Going out to eat at restaurants

jilliam
jilliam Posts: 3
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
For the past month and half I have been "watching" what I eat, avoiding Fast-Food row and eating food with nutritional labels. Those really help out with the calorie count and such. When it comes to eating at restaurants the majority do not provide nutritional facts about their dishes. I live in the West Hollywood/Beverly Hills/Santa Monica area and most restaurants are not your typical calorie ridden "Chilies", "Red Lobster" or "Olive Garden" types of places but, I feel that even though a few of the restaurants try to use "organic" products and appear not to be monster calorie heart attack dishes, that they are still high in calories. Does that make any sense? I don't want to limit myself to always ordering the obligatory "salad", because those are not always necessarily low in cals.
Any tips on how to prevent an unexpected calorie overdose?

Replies

  • feeny
    feeny Posts: 110 Member
    google the restaurant beforehand. 9 times out of 10 i can always find some kind of nutritional info online.
  • Pariah
    Pariah Posts: 97 Member
    you are good in assuming that the salad is not always the best choice. so stay away from what is obviously a bad choice, and try your best to make a decision on what would be a better choice. stay away from the carbs and starches, so not pasta, bread, or potatoes. order veggies as your side, preferably plain. eat all your salad before your meal with either low cal, or no dressing. and when you meal comes, ask for a to go box. hold your hand out in front of you, palms up side by side, as if you are asking for food. that is your plate. if what is on your dinner plate does not fit on you hand plate, put it in the box. most restaurants serve you 2-3 servings on one dish (except those ultra high class places that serve enough for for an elf).
  • ImMiranda
    ImMiranda Posts: 10
    Do a little research on the nutritional facts on your basic foods. Like chicken, beef, veggies, fruits.. etc.. And also what difference it makes on how you cook it. For example.. grilled chicken is MUCH healtier than fried chicken. That way when you're looking at a menu, you can see how it's cooked and have a pretty good idea of what you're getting into! :) Even ask how something is cooked if the menu doesnt explain it enough. Ask what kinds of oil.. olive, veggy oil.. that type of thing makes a difference as well.

    Dunno if that will work for you, but maybe it gave u a good idea!!!!
  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
    beware of cheese and cream sauces, also pasta dishes can contain a lot of extra oil, so read the descriptions of the dish and ask if they can be made with less oil. Order your dressings on the side so you can control how much you use. Try to remember portion sizes when ordering rice or pasta, it's 1/2 cup cooked for rice and about a cup cooked for pasta, so that can add up fast. Also, as you already know avoid the fried stuff. You live in a great area for natural eateries and vegetarian restaurants, which tend to be lower in fat and contain healthier ingredients, so keep those kinds of places in mind. Also, Mediterranean food tends to be healthier, just keep the oils and dressing in mind when you order. Grilled is usually a good choice for food instead of fried or sauteed
  • jillcwhite
    jillcwhite Posts: 181 Member
    I go online and figure out the calories of the meals at the restaurant. Then I decide what I am ordering and how many calories I want to give myself for that meal. That helps me stay away from the bread basket & dessert. (Red Lobster Biscuits) Once you have decided at home you can then relax and enjoy your meal out. Educating yourself on the calories at restaurants is powerful.
  • Ang8178
    Ang8178 Posts: 308
    If I can't find that restaurant I just try to find something close for the nutrition facts. I'm always sceptical when I see food on a menu. Such as steamed broccoli, almost everytime I get it there's some type of oil or butter on it I can taste or see. I'd think being in a city like that though you'd be able to find some healthy choices on a menu. Good luck.
  • DZKathryn
    DZKathryn Posts: 5
    Don't be afraid to ask. I know I sometimes feel self conscious asking a server information about food ( I still have a lot of weight to loose before I feel good), but when I think about it, I would rather ask than eat a calorie bomb. Also, ask friends and family before you go, they may have good restaurant recomendations and you can inquire about the menu before you even get there.

    Another tip I usually use for restaurants is if something on the menu is something I would never think of making at home because of calorie issues (fried chicken and waffles for example) I usually try to avoid it at restaurants.
  • angela75022
    angela75022 Posts: 100 Member
    You can always just ask them if they have nutritional information... if not, just be aware of what and HOW you order. Tell them NO salt, you can add your own... sauces on the side, what kind of oil do they use? Most places know that ppl are trying to watch what they eat, so the way I look at it... if they're not willing to accomdate our needs... we don't need to eat there. I've given up 3 of my favourite places. My health is more important, and so is YOURS!!:drinker:
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
    Always ask for sauces/dressings on the side! Most restaurants will give steamed veggies as a side dish, so that's an easy way to cut calories. The idea about the to-go box in a previous reply is great...you can usually put almost half of the meal in the box and still walk out feeling full. I use the MFP ipod touch app...it's always ready to tell me how many calories something has--such a great tool when I'm out!
  • jilliam
    jilliam Posts: 3
    Always ask for sauces/dressings on the side! Most restaurants will give steamed veggies as a side dish, so that's an easy way to cut calories. The idea about the to-go box in a previous reply is great...you can usually put almost half of the meal in the box and still walk out feeling full. I use the MFP ipod touch app...it's always ready to tell me how many calories something has--such a great tool when I'm out!

    Right on, I have this appt on my iphone. I wish there was more food in the system. I will DEFINITELY start using the "to-go" box idea from now on.
    Thanks to ALL for the wonderful tips. Im still quite a way from my ideal/confortable weight....I have the work-out part down (M-F 1hr ea day), now I just have to combat it with the food/diet part.
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