New and have a question

EverythingCubbies

Hi, I'm fairly new to this site (less than a week in) and have a question. If you go out to eat at a local place that doesn't list caloires, how do you figure the calories you ate? I went to eat at a favorite place, Meridian Cafe, and can't figure out what my 1/2 sandwich and salad cost me calorie wise. Any help is appreciated.

puddles76

If you have a phone that has "APPS" you can download this site to it. Otherwise if this is somewhere you like to go regularly you can go to the "my recipes" tab and load all the indrediants to get the count of the sandwich and salad. Takes a little time but well worth it. Also feel free to ask them what they are putting on it and what brands for a more accurate count.

luv2ash

Yes, and don't be afraid to ask the restaurant A) If they have nutritional values for the meal and Can tell you all the ingredients and amounts used for the meal. Remember: You are the customer, and we should have the right to know what we are eating.

zbstngrl

I don't know if its the right way to do it but when I eat out I try to find similar ingredients in MFP database so lets say your sandwich is 2 pieces of whole wheat bread, 2 slices of ham, 1 slice of swiss cheese etc so I would find what each of them and use that...and sometimes there are many choices listed, I always use the one that has higher calorie just in case... because most likely its rather higher than lower when you eat out.

I hope this helps a little.

MonsteRawr

This is my biggest challenge! There are a TON of great local restaurants in our area, and almost none of them list nutrition information. Generally, I try and find something already in the database with similar main ingredients, especially trying to make sure that most of the not-so-good ingredients are represented.

chiarunner

I don't know if its the right way to do it but when I eat out I try to find similar ingredients in MFP database so lets say your sandwich is 2 pieces of whole wheat bread, 2 slices of ham, 1 slice of swiss cheese etc so I would find what each of them and use that...and sometimes there are many choices listed, I always use the one that has higher calorie just in case... because most likely its rather higher than lower when you eat out.

I hope this helps a little.

I second this motion.

In addition, don't sweat it too much. Your calorie count is never going to be exact, just the fact that you're tracking and guesstimating values is going to help in the long run. Keep up the good work!

angel_fire_1986

Most places are now required to give you the nutrissional information when asked. They may give you a website...in which you fill out a form...and then wait for a reply. Long process, but at least you will know what you just ate. What I try to do is, if I cant find the info, I just dont eat there. Or, I allow myself to have one bad day a week, in which I get to go to my fav place and I dont write the calories down :P

EverythingCubbies

Thanks for the ideas and tips. This is a healthy place to eat so I'm not too worried, they serve lots of vegan and vegetarian items and use lots of veggies in their meals. Since their online menu shows what items are in each dish I'll just enter all the info with guesses on amts. I enjoy eating there about once a month so I know I'll use them again. Thanks!!