First "dinner out" since starting diet. What to choose?

helaurin
helaurin Posts: 157 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so we have a Groupon that will expire tonight for a place we've never been to. I'm trying to lose weight; my boyfriend is not. It's date night - the first in about a month - with my boyfriend. It's a somewhat upscale place (no jeans permitted), the kind where the food tends to be more about quality than quantity.

I perused the menu to narrow down the list to foods I think I might like:

Lobster Bisque
Soup du Jour (don't know what todays is yet - but if it's French Onion today, I'd like that).
Shaved Prime Rib sandwich on house made roll with fries
Slider Trio (burger, lobster tail and crab cake - each snack sized)
Lobster Mac and Cheese (Fusili pasta tossed with lobster in creamy parmesan, Monterey, and cheddar cheese sauce)
Angus Beef Burger (8 oz. burger, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese on an onion poppy seed roll).
Eight ounce Rib Eye w/ country style mashed potatoes and creamed spinach
Veal Oscar (medallions of tenderloin, served with crab, roasted red bliss potatoes, asparagus)
Tequilla Shrimp and Scallops (with herbed risotto, southwestern spices and tequila butter)
South African Lobster Tails (two 5.oz cold water tails w/ drawn butter, baked potato and asparagus)

I'd prefer to stick to one item and maybe a soup. The items from the Lobster Bisque to the Angus Beef Burger are on the "bar" menu - and fit better into the budget, even with the groupon counted in. The last four items are somewhat pricey at $35+ each, so I'd prefer to stick to the top of the list.

Replies

  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I always go for lean steak plus steamed veggies when I go out. The veggies tend to be brocolli.
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
    Every restaurant has chicken and will steam your veggies.. you should be doing that . Hamburger ? Really ?

    If you want to indulge any of those options are fine but if you want to maintain your healthy life style......

    Lean protein and steams veggies.
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
    Pick a lean protein and order double the vegetables, no starch. ;)

    You could also decide that since you barely ever go out, eat what you want just try to moderate yourself.
  • laurenjessica315
    laurenjessica315 Posts: 23 Member
    Woah...not a very friendly menu! I'd go with the steamed lobster with lemon on the side instead of butter and see if they can steam veggies for you - maybe asparagus? Enjoy! I LOVE lobster so jealous!
  • laurenjessica315
    laurenjessica315 Posts: 23 Member
    Sorry just saw that you want to stick to the top of the list...if you do end up having the lobster just skip the potato.

    Can you just get grilled steak or chicken with steamed veggies?
  • Dad_of_3
    Dad_of_3 Posts: 517 Member
    If it is a well known restaurant, and you have a smart phone, download the Restaurant Nutrition app by Unified Lifestyle.

    http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/restaurant-nutrition/id285180322?mt=8
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unifiedlifestyle.rn
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    The steak or the lobster are the healthier choices of these items. Chicken is usually cheaper, but you don't have any listed. Seriously, I would consider going to a less expensive restaurant. You can probably get a really nice meal somewhere else for the same price as you would the bar menu with coupon at that place.
  • caitlyn30
    caitlyn30 Posts: 207 Member
    Personally for me, I would watch my calories early on in the day, and get whatever meal is my favorite when I go there. (i wouldn't get soup, too much sodium for me) and I wouldn't go overboard on dessert, I'd take a bite of somebody elses! lol.
  • lkz231
    lkz231 Posts: 2 Member
    Choose what you want to eat, but only eat half. If you get the burger, skip the condiments and don't eat the top bun. Soup will help fill you up before the meal, so eating half won't even feel like dieting. Be sure and drink a full glass of water before you go! . Although grilled meats and steamed veggies are excellent choices any time, you can make that at home. Eat something you don't generally prepare at home to try new flavors. Good Luck!
  • majikmiker
    majikmiker Posts: 291 Member
    You could go with the shaved prime rib sandwich, but only eat half the bun and get steamed / grilled veggies instead of the fries. Also I'd ask about the sauce on the sandwich and cheese etc. Good luck though.

    The other thing I sometimes do when eating out (although you said this is a more upscale place so you may not want to do this), is ask for a take home container when my meal comes and I put half in the container right away, that way I don't overeat. Especially with places that have larger portions (like Boston Pizza / Olive Garden). I sometimes feel I have to eat it all since I'm paying for it.

    Number one thing is to ENJOY yourself though. Especially since it's your first night eating out in a while. :drinker:
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
    I am fairly sure I know exactly what place this is...

    anyway to answer your question, eat lighter throughout the day and work out before hand and then order what you want. When I go to places like this place, I eat whatever I want because it is so rare that I do.
  • cartrat
    cartrat Posts: 120 Member
    dude, you're going out to eat. do you go to mcdonald's for their apple slices? no! you go for the fries! get whatever you want and don't eat the whole thing. especially since i'm getting the impression this is the first time in a while you've been out, just enjoy yourself. it's not like you have to eat there every night.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Since you guys don't go out to eat that often, I'd go with whatever sounded the best to you and just get back on track tomorrow.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    Personally for me, I would watch my calories early on in the day, and get whatever meal is my favorite when I go there. (i wouldn't get soup, too much sodium for me) and I wouldn't go overboard on dessert, I'd take a bite of somebody elses! lol.

    This is probably what I would do but try for lean meat and sub veggie for any potato (if they would let me). You can always just not eat any or 1/2 of any roll that is on a sandwich.
  • estjames
    estjames Posts: 76
    I would skip the soup as it takes away from the financial and calorie budgets and instead get the one item that sounds the tastiest to me.
  • helaurin
    helaurin Posts: 157 Member
    This restaurant only has ONE "chicken" dish - that's buffalo wings at the bar. I'm thinking that's not any healthier than any of the meat dishes.

    Thanks for the app for the restaurant nutrition - great idea, downloaded to my cellphone. Unfortunately, the restaurant isn't in that database - it's not a chain restaurant. It's a place called "Mile High", described as an upscale restaurant where the seafood is flown in daily.

    I also realized it might (or might not) be helpful to know where I'm at calorie-wise for the day vs. my daily limit.

    My allotted calorie target range is 1,200 to 1,400 calories. It is 4 pm here, so my total intake so far is 491 calories including breakfast, lunch and snack. That leaves me somewhere between 709 to 909 calories for dinner.

    Drinking a glass of water before-hand is a good idea; I may also have a cup of shredded iceberg lettuce beforehand for the same reason.

    I usually don't get dessert and wasn't planning on getting dessert. I'm not afraid to ask for a to-go container :)

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