what "safe food" do you order when you eat out?

2

Replies

  • duckfloats
    duckfloats Posts: 30
    Google and see if the company has a website. One of my local places has 5 stores only. But I found nutritional info on their website.
  • maroonmango211
    maroonmango211 Posts: 908 Member
    Most restaurants have a fresh fish meal that is light on sauce and comes with the basic two sides. I usually order the fish (where I live its generally salmon or trout in the summer) a baked potato with a small amount of salted margarine on the side and DOUBLE the seasonal vegetables they offer. Generally I can't even finish half the potato by the time I'm done everything else, but it feels like a treat to order it anyways (and most of the places so far have thrown in the extra veg for free from what I've noticed).

    EDIT: I ask for the fish fire grilled if they have the option, maximum flavour and no oils needed for cooking.
  • BringingSherriBack
    BringingSherriBack Posts: 607 Member
    Grilled chicken or steak with salad (dressing on the side) and steamed or grilled veggies
    Grilled chicken salad (again dressing on the side)
    Chicken, steak or shrimp fajitas (I eat the meat and veggies only, no tortillas or extras)
    Soup and salad

    Applebee's has some great under 550 calorie selections and other restaurants have great low calorie offerings, too. If you know where you are going, you can look up there nutrition online (for chain restaurants) and decide what you want before hand.
  • kwest_4_fitness
    kwest_4_fitness Posts: 819 Member
    And always ask for any grilled item to be grilled “dry”. Otherwise, they’ll grill it in butter/margarine or vegetable oil tossed on the grill.
  • Jasefrank
    Jasefrank Posts: 1
    just choose a salad with light dressing.
  • kimmie185
    kimmie185 Posts: 550 Member
    I don't have one specific safe food per say...

    I just order smart.

    I look for words like "grilled" or "boiled". I order lots of veggies and ask to not put butter or ask if they marinate it in oil of anykind. Dressings must be fat free and if does not come in fat free then I place it on the side and dunk my veggies vs. pouring it all of my salad to save on calories.

    As far as tracking it can be difficult and it's hard to make it perfect so if I can't that's fine, I start over the next day but still feel good knowing I made good choices, other wise I guestimate.

    Good Luck :heart:
  • clrrrr
    clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
    I try to order whatever I want but either only eat half of it and take the rest home for lunch the next day (requires some willpower) or I'll share something with my dad
  • Picola1984
    Picola1984 Posts: 1,133
    I don't get tricked by salads that often hide many calories in the dressing, and if you omit the dressing then its unlikely the salad will be any good (in most places) due to the lack of vegetable variation and imagination in most restaurant/cafe salads.

    Bit of mouldy lettuce + few bits of carrot= salad to some places

    No thanks.
  • abnerner
    abnerner Posts: 452 Member
    Eat foods that sound or look appealing to you on the menu, make your best guess on how many cals if you want to log it. If it happens to put you over your cals, so be it, enjoy the food and get on track the next day

    this.

    its hard to make it a lifestyle change when you over think things constantly.


    that said, I look for more protein, not fried.. and not tons of empty carbs....

    ^^ All this
  • DeeVanderbles
    DeeVanderbles Posts: 589 Member
    You can approximate portions using this: http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/wallet-portion-control-size-guide
    This is really neat!

    My only problem with this is that I'm really bad at estimating sizes, distances, ages, etc. lol!

    But definitely anything grilled is better than fried. I typically go for a piece of grilled chicken with a side salad and dressing on the side.
  • mlcheng
    mlcheng Posts: 4
    Buffets: my hubby and I always start with a full plate of salad and go from there, but then, we're RARELY at buffets.
    Most restaurants will give you double veggies, in lieu of "potato-sides".
  • kayl3igh88
    kayl3igh88 Posts: 428 Member
    Eat foods that sound or look appealing to you on the menu, make your best guess on how many cals if you want to log it. If it happens to put you over your cals, so be it, enjoy the food and get on track the next day
    This ^^^
  • missalissa772001
    missalissa772001 Posts: 31 Member
    When I eat out I ask for a to-go box right after my meal gets to the table and I put half in the box. So it cuts the cals in half right of the bat and you can have a nice dinner the next day too.
  • pursuitoffitness
    pursuitoffitness Posts: 45
    I don't eat out but salad without dressing or what you can do is order whatever the hell you like but ask for a doggy bag and put half of your meal in there and store it for later. Instead of Eating 600 cals in one sitting, you consume 300 and save 300 for the next nights dinner. Just an example there.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I rarely go to chains so here are my go tos:

    Mexican: soft tacos or ceviche. Easy on the chips, guacamole (I hate sour cream). Soft tacos are about 200 calories each, no matter which meat you choose. Corn tortillas have more fiber and iron.

    Thai: chicken satay, salad, stir fry dishes. Go easy on the noodles, rice and coconut milk curries

    Vietnamese: grilled meats, bun (noodle bowls), salad, stir frys. It is generally really light, just be careful with the rice and noodles

    Indian: tomato based curries, dal, tandoori meats, biryanis. Go easy on the rice. Mint chutney is my favorite sauce, and really light. Raitas are Ok, they are just yogurt + veggies and other stuff, so you can have a pretty good amount. Careful with the rice and breads

    All-American: grilled meats, veggie sides. A burger wins over most salads, because all american places tend to use lots of cheese, creamy dressings and fried meats. Burgers are about 600 calories.

