Nice Restaurants -- Nutrition Facts!

ElliePhillips1991

Hey,

My boyfriend has taken me out to some fancy restaurants a couple times since I've started trying to lose weight. I feel like it's rude to him *and a bit of a waste* to go out somewhere that's upwards of 30$ a plate to just get a little salad that I could get pretty much the same thing at Campus Dining.
But how do you go about finding how many calories and such are in restaurant food? Even if I'm not letting that factor in what I get to eat, it still would be nice to know what to put into my diary at the end of the day.
Thoughts?

bahacca

I'd start by just entering the item and see what pops up. As an FYI, usually things like grilled fish are your best bets. Ask for dressing on the side of salads and you can get pretty close to guessing how many tablespoons you put on yourself(at least I know i'm fairly accurate, but i've been cooking all my life, so...)
If this is a concern, have you asked about him not taking you out to eat and instead planning a fun day trip hiking or going to a fun trampoline place for a date instead? My DH and I used to have racquetball dates at the campus rec center when we were young and in college. SO much fun.

kw85296

If we are going out to eat, I try to look up the restaurant and see if they have the nutrition facts on their website. Many times they do. You can also request that your food not be cooked in butter, have sauces on the side, etc. Be careful though when ordering salads, they are not always the healthiest. If you are not getting the dressing on the side, you could be getting lots of extra calories and some of the ingredients in the salad can add up quickly, too (seasoned croutons, glazed nuts, etc.) You could get grilled fish and vegetables and it could be less than a salad. We went out last night and I had a Lime Jalapeno Shrimp dish with vegetables and it was only 300 calories.

ElliePhillips1991

"DH"??

I've looked on the sites for both of the, and no listings. I like going out to the nice restaurants, though.
The grilled fish and the vegetable ideas are very helpful. Thanks!

I_love_frogs

"DH"??

I've looked on the sites for both of the, and no listings. I like going out to the nice restaurants, though.
The grilled fish and the vegetable ideas are very helpful. Thanks!

DH is usually Dear Husband...or Damn Husband :P

icimani

I'm currently at a conference (in Las Vegas of all places) and most of the meals have been buffets provided by the conference, but there I have gone to a some nicer restaurants on a few nights. None of them have any nutrition info anywhere. I asked at one place and the waitress looked at me like I was from Mars.

The MFP data base is really very extensive, but there are some things I just can't find on it. Without driving myself crazy, I just pick something that I think is pretty close and don't sweat it.

ElliePhillips1991

Lol, Shiana.

And yeah, that's what I've been doing too -- sometimes I just recreate it as best as I can with the recipe builder.

claritarejoice

I love going out to eat! What I do: try to plan what I'm going to order in advance; eat less and/or exercise more that day and week to offset what I eat out; and watch the portion size. Most dishes can be fine as long as you eat a small portion. For example I could have a half cup of a rice dish (higher calorie item) and a large salad with no dressing (lower calorie item). I also agree with the other posters to try to order something healthy and natural, and don't be afraid to ask the waiter how it's cooked or ask them to omit/change ingredients. Also choosing a healthier restaurant (or asking your boyfriend to take you to a healthy restaurant) would help. Drink lots of water and no soda or juice. Ask the waiter to box half your dish at the beginning. I hope these ideas help.

Zainia

Look up the menu online and look up the calories for the main ingredients. A rough estimate should be good enough as long as you are going out only once and awhile. See if you can share a dish with your boyfriend instead of by yourself (or at least share the dessert lol). Eat very slowly and savor the food while bringing at least half of it home. Avoid soda, alcohol or any other beverages besides water. Tell the waiter you are lactose intolerant and can't have anything cooked in butter or cream.

gpteran

When I go out to any restaurant I try to recreate a meal that I would make at home. Grilled fish, chicken or steak. It's it's sauteed I have no control over what they will be adding to it which would add more calories. The sides are also in your control as in asking for a baked sweet potato with out anything on it. In the past I'd have them slap on tons of butter and brown sugar. As I've changed my eating choices so has my palate. Other choices are for steamed veggies. Again with nothing on them you can season it with some salt and pepper. If sodium is your concern than you can eliminate it at your table all together. Most restaurants these days know everyone has specific needs and accommodate.

On the portion side my wife and I always know we when get our plate that we have two meals. We portion out our plate and know what we'll be eating right there and what we'll be taking home. It's actually 2 meals in 1!

I know I'm only guessing on the calorie side but it's only on or two meals for that special occasion when going out. I used eat at fast food and restaurants all the time without worry about portions or caloric count so I don't get to down on myself when I go out to such occasions. I know that I'll be back to my regular eating on my next meal. I also work out 5 days a week which means I'm burning up calories but I might add an extra 20 minutes of calorie burning on that day. It's all math

macdiver

Another option is to consider it a cheat meal. Enjoy it but don't log it. This helps you enjoy it without worry. The trick is it can not be a routine thing. Once a month or so at most. Some people do cheat meals weekly but they are usually in maintenance mode and not trying to lose.