DINING OUT TIPS!

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Happy_Harlow
Happy_Harlow Posts: 50
in Food and Nutrition
When you dine out at a restaurant what are some things you do in order to make sure you enjoy dinner and not starve, but also eat haelthy and stay within your calorie range? So many places have an ABSURD amount of calories in their dishes that it seems so challenging! My boyfriend and I really enjoy going out once a week on a date, but I always feel challenged when I go!
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Replies

  • mummy_gerdes
    mummy_gerdes Posts: 336 Member
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    what about fish? or any thing grilled with a jacket/baked potato and salad?
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    salad, lean meats... stay away from breads and pastas and even some rice. actually even bread buns can be bad and can be like 300 calories by themselves. sides of veggies that are roasted or steamed. soups can be bad... but not always.
    check the online menu for nutrition information. sometimes some options aren't too bad.
  • mummy_gerdes
    mummy_gerdes Posts: 336 Member
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    oh and ask for sauces to be on the side so you can control how much you are having.
  • breyn2004
    breyn2004 Posts: 162 Member
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    If I know in advance that I'm going, I check out nutritional info before hand and do comparisons. For instance, I learned that at Coltons Steakhouse, I can have a cup of baked potato soup for considerably less calories than their dinner salad and fat free dressing. I stay away from appetizers and desserts obviously and try to keep the meal sensible, yet yummy! I'm a big fan of grilled shrimp! And you can request your steamed veggies with no butter.

    Happy Eating!
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member
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    If I know I'm going out, I try to plan around it. Eat lighter that day, or for a couple of days before and make sure I get my workouts (and maybe an extra one) in. Then I go and enjoy myself. You don't have to deprive yourself, or stop eating out all together to lose weight and keep it off. Just be mindful and make it work into your meal and work out plans.
  • CaptainGordo
    CaptainGordo Posts: 4,437 Member
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    Depends on the quality of the service provided, but usually from 10-20% of the total bill.
  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 910 Member
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    I always look up where we are going before i go so i can pick what i want within my cals from the get go.
  • PippaJo_
    PippaJo_ Posts: 233 Member
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    I don't restrict myself - except with portion size. So many restaurant portions are crazy-oversized.

    But as for foods - if I want it, I'll eat it. Including breadsticks, or dessert - any of that. I just eat less of them.

    Also, if I really want to treat myself, or if I know that wherever we're going is higher-calorie in general, I'll make sure to juggle my calories in the hours/days surrounding eating out. I'll eat very light for breakfast and lunch that day, leaving quite a few calories for dinner, and maybe I'll even eat lighter the day before and day after, going under my calories by one or two hundred. If the weekly calories even out, then I'm set.

    I don't like depriving myself. :-)
  • waterwing
    waterwing Posts: 214 Member
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    Watch for salad dressings... and be careful of any "big salads".. insane amounts of calories! I also try to drink a few glasses of water before I go out.. and sometimes eat an apple or something.. just so that I don't arrive at the restaurant absolutely starving and my "big eyes" get the best of me!
  • ryno0618
    ryno0618 Posts: 361
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    If I know where I am going I try to plan ahead by looking at the menu online or looking up certain dishes on MFP. Grilled chicken is a good safe choice, or fish. Basically lean meats. Salads can be good and bad, watch the dressing and the topping closely. For Mexican, the wife and I will split chicken fajitas and stay away from the rice and beans. It is tough eating out, plain and simple. In the last 6 months we've gone from eating out 4-5 times a week down to 1-2 times a week. Its just too many calories!!
  • christinajohnson
    christinajohnson Posts: 102 Member
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    1. Sharing a dish can be romantic or cost effective (in terms of money and calories). Whichever way you want to look at that

    2. Ask for a doggie bag with your food and immediately pack half away for lunch.

    3. Share dessert or eat part of it and take home the rest.

    4. Order off of the the diet or skinny menu (Cheesecake Factory, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday).

    5. The salad bar can be a full meal. Figure out what you are actually hungry for instead of just grabbing stuff and opt to add your own oil and vinegar. Switch the classic oil to vinegar ratio--2 parts vinegar to 1 part oil instead of the other way around.

    6. Say no to rolls or just have one and save the rest for your doggie bag.
  • Mandakat17
    Mandakat17 Posts: 105
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    If it's a big chain restaurant...I always look up nutrition info before I go. Applebees has really good low calorie meals and also if you want to have a few drinks...they have skinny margaritas and mojitos. Chili's has a few low calorie meals.
  • christinajohnson
    christinajohnson Posts: 102 Member
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    1. Sharing a dish can be romantic or cost effective (in terms of money and calories). Whichever way you want to look at that

    2. Ask for a doggie bag with your food and immediately pack half away for lunch.

    3. Share dessert or eat part of it and take home the rest.

    4. Order off of the the diet or skinny menu (Cheesecake Factory, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday).

