Going out to eat and figuring out calories

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afshape
afshape Posts: 11 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone have any suggestions on going out to eat and calculating calories? I know some places have low calorie sections on menus but not all places do and I have had a hard time finding nutrition info for most places. I know some people will suggest not going out to eat but I still want to be able to go out to dinner with friends. Any suggestions would help....Thanks!
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Replies

  • maryellen8301
    maryellen8301 Posts: 100 Member
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    If you can plan ahead and know where you are going, you can look up the nutritional value before hand. If you have a smart phone you can also look it up via the MFP app.. I went out to eat to Applebee's for the first time after joining MFP and had an anxiety attack because i was so afraid of going over and i did not plan on going out to eat..
    Try to stick to salads(light dressing) and watch your portions.. their portions are almost double what you "should eat", So maybe ask for either a half portion or a take home box right away..
    I hope this helps
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    Portion control and smart choices. IF the portion is huge bring 1/2 home. Skip the bread and appetizers. Get you dressing on the side and don't use it all.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
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    Even be careful with the so called 'light' side of the menu or the 'low calorie' side. I rarely eat out, but when I did I ordered a wonderful salad that tasted great and was advertised as under 550 calories. I did not look up the info before I went there as I was not logging food or on this site at the time. I was shocked that the salad practically blew away my entire sodium allowance for the day!

    In some instances you're better off eating so called 'real' food (aka the bad stuff lol) but don't get a side like potatoes or fries, ask for veggies. Skip mayo's or condiments, ask for no cheese, etc. Needless to say I have not and will not eat that salad again.
  • Andrea681
    Andrea681 Posts: 178 Member
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    Whenever I go out to eat I always ask for a take-home box right away and then as soon as my food comes I box up half of it. This is a great way to control portions and still get to go out to eat. I also like to share a meal if someone else at the table is willing. I used to be really afraid of going out to eat and staying on track but now I just make sensible choices (instead of fries, get a salad or fruit) and watch my portions and I'm fine. Hope this helps!
  • angiemartin78
    angiemartin78 Posts: 475 Member
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    You could try ordering items individually instead of one of the entrees on the menu...Try asking them to grill some salmon, or chicken for you; have a side of steamed broccoli and a small salad. Just make sure to get your dressing on the side and ask for your salad without cheese or croutons.

    Good luck and I hope you have a blast!
  • SophieB74656
    SophieB74656 Posts: 81 Member
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    be careful about asking for dressing on the side. I've heard that you usualy get more dressing on the side then they would have put on the salad t begin with

    most restaurants have the nutrition info on their websites
  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    I agree with the above. Sometimes the "healthy" menu is anything but! Just use common sense. You know that anything fried, covered, or smothered in fat is not a good idea. Sauces that are creamy very rarely are low-calorie. Cheese and anything carb- related will be high calorie.
  • laughingnome
    laughingnome Posts: 259 Member
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    The last time we went out I looked up the calories on mfp for several meals I was interested in and picked the best choice and I was still under calories for the day and I was satisfied. You can check sodium too but it will usually be high at restaurants.
  • Lily_Rose
    Lily_Rose Posts: 38 Member
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    I try to know where I'm going and look up the calories beforehand, but if I can't, I follow some general rules.

    Most places have grilled chicken which tends to be low in calories. Of course you have to make sure that they don't coat the chicken is some kind of sauce. If it comes in a sauce I ask them to omit it.

    House salad with low fat cheese/no cheese is a good option. I ask for vinegar to go with my salad instead of salad dressing. Vinegar has almost no calories and salad dressing usually has more than the actual salad.

    Steamed vegetables are usually an option. I make sure to tell them to leave of any oils they toss the veggies in and ask for a lemon wedge instead.

    I'm sure there are other options but those are the ones I stick with
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    The sodium is going to get you everytime. So drink lots of water with dinner! It'll flush out the sodium and keep you from retaining water the next day. If you can't find nutritional info for the restaurant you are going to, use a similar dish from another chain restaurant. You can't always have the perfect exact number or calories that is in something, but you can be pretty close. i also second the taking half home.

