Counting Calories when at a Restaurant

LynneLaird425
LynneLaird425 Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All

I am new to this, I am going out for my dinner tonight and the restaurant does not have any nutritional information on their website or menus.

What is the best way to add your meal to your daily intake? Do you just take a guess and add it all bit by bit (ie Chicken, potatos, salad, sauce etc)

Thanks

Lynne

Replies

  • chokeslam512
    chokeslam512 Posts: 78 Member
    Hello,here's what I do. Before you go out, look at the menu and know what your having ahead of time, I find this really helps. Also, look at a measuring cup and a tablespoon and visualize how much it is. If you have been weighing your food at home, you should have a pretty good idea about what 4 oz of meat looks like. I pretty much dissect the whole dinner into portions, divide out what one portion is and only eat that, then take the rest home.

    Also, don't worry! If you are a little off, it's fine. Tomorrow is another day!
  • LynneLaird425
    LynneLaird425 Posts: 2
    Thank you - I have looked online at the menu and I have a good idea what I am going to have!!
    Will note all I eat down and hopefully try and add up all my cals etc when I get home!!

    L
  • tirawi
    tirawi Posts: 8 Member
    For a lot of the bigger restaurants (Olive Garden, McDonalds, Chilis, etc.) you can find it by searching for what you'll be having online. Smaller ones, I just give it my best guestimate by looking at similar foods from different places and go from there.

    Chokeslam512 had good tips too.
  • karette74
    karette74 Posts: 1 Member
    someone once told me to take a pic of the food before eating it to help you in jotting stuff down later. the best you can really do is guestimate.
  • raegan1215
    raegan1215 Posts: 89
    i also always pick what i'm going to eat ahead of time and generally log it ingredient by ingredient as well. don't forget to add in oil it was probably cooked in, sauces etc. and typically i only eat half of what i order and bring the other half home (or let my hubby eat it!) good luck!
  • chokeslam512
    chokeslam512 Posts: 78 Member
    someone once told me to take a pic of the food before eating it to help you in jotting stuff down later. the best you can really do is guestimate.

    Finally instagram has a practical purpose ;)
  • peter821
    peter821 Posts: 14 Member
    I break out the meal ingredients and enter one by one. For example a bacon cheeseburger,

    1/4 80/20 Beef
    1 KAISER roll
    1 oz Cheddar
    2 oz Bacon

    Also, you may want to add nice double serving of butter or oil, because restaurants like to make their food taste good.
  • mudbugs07
    mudbugs07 Posts: 28 Member
    Go and get the unified lifestyles restaurant app for your phone and you can pull it up it is eye opening. It makes me avoid eating out. The app breaks down most chain restaurants food with a calorie value.
  • sr_maggie
    sr_maggie Posts: 19 Member
    I break out the meal ingredients and enter one by one. For example a bacon cheeseburger,

    1/4 80/20 Beef
    1 KAISER roll
    1 oz Cheddar
    2 oz Bacon

    Also, you may want to add nice double serving of butter or oil, because restaurants like to make their food taste good.

    ^ This is what I do! ^

    You can start a "template" before you go by adding the items you anticipate will be in your meal to your diary. , then adjust the quantities (or other add-ons you might not have anticipated) when it's sitting in front of you (it's easier to determine how much of it you can eat in that one setting before it gets cold. lol)

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