Dining out tonight in MD- Help!!!

samanthad2u

I am going out to dinner to night and am not sure where the best place to good that as a diet friendly menu. I look at the olive garden and outback and they are not going to work (Alice Springs Chicken is 1303.5 cal calories alone OMG!) I was thinking applebee's I know they have a good menu but we always go there, was hoping to try something new. Any ideas????

CasperO

You can eat out anywhere, just know what's good and what's bad. It's pretty straightforward.

Grilled = good
Fried = bad
Batter dipped & deep fried = Poison

Huge portion of raw or steamed veggies = good belly filler-upper
Huge portion of pastry = good girdle filler upper :huh:

Nice portion of baked fish w/a little tartar = good for you
Heavy portion of shrimp/pasta/alfredo sauce = good for makers of stretch pants

It's easy. Have a big salad (no cheese, dressing on the side). Have a nice grilled meat, steamed veggies for a side, a little bit of a reasonable starch, like a baked potato w/just a little butter or yogurt. Skip the bread, fruit cup for dessert. Eazy peazy.

samanthad2u

And for calorie tracking should i just guess if it is not a menu item?

LittleEva44

You CAN go to Applebee's/Olive Garden/AND Outback Steak house!

When hubby and I went to the latter for dinner I had the chicken with mushroom sauce (NOT creamed). I asked what the veggie of the day was and I substituted the cream of whatever they had and/or ask for "grilled" veggies. Have grilled seafood (shrimp) on the barbie with grilled veggies on the side w/your small side salad (no dressing); ask for Melba toast and/or wheat crackers. Don't ask for the large baked potato because you'll want to add TONS of sour cream and butter. If you WANT the potato eat it "dry". I do. I don't like SOUR cream (yuck!) and I don't sprinkle no, no's (cheese, bacon bits, etc). You CAN use extra virgin olive oil on it. Ask instead for those side grilled veggies. At the VERY beginning ask the waitress NOT to bring you a basket of bread. Instead start w/mushroom appetizers (not fried!) that are drenched in olive oil and/or vinegar. Go ahead and drink ONE small beer and/or ONE small margarita, and or ONE small daiquire. Since you'll have a small drink keep drinking tons of water afterwards. Enjoy!

OLIVE GARDEN: Ask for the all you can eat soup and salad. Again, ask the waitress to refrain from bringing you the bread basket and ask again for your wheat crackers/Melba toast. Ask the waitress to bring you a hot cup of water. When your soup comes dilute it with water. If you'll notice by your fantastic taste buds when your watching what you eat/drink, you'll find the soup extremely SALTY! This dilution helps cut the calories in half! Keep asking for soup and hey! Go with a different variety each time! They have a bean soup (protein) w/small slices of sausage. If you want ask for a side order of a small piece of chicken breast in mushroom sauce (not the CREAMY one!). When your salad arrives decline from having fresh mozzarella cheese added (you really don't need more calories). Again, go ahead and enjoy ONE small alcoholic drink....you deserve it! Again, dilute your drink after you've finished it by drinking tons of water!

APPLEBEES: Ask for the soup of the day (you know what to do w/it when it arrives), ask for the grilled chicken salad (NO dressing and ask for extra virgin olive oil and your crackers/melba toast). Tell your waitress not to bring you the bread stick/toast that comes with it. You HAVE to ask what you want and don't want. Drink tons of water.

THESE PLACES MAY HAVE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD (but not drizzled in margarine/butter like Texas Toast is).

Don't worry about the calories. You CAN make it up the next day by working out harder. Push yourself to do an extra 10-20 yards (if you walk) and/or if you use the treadmill use the incline button and do that for a full minute or two.

Too late (but never too late). The next time you have plans for dinner have a "light" healthy breakfast and a light and healthy lunch. Not to get you ready for the calories for dinner, but you know what to stay away from. Greasy, fattening foods, butter/bread, sour cream, dressing, and desserts.


Blessings! :flowerforyou:

Eva

CasperO

One of the greasepits you've mentioned is pretty notorious for not giving up the nutritional info. It's why I don't go there. Olive Garden has their nutrition available online. Look at it before you go. They will bring you salad without the (oily!) house dressing if you ask. Get a little on the side and dip the tip of your fork for each bite. Just as tasty and saves 3/4 of the calories.

I would recommend you order simple things, and then track by finding something very similar in MFP's database. The advantage of the simple food is that you know what's there. A grilled 7 ounce sirloin is pretty much a grilled 7 ounce sirloin, no matter where you get it. The au gratin potato might be made with 2% milk, or it might be made with heavy cream - you just don't know. But a steak, a tater and a salad are pretty simple and pretty hard for them to nail you with.

Remember - these guys are not your friends. People love Salt, Sugar and Fat. They want you to love their food so you'll come back and spend your $ there again (and that's just business, fair enough). - so they load the food up with S-S-F. You have to outsmart them by eating something they couldn't mess around with too much.

JJs25th

Split a meal or ask for a box and take some home for tomorrow's lunch. My hubby and I do this all the time, and it works very well. :blushing:

imjeni

applebees has weight watchers menu and chilis has guitless menu as well. salmon is always a good bet.

tanya7712

Maryland has good seafood, especially their crabs are great and they are low in calories. If you are into seafood then I would recommend that.

gmvanloo

Olive Garden also has a low fat/fat free dressing - I think it's just low fat. it taste great too. Ask for it on the side. If everyone else wants the regular then they can get theirs on the side too.

Be careful with the Guiltless menu at Chili's, I still think there is a lot of crap in there.

I agree, you can really go anywhere. Just have some willpower and order what you know is good!

LittleEva44

applebees has weight watchers menu and chilis has guitless menu as well. salmon is always a good bet.
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ANOTHER good choice for seafood. I LOVE salmon! But prefer to have others bake it for me as I'm not a "fishy" cook/baker/preparer. Again, do the side "dry" salad thing w/grilled veggies.

Also, you CAN go to McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, too! Ask for the Hamburger (I didn't say CHEESE BURGER) Happy Meal (kid's Meal), sub the fries with apple dippers, and drink your small Diet coke. For dessert have the fruity parfait.

Subway/Quizznos: Ask for the 6 inch chicken sub, whole wheat bread, ALL the fixings (including jalapenos), NO cheese, and NO dressings...thus the word "dry" If you want a dessert ask for the cup of yogurt. I read the oatmeal cookie is 275 calories or more :noway: :noway: That is OKAY when you've lost your first 10 pounds or so

You CAN go to Chuck E Cheese (kiddies b-day party)/Pizza Hut. Have the all you can eat salad (you KNOW how to dress it up), melba toast/wheat crackers, Diet Coke, and plenty of water. Yeah, okay, go ahead and have ONE slice of pepperonio pizza (no parmesan cheese); just make sure to squeeze off the excess fat using your napkin. You'll be AMAZED at how greasy and orange it looks, yuck! :noway:
Up to you. Out of sight, out of mind is what I say! I haven't been to a Pizza Hut joint in about a year! Let alone order take out pizza from Dominoes. I make my own pizza stone (smile).

Blessings! :flowerforyou:

samanthad2u

Thanks everyone! I don't eat any seafood at all so that makes is alittle tuff. But we went to a local irish pub and I had roast chicken and stemed veggies and had a GREAT night!!