Going out to eat with <1000 kCal to spare

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aneedell
aneedell Posts: 46 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone have good suggestions about how to order at a decent restaurant when you've eaten reasonably all day, exercised and therefore still have a balance of 800-1000 (or even a little more) calories left to consume and still meet your daily goal?

I know, avoid the bread and olive oil served as a warm-up and limit the wine to a single glass. Any good choices on an Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, or g-d forbid even a French menu? Anyone ever dine responsibly at an Ethiopian Restaurant? Do you limit how much of the too large servings you eat and take leftovers home? Do you ask for no sauces (or sauces on the side)?

Or do you just go over and forget about it?

Replies

  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    No bread.
    Ask for a takeout box as soon as your entree is served.
    Try sandwiches w/o buns/bread.
    Sauces always on the side.
    Fill up on non-buttered veggie sides.
  • meaningful99
    meaningful99 Posts: 174
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    You might choose pasta with red sauce for Italian, baked chicken and potatoes or lentil soup and salad at a Greek place, baked fish topped with tomatoes at most places... I don't think you can eat Mexican for less than 800 calories - maybe chicken tacos. Good luck!
  • LoraleiDean
    LoraleiDean Posts: 100
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    I'm heading out to Earl's tonight and went online to check out the menu. According to their website, I can safely order the Southwestern Chicken Salad - with dressing - and come in under 950 kcal.
    I just may be able to enjoy a glass of wine, too!
    The web is a wonderful tool!
  • aneedell
    aneedell Posts: 46 Member
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    I'm heading out to Earl's tonight and went online to check out the menu. According to their website, I can safely order the Southwestern Chicken Salad - with dressing - and come in under 950 kcal.
    I just may be able to enjoy a glass of wine, too!

    Have a great dinner!
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    First, we eat at a lot of local restaurants that don't over serve.

    Second, I minimize grains in my order. At Asian restaurants, I might accept the rice, but try to guesstimate half a cup. At Italian restaurants, I only order pasta as a side dish and again guestimate half a cup.

    No matter where I go, the main stay of my meal is veggies and lean protein, just like home.

    I rarely follow it, but I have also seen advice to order whatever you want and only eat half.
  • LoraleiDean
    LoraleiDean Posts: 100
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    I'm heading out to Earl's tonight and went online to check out the menu. According to their website, I can safely order the Southwestern Chicken Salad - with dressing - and come in under 950 kcal.
    I just may be able to enjoy a glass of wine, too!

    Have a great dinner!

    Thank you, kind sir!
    I'm meeting up with a bunch of HS girlfriends that I haven't seen in 30 years - could be interesting...
    I hope you get your question answered to your satisfaction.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
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    Or do you just go over and forget about it?

    This! I'm going out for Korean food on Monday and I'm just gonna order a plate of food and eat it. And my share of the little plates of banchan (side dishes) too. I've been dieting for a month and it's time for a cheat meal.

    As for your choices...

    Italian - stay away from creamy sauces and stay with the red stuff and you should be alright..
    Mediterranean/African - Usually this is pretty healthy. Grilled lean meats, spiced veggies, garbanzos, olive oil, garlic...I'd just order something yummy and splurge a bit.
    Mexican - Keep the cheese, guac, chips and sour cream to reasonable levels and you should be fine.
    French - They only give you 3 artfully arranged pea pods and a bite each of potato and meat, don't they? And some really salty sauce on top? Bleah.
  • aneedell
    aneedell Posts: 46 Member
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    Or do you just go over and forget about it?


    French - They only give you 3 artfully arranged pea pods and a bite each of potato and meat, don't they? And some really salty sauce on top? Bleah.

    Ha! I'm craving "Moules Marinière (Steamed Mussels) Try Google. Looks like I can have a double order AND a glass of wine!
  • nsagley
    nsagley Posts: 84 Member
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    At mexican restaurants I order a chicken taco salad with no sour cream and just eat the salad not the bowl. Or chicken fajitas with no tortillas and no sour cream.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    Or do you just go over and forget about it?


