always get a side salad with dressing on the side then I look and try to get something that is healthy but good a the same time. If I splurge and order a hamburger I get it plain and cut it in half I share my fries or cut the order in half. I never take the other half of my food home because I know if I do I will be eating it on the way home or later after I get home so I leave it . I hope this helps.

jlewis1981

If you have a smartphone, MFP has a great app on there and you can go most anywhere (national chain wise) and it will give you all the calorie information you need..and the best part is that it is FREE!
Good luck.

DKWaggoner

I was also going to recommend Applebees..they have some great Low cal choices

chris493

Since being on a mfp diet I have yet to eat out. A friends birthday is coming up shortly which involves going out to a restaurant.

I plan to burn 600-800 calories (about an hour of circuit training) which should off set the extra calories from eating out.

I think it will be a matter of steering clear of the beer, starters and desserts which will be the toughest part of the night.

R3awak3n

what is the point in going out to eat if you are going to eat stuff that does not taste good/sattisfy you and will make you want to eat other stuff later on. When I go out to eat, I eat what I want... Having a cheat meal once in a while is good and makes sure you dont go insane with this calorie counting/low calorie food.

The truth is, going out to eat is prob the worst thing in a diet and thats why i try to never go out to eat.. like i said, some places have some low calorie stuff but its usually horrible tasting... you also end up having to sit in front of whoever you are going with and they eat whatever they want.

What I say is, go out and enjoy yourself, do some exercise that morning so that you wont feel bad about have a cheat meal... next day, get back into your diet and follow it again.

oxokatieoxo

prawn salad...no more than around 200cals inc seafood sauce

6Janelle13

I pre plan if i can. if i know where we're going i look up the nutritional menu and portion size before i go. if it still is tight i alter my breakfast and lunch to accomidate it. ie i will have plain oatmeal for breakfast and then a salad no dressing for lunch so i have more dinner calories. it isn't the best way but it does allow me to enjoy the occasional dinner out and social experience. also if you can increase your work out that day in preparation for a larger food day.

melodyg

Planning ahead is definitely the key! I am on about 1500 calories/day right now (for 1 lb/week weight loss) and I know that 1200 is definitely harder... but it is still do-able.

Get online and check out nutrition information. If you eat 1/2 of a restaurant portion (which is usually plenty of food) there are quite a few good options. If you plan ahead for the rest of the day you can get in good, nutritious, low-calorie options for others meals (I am not at all advocating skipping those meals!). You can also do some exercise earlier in the day and that will up your calories a bit. Drink water, stop at one piece of bread and stop eating when you are full.

I really advocate eating out while on MFP instead of avoiding it. How else are you going to learn to deal with it as part of a healthy lifestyle? (Unless, of course, you don't typically eat out... which I only wish I was disciplined enough to do!)