    You can't go wrong with grilled meats and veggies.

    Don't forget, take half of your food home. I generally eat all of the veggies, half of the starch and half of the protein. Save the rest for leftovers.
  • Carpaydeeum
    Carpaydeeum Posts: 116
    Ask a lot of questions and don't trust their "healthy" choices.
  • Fani2003
    Fani2003 Posts: 195 Member
    We eat out a lot. Even if it is not a chain,I can usually find something similar in the database. If I can't, then I break up the meal by each component. Grilled chicken, avocado, asparagus, tomatoes.

    I stay away from salads or at the least salad dressings. A lot of times places make things sound healthy/light and they are not! They have hidden sugars, cheese, etc.

    Don't be afraid to be picky. Tell them no sour cream, no dressing or dressing on the side. That goes for dressings/sauces on food too, not just salad.


    Also, take out your phone and type in options while you look over the menu. Log it before you eat it.
  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
    Let's see : grilled chicken breast with veggies, salad (kind with little cheese, or none) dressing on side and just dip it, soups that are broth based, not creamy, steak with veggies, fish, grilled shrimp, hamburger-hold the bun and cheese-nothing fried, or too cheesy.....whatever you order, just eat half, that way you can have another meal and you won't go too over. Hope that helps.
  • CajunNino
    CajunNino Posts: 269
    My safe word is "Mutha freaka." :tongue: I suppose if I had a safe food it would be fish.

    You have to be careful when ordering fish. Some places drown their grilled fish in butter and it will give it an extra 20g of fat and much of it Sat. fats. Ask how it's prepared, etc. Usually I'll have a veggie, ala broccoli on the side.
  • sbbc09
    sbbc09 Posts: 22
    Eat foods that sound or look appealing to you on the menu, make your best guess on how many cals if you want to log it. If it happens to put you over your cals, so be it, enjoy the food and get on track the next day

    this.

    its hard to make it a lifestyle change when you over think things constantly.


    that said, I look for more protein, not fried.. and not tons of empty carbs....

    This. Eating shouldn't be a source of stress. Enjoy your night out, enjoy the meal, and enjoy the company with some smart decisions thrown in.
  • sarahroseconroy
    sarahroseconroy Posts: 37 Member
    Totally agree if your like me and only go out once a week or less I like to enjoy what im having and not worry if i am over by 2-300 cals :)
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
    Eat foods that sound or look appealing to you on the menu, make your best guess on how many cals if you want to log it. If it happens to put you over your cals, so be it, enjoy the food and get on track the next day

    I agree with this. Still gotta live.
  • apj79
    apj79 Posts: 23 Member
    We are thinking of going to "shag on the river" my husband will get fried chicken to take but is sweet enough he also gets grilled chicken for me... then I dance the calories away....
  • LizL217
    LizL217 Posts: 217 Member
    I go out a lot, so I can't really do the "I eat whatever I want when I go out" thing because if I did that I would gain soooo much weight.

    My favorite healthy choices are sushi, other seafood, grilled chicken, steamed or roasted vegetables...

    Things to avoid:
    - all salad dressings. Just ask for some lemon on it, it tastes super yummy (to me at least)
    - anything fried or described as "crispy", "crunchy" or any derivation thereof. It just means fried.
    - bread or tortilla chips on the table. You're probably going to forget to track it anyway and you'll eat more than a serving.
    - cream-based sauces
    - cheese. they put so much more cheese on there than you really need for flavor and it ups the fat and calories A TON.

    But if I'm specifically going to a place for their barbecue or their burgers or whatever I'm certainly not going to get a salad and then pathetically watch my friends eat delicious barbecue and burgers. I just keep those specific food adventures to a minimum. Life is meant to be lived, after all!
  • camrunner
    camrunner Posts: 363
    Chicken caesar salad. Almost every time.
  • kaimi25
    kaimi25 Posts: 4
    When I go out to eat I try to stay away from breads and high cal dressings. Your best bet would be tofu dishes or meat and veggies and water to drink. Hope that is helpful to you.
  • Wabbit05
    Wabbit05 Posts: 434 Member
    If they don't have calories posted, I just ask for grilled chicken, with a side of veggies (no salt no butter). That way you know you're not over eating! If there are calories posted, I try to pick something around 400-500 calories. Most of the time, it's a turkey burger with whole wheat bun! Yum!
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    Salmon or steak with vegetables or potatoes as a side. Salads tend to hide a lot of sugar, fat, and calories in the dressing.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    i go with grilled chicken and a spinach salad. dressing on the side

    everybody always has chicken and veggies
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 982 Member
    We are thinking of going to "shag on the river" my husband will get fried chicken to take but is sweet enough he also gets grilled chicken for me... then I dance the calories away....

    :noway: :laugh: Had to read that twice!

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