    When hubby and I go out, we usually have an appetizer to share and each take half our dinners home for lunch the next day. If we ar splurging we'll share a dessert too. This is a lifestyle change for us. Just because we wamt to lose weight and be fit and healthy that doesn't mean we will never eat out again. We typically eat out about once a week. It's our date night and time for us to reconnect with each other. Our metal health and marraige health is just as important as our waistline.
  • hooligansmom
    hooligansmom Posts: 122 Member
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    Just remember that they probably cook differently than you in the kitchen. Whereas you might spray your cooking pan with olive oil, they may be cooking with heavy vegetable oil or butter. So, even though you have ordered the salmon or chicken, it might not be healthy at all. So, tell the server that you are on a low calorie, low sodium diet and would appreciate any help you can get with getting your food prepared light.
  • melanieparker13
    melanieparker13 Posts: 110 Member
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    There is a website I used when on WW it is DWLZ.com It has a lot of restaurants and their nutrional info on it.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    You can go to any restaurant, make wise choices about what to order, and eat a reasonable amount of whatever you get. Then find something similar in the database and log it.

    Anyone who thinks that all restaurants publish their nutritional info doesn't do much fine dining.
  • mzhokie
    mzhokie Posts: 349 Member
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    There are actually a couple of apps where you can take pictures of your plate and it will give you a rough estimate of calories etc.

    Meal Snap: http://news.discovery.com/tech/new-app-counts-calories-through-photos-food-110413.html

    PlateMate: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/a-new-app-for-counting-calories/

    I haven't used any of these but it is out there. For me, we go to about three different local restaurants all the time. My husband and I set up "recipes" in our food diary of our favorite dishes. We figured out which ones were probably the best for us or which ones we needed to cut in half. Since they are locally owned, the info isn't out there, we do kind of guess. For my favorite salad, I try to go with the worst case scenario by over estimating the items in it. But figuring out what items are high in calories is the best way.... croutons, cheeses, salad dressing are usually your heaviest hitters. So you can cut one of those out or in half. I like a few croutons for the crunch but I don't have to eat them all. Dipping your fork in the dressing first instead of pouring it over the salad is a good way to eat a salad too.

    Most restaurants have some form of lean meat and a veggie side. Ask for substitutions. My husband gets double broccoli all the time instead of two sides. Do your homework ahead of time. Most national chains have their information out there so you can have a rough idea what you can and can't eat.

    Also if you can plan ahead..... do an extra workout so you have exercise calories to eat. I will take the dog for a long walk or get on the treadmill for an extra 15 mins.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    There are actually a couple of apps where you can take pictures of your plate and it will give you a rough estimate of calories etc.

    Meal Snap: http://news.discovery.com/tech/new-app-counts-calories-through-photos-food-110413.html

    PlateMate: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/a-new-app-for-counting-calories/

    These Do NOT Work!
  • afshape
    afshape Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks for all the great tips! It just gets overwhelming. I am used to going out to eat quite often so this is a big change for me to begin with and then discovering that I can't find nutrition info for most places had me stressing. I think these tips will help me make good choices. Thanks again!
  • bhalter
    bhalter Posts: 582 Member
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    I ALWAYS pre-plan. I make our group decide where we're going ahead of time, and then I sit there and research websites/MFP and plan out my meal, and then I always plan a 2nd option in case they're out of ingredients, or my particular franchise doesn't have that dish. The hardest part is sticking to the plan when I get there and everyone else starts ordering yummy stuff. ;)
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    The hardest part is sticking to the plan when I get there and everyone else starts ordering yummy stuff. ;)
    Maybe you should try ordering something yummy? What's the point of going out if you're going to get crap you don't like?
  • dianacannon89
    dianacannon89 Posts: 235 Member
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    I look over the menu and just enter it on here on the cell phone app before I order it to see if its within my limits
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Either pre plan or guess.... OR let yourself have a lightly indulgent meal.

    Typically if you stick to healthier items, steamed or grilled seafood or chicken, steamed or grilled veggies, you will be fine. you can typically ask that they don't put sauce, butter, oil etc on the items. watch your portions, you don't have to eat the whole meal.

    When in doubt go for the salad with the least amount of extras and get dressing on the side.

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