How much do you trust restaurant nutrition info?

molson55

So my friend leaves for college tomorrow and we went out to Applebee's for dinner. I stuck with the weight watchers menu, but was soooo hungry and devoured my whole plate! I was just wondering how accurate the calorie count and other such things are at restaurants? Should I consume less calories to make room for error of what the restaurant SAYS is the calories compared to what it really is?

MelodyandBarbells

Not necessarily. If you're not doing restaurant food everyday , for instance, I would just log everything I ate according to their website and call it good. It's when you do it frequently that the inaccuracy can really do you in. I just know the chef probably pours a ladle full of oil rather than a tablespoon or a full stick of butter rather than a smidge while cooking. Okay that's my own paranoia but you know what I mean. Even if the food calories were double what the website said , if you're not eating like this often , you'll still see progress towards your weight loss goals.

bex0178

I can't say this happens at every restaurant, but my little cousin works in the kitchen at an Applebees, and gets very annoyed when the Weight Watchers entrees are ordered because she has to weigh/measure everything she puts on those plates. But I often wonder the same thing when I order something like the occasional small fry that spills out onto the tray or into the bag. Sometimes I add an extra 50 or 100 calories when I eat out if I know that it's not been prepared correctly. When it happens, I tend to eat at home for a while so I can control everything.

paperpudding

I think there are times when we have to accept a degree of of inaccuracy.

The most accurate number you can get in this instance is the number the restaurant info gives you so I would just accept that and move on.