Restaurants: Lower sodium or lower cals?

TrailRunner61
TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What do you do when you go out for dinner? If you pick something that has fewer cals, it almost always has more sodium. A LOT more! You can sometimes order sauces on the side but not always. I'd prefer to just avoid these restaurants/meals all together but it's kind of hard when your family celebrates birthdays by going out to dinner!

I have lost 41lbs, still have 10-15 to go, but I still have high blood pressure that is controlled with meds and it's hard to find something that is healthy, low in cals and low in sodium too.

I'm ready to start a sodium war against restaurants!

Replies

  • heddy90
    heddy90 Posts: 144 Member
    I eat out very rarely, so I choose not to bother at all really. I just pick whatever looks good. I figure it's my everyday choices that really count, not the few restaurant visits.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I eat out very rarely, so I choose not to bother at all really. I just pick whatever looks good. I figure it's my everyday choices that really count, not the few restaurant visits.
    That would be fine with me, if I was better at controlling my sodium throughout the week and didn't have so many relatives with birthdays. I guess the alternative would be dead relatives so I'll shut up. lol
  • mgnmsn
    mgnmsn Posts: 133 Member
    order something you like. eat half. save the rest for another day. always get water with your meal also! and try to skip the chips, bread, and other appetizers. they are usually worse than the meal!
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    Try to pick the healthiest things on the menu that you want to eat and don't worry about that one meal. I agree it's the choices you make daily over the long run that make the difference not the odd meal out.

    I am actually going out tommorrow night and I went online found out what the restaurant had (no nutritional info offered just menu) so I am choosing a veggie burger (plain) with a salad and light vinagrette or veggie burger (plain with no bun) and a side of fries and ketchup. Either way I'm having a diet coke.

    No appetizer and no dessert and I'll make sure to drink a few glasses of water as well.

    As for the rest of the day, I am going to try to eat as I usually do (no hoarding calories for this meal or saying what the heck make it a cheat DAY, I am just allowing myself to enjoy one dinner out but I've preplanned but can't accurately log into my diary)

    Here is another thing I do and will be doing on the 15th when I have a b-day dinner to go to for my son. We are going to a certain restaurant and I already know what I usually like to get plus online they have the nutritional info, so I am going to order the meal (veggie fajitas, no cheese and no sourcream) and immediatley when meal arrives I doggy bag half. The portions here are huge (6 fajitas total) so I'll still have 3 for dinner and it will be more than filling and I'll be able to log it into MFP and actually fit it into my calorie count for the day.....bonus I'll have leftovers for lunch the next day at work......2 meals for the price of 1!!!

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