    5. The salad bar can be a full meal. Figure out what you are actually hungry for instead of just grabbing stuff and opt to add your own oil and vinegar. Switch the classic oil to vinegar ratio--2 parts vinegar to 1 part oil instead of the other way around.

    6. Say no to rolls or just have one and save the rest for your doggie bag.
  • christinajohnson
    christinajohnson Posts: 102 Member
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    Also, order the lower calorie versions of cocktails like the Skinny Mojito.
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
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    Plan, Plan, Plan!!! Figure out where you are going in advance and try to choose somewhere that offers nutrition info online. IHOP has an amazing spinach egg white omelet and fruit on their lite menu that I love. At a steakhouse, a petite steak, sweet potato (with cinnamon & brown sugar on the side, no buter) and fresh veggies or mushrooms is a good choice. Just pick what you will have in advance, log it and stick to it. If you need to, "earn" extra calories with exercise before you go!
  • rachelhohenbrink
    rachelhohenbrink Posts: 179 Member
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    Applebees and Ruby Tuesdays are two places you can go that tell you the amount of calories in your meals if you order their fit & trim or weight watchers meals.
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
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    i dont go out to restaurants that often so i would eat whatever i like (within reason), and make up for this by doing some extra exercise or having only a small lunch on that day.
    try and look up the menu before you go then you can work out what will work best for you, whether you decide to indulge slightly or go for low cal options. most restaurant portions are much larger than a standard 'serving', so be aware of this if you are trying to work out the cals for your meal.

    some good things to look out for:
    avoid pre-meal munchies such as the bread basket / breadsticks / poppadoms
    dont be afraid to ask for your food to be cooked how you want it
    avoid things that are deep fried / sauteed / cooked in oil / butter
    go for tomato based sauces rather than creamy / cheesy sauces
    watch out for dressing on salad, some caesar salads can have over 1000 calories with the dressing, cheese and croutons, get dressing on the side then you can control how much of it you eat
    if you choose something higher cal, ask for a half portion and get salad / veggies on the side.
    share dessert with your BF.
  • Slugsasarus
    Slugsasarus Posts: 76 Member
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    My family used to dine out all the time. It's what lead me to over 200 lbs. BUT, by using the tips below, I was able to lose 80lbs (with work out of course) still dining out many times per week!

    1 - Check the menu out before you go. Know what you want to order and order first, so that other people's tempting choices won't change your mind!

    2 - Don't completely deprive yourself! Allow yourself 1 bread roll. Allow a plain baked potato instead of fries. Let the people you're with know...there's no shame in that! This way you'll keep yourself in check because you know everyone's watching.

    3 - Most menus now of days have a "healthy" section. Go straight there. Do not pass appetizers. Do no pick up additional sides ;)

    4 - Drink lots of water! Before, during and after your meal.

    5 - If there are big portions, ask for a box as soon as you get your food and put half away, this way you're not tempted to eat the whole thing!

    6 - If possible, always order the "lunch" portion.

    7 - Don't go starving! I know it sounds crazy, but have a healthy snack before you go. Some carrots, or a piece of multigrain break with peanut butter. You'll be less likely to be overly tempted by buttery dishes when you're not ravenous.

    8 - Skip the cocktail. I know, it sucks, but alcohol is just liquid calories.

    9 - Sauces/dressings on the side always helps. Dip your fork in the dress/sauce and then into the food. You get a hint of flavor from the dressing without the overload of calories!

    10 - Don't be afraid to treat yourself to something SMALL. Sometimes just a bite of cake, or a spoonful of ice cream is all you need for that sweet craving. If you're ordering dessert, split it with one or more people.

    GOOD LUCK!! :)
  • cafel3
    cafel3 Posts: 89
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    Try to decide on a place before hand and go online to look at their menu to choose what you will eat and log your calories. If this is not possible, ask for grilled chicken salad or grilled chicken with steamed broccoli. Most places can provide this even if it's not on the menu. (Best to skip the cheese on the broccoli, however.)
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
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    I go online and look at nutrition info and pick what I'm going to eat before I go, then I enter it in for the day and plan the rest of what I eat that day around dinner ( or whatever meal I'm eating out at) and then try and burn off the difference with however much exercise is needed! If the place I'm going disn't have nutrition info, I just make an educated guess and go from there. I lost 60 pounds (before I got pregnant) and I never refused an invitaion out with the hubbs or friends!

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