How do you guesstimate?

Honu_Girl

I work at a venue with a small employee cafeteria. With only a 30 minute lunch, I eat there every day I work. The problem is that there is no nutritional information available on the food that's provided. There's usually a vegetable, starch, and protein, along with a salad bar, cold cuts and the ever present hot dogs. My problem is I don't know how to track the calories. I've been choosing existing foods that seem similar, but I'm sure my calories aren't accurate. For a while I gave up altogether, but I'm starting to gain back the precious few pounds I've already lost.

When there's no way to know, how do you track the calories?

Tiffanydepiano

Maybe pack a healthy lunch and skip the "unknown" altogether?

Pebble321

Without knowing what kinds of foods you have to choose from - I think you just have to pick the options that look the least "processed" - like steamed rice instead of fried rice, grilled chicken or fish instead of a burger, chicken and salad sandwich instead of ... I don't know, something else!
That way you can take a better guess at what you are eating and enter it.

I go to lots of conferences and expos and I just have to put down something that looks similar - I tend to overestimate amounts slightly or pick a higher cal version if that looks more like it.

Remember that everything you enter is always an estimate - even if a restaurant has nutritional info (they don't where I live) it's still an estimate as the chef might change something slightly or use a little bit more or less oil or cheese or cream.

Or, if it really bothers you, pack your own lunch, then you know what is in it - but it will still be an estimate!

OfficerFuzzy

I try to guess high and try to guess at all the ingredients and then, you know try to be knowledgeable about it.