    French - They only give you 3 artfully arranged pea pods and a bite each of potato and meat, don't they? And some really salty sauce on top? Bleah.

    Ha! I'm craving "Moules Marinière (Steamed Mussels) Try Google. Looks like I can have a double order AND a glass of wine!

    I was going to do the same thing, but checked the menu online, and yes MFP was correct that a serving of steamed mussels appetizer at Legal Seafoods is 960 calories! So I went for the tuna burger instead. I might as well enjoy the 1200 calories in it! I did pair it with steamed broccoli instead of the French fries.
  • aneedell
    aneedell Posts: 46 Member
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    OK. Here's how I am recording my French dinner. 3 of us shared one appetizer, and I had the Moules Marinieres.

    Le Grenier Dc - BouchéE à La Reine, 0.33 appetizer 152 Cal.
    Moules Mariniere With Pomme Frites, 1/2 kilo with 1 bowl 650 Cal.
    Drink - Wine - White, Sauvignon Blanc 11-12%, 6 oz 97 Cal.

    That's 899 kCal total (which I am sure is an underestimate). I am going to call it an even 1000 and say I met my dialy goal (with fingers crossed).
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
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    The Legal Seafood stats for their mussel appetizer must include the bread they serve with it and a whole lot of oil or butter, because the USDA entry for a cup of raw mussels is only 130 calories. Yeah, you'll want them with some butter or olive oil, garlic, wine and herbs, and some kind of starrch to enjoy some of the pot liquor ... but there is a LOT of room there for lily-gilding...
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    The Legal Seafood stats for their mussel appetizer must include the bread they serve with it and a whole lot of oil or butter, because the USDA entry for a cup of raw mussels is only 130 calories. Yeah, you'll want them with some butter or olive oil, garlic, wine and herbs, and some kind of starrch to enjoy some of the pot liquor ... but there is a LOT of room there for lily-gilding...

    Nope, that's the calories for the dish. I checked the menu for the NY locations where they are required to write it and was shocked. I had chosen many entrees in previous visits because I thought they were lower in calories than others, but the opposite was true. I was prompted to look at the menu because the MFP listings seemed extremely high, but they were accurate.
  • aneedell
    aneedell Posts: 46 Member
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    But look at this: http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/calories-in/moules-marinière-steamed-mussels.asp

    I'm with savithny.
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,031 Member
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    French sounds lovely. I don't worry too much if eating out at a fancy restaurant as it is not worth going out if you are only going to eat salad! I do avoid bread and maybe creamy sauces but a good piece of meat, lamb/chicken breast/steak with veg will always go down well and not be too high on the calories stakes. Lots of lower cal starters too including soups, skewers, prawns etc.. I think portion sizes are a little smaller in the uk though so that helps
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
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    The Legal Seafood stats for their mussel appetizer must include the bread they serve with it and a whole lot of oil or butter, because the USDA entry for a cup of raw mussels is only 130 calories. Yeah, you'll want them with some butter or olive oil, garlic, wine and herbs, and some kind of starrch to enjoy some of the pot liquor ... but there is a LOT of room there for lily-gilding...

    Nope, that's the calories for the dish. I checked the menu for the NY locations where they are required to write it and was shocked. I had chosen many entrees in previous visits because I thought they were lower in calories than others, but the opposite was true. I was prompted to look at the menu because the MFP listings seemed extremely high, but they were accurate.

    I think that the restaurant totals are often "as it is served." It took me awhile and a bunch of digging online to figure out that the count for a burger at Friendly's includes the side of fries, for example. So if the dish is always served with a basket of bread, the count will include the whole basket...

    The mussels themselves are nearly pure protein, so it has to include a whole lot of *something* else to get up there.
  • AzaleaGirl
    AzaleaGirl Posts: 13 Member
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    You might choose pasta with red sauce for Italian, baked chicken and potatoes or lentil soup and salad at a Greek place, baked fish topped with tomatoes at most places... I don't think you can eat Mexican for less than 800 calories - maybe chicken tacos. Good luck!

    For mexican - fajitas, taco salad, enchillada soup, chicken sinaloa

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