Going out to eat

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LadyAsrai
LadyAsrai Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Not sure if this is the right forum, but I don't know where else to put it ^ ^v
So, I'm going to go out with some friends for lunch tomorrow-- at a Chinese restaurant, so it's unlikely that I'll be able to find salad. (Edited to add: I'm vegetarian, so I can't go with chicken.) How do you deal with eating a restaurant when you aren't sure of calories and ingredients and how something's been prepared, and how do find the healthiest options?
I'm basically broke, so I eat at home the vast majority of the time and I've never really had to deal with this before :P any advice is appreciated!

Replies

  • cpcoursec
    cpcoursec Posts: 82 Member
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    Try to do something with meat and veggies such as chicken and broccoli, black peppered chicken...stuff like that. Stay away from the sweet and sour chicken, sesame chicken, and any other meat cooked in a heavy sugar sauce.
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
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    Meat and veggies. Pass on rice and noodles.
  • karen_golfs
    karen_golfs Posts: 377 Member
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    Our favorite chinese has 6 vegetarian dishes. Go very light on rice. Maybe hot sour soup too. Don't freak out and enjoy.
  • 33Freya
    33Freya Posts: 468 Member
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    Stir fry veggies baybay!!
  • scg17
    scg17 Posts: 88 Member
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    I don't know where you live, but in Seattle everything has tons of veggie friendly items. Big thing is if you get tofu, ask for it fresh, not fried.
  • imjolly
    imjolly Posts: 176 Member
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    Healthy version of Chinese is steamed vegetables, sauce on the side or no sauce, brown rice and 1 fortune cookie.
    Hope your fortune is a good one.
  • DeltaZero
    DeltaZero Posts: 1,197 Member
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    Tacos.
  • Ejourneys
    Ejourneys Posts: 1,603 Member
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    Ask if you can get your dish prepared without MSG. See, for example,
    http://voices.yahoo.com/msg-hidden-cause-weight-gain-631811.html

    Also, remember that this is one day and one meal. Any effects will be temporary.
  • rudarbe
    rudarbe Posts: 164 Member
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    I hate eating out for that exact reason. You don't know what they cook their food with. Save for the calories and just add a generic salad that MFP gives you. Eye out the things inside the salad then enter it.

    But honestly, I would say that do not let counting calories control your life. How often do you get to see your friends like this? If often then yeah, count calories... but if not, save the calories for that day, and go for it and work it off the next day.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Any kind of steamed veggies and soft (not fried) tofu. Depending on the place, you can ask them to make the food with veggie stock instead of oil. If it's a more generic Asian-ish restaurant and not strictly Chinese, they might have a fresh edamame appetizer, and those are awesome.
  • Synamin
    Synamin Posts: 80 Member
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    Tofu and veg stir-fry? Just tell them no oil.
  • FIREBALL777
    FIREBALL777 Posts: 22
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    if you know the name of where you are going go online and see if they have a menu
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
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    Can't really go wrong with egg drop soup. Maybe they will have some steamed veggies..
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    It's awesome how the first replies told you to have meat and veggies.

    Most places have steamed veggies, or you can try and ask for sauce on the side for tofu dishes. Otherwise, if they have miso soup, it's fine, and egg drop soup if you eat eggs.

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