Eating out

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joseyk
joseyk Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
Okay so I have a dinner date with my girls on Friday and i dont wanna ruin my diet, what should i choose?

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  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    Salad with grilled chicken and light dressing on the side.
  • joseyk
    joseyk Posts: 7
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    its an italian restaurant, which is heavy with olive oil, wont the dressing me loaded with calories?
  • joseyk
    joseyk Posts: 7
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    what salad is the lowest in cals?
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    what salad is the lowest in cals?

    I would think some type of "house" salad would be lowest because that usually doesn't have cheese or things like that. Ask what kind of light or fat free dressings they have (most places have light italian or light vinegarette or something like that), and tell them you want it on the side. Then dip your fork into it instead of pouring it on the salad. You will notice that you end up eating so much less dressing than you thought you would.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    Depends on where you're going. If it's a chain restaurant (Applebees, Olive Garden, etc), they have their nutritional information online. Makes life a whole lot less complicated!
  • aubuysgirl
    aubuysgirl Posts: 23
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    if you go to olive garden you can ask for a different type of dressing and they will oblige you. Also opt for marinara sauces over alfredo if you do decide to go with choosing pasta.
  • oohnee1
    oohnee1 Posts: 34
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    If I dont know nutritional info I try and go for Balsamic or Italian for the dressing, and on the side.
  • jbogo1
    jbogo1 Posts: 28
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    I find that when i have a special meal planned, I try and eat extra well for the rest of the week, so i can splurge a little bit when i am out!

    Try and go for a salmon or chicken dish with veggies. Or any kind of salad. Ask for the dressing on the side!
  • gaaarp
    gaaarp Posts: 2
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    Check to see if the restaurant has its menu online, then look up menu items to find one that fits your diet. My wife is chronically ill, and I work full-time with an hour commute, so we get take-out a lot; and I've learned to look up menus and nutritional information before ordering. Even with eating out so much, I'm consistently losing weight!
  • Chenoachem
    Chenoachem Posts: 1,758 Member
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    Food at resteraunts can be really tricky. I had a half salad at California pizza kitchen that turned out to be over 600 calories. I would suggest picking a place ahead of time that has calories on line. Figure out what you want for your calorie goal and stick with it.

    Have fun. :flowerforyou:
  • ponyboy2
    ponyboy2 Posts: 1
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    You could buy idividual packets of low cal dressing and just use your own ,no big deal, light catalina reduced fat dressing is my favorite:) Good Luck
  • futuredispatchhottie911
    futuredispatchhottie911 Posts: 163
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    If it's olive garden they have a fat free italian dressing others might also.
  • a1schwei
    a1schwei Posts: 617 Member
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    another idea would be to get in a super awesome workout in the AM, eat a lighter lunch (good time for a homemade salad), not snack as much throughout the day, then get something yummy on the menu that looks good (i would however still avoid alfredo or super cheesy entrees)...but ask for a box when you order and put 1/2 of your entree in the box right away to eat for lunch the next day...that way you don't feel left out or like your diet is hindering you when you are with friends...i've found that i have been successful with losing weight with mfp because i don't completely deny myself the things that i want, i just eat in moderation and plan ahead a bit :)
  • jenncnd
    jenncnd Posts: 1
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    Italian food? Red sauce over white sauce. Also ask for whole wheat pasta. Try order grilled chicken without any sauce or sauce on side. Always order dressing on the side and eat more salad than regular meal.
  • efcdcdb
    efcdcdb Posts: 392 Member
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    another idea would be to get in a super awesome workout in the AM, eat a lighter lunch (good time for a homemade salad), not snack as much throughout the day, then get something yummy on the menu that looks good (i would however still avoid alfredo or super cheesy entrees)...but ask for a box when you order and put 1/2 of your entree in the box right away to eat for lunch the next day...that way you don't feel left out or like your diet is hindering you when you are with friends...i've found that i have been successful with losing weight with mfp because i don't completely deny myself the things that i want, i just eat in moderation and plan ahead a bit :)

    This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say. You still want to try to make good choices, but get something you want and will enjoy. The other thing is I always try to do my best to estimate what I ate and log it. We go to a lot of local restaurants that don't have nutritional info or websites. But I will enter whatever I had into the database here at MFP and come up with something I think is close. Even if I am off a bit, the accountability is what keeps me on track. Good luck!
  • badrianne
    badrianne Posts: 101
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    I find that when i have a special meal planned, I try and eat extra well for the rest of the week, so i can splurge a little bit when i am out!

    Try and go for a salmon or chicken dish with veggies. Or any kind of salad. Ask for the dressing on the side!

    The above is what I was going to say, but everyone was being so mindful I did not want to give poor advice, LOL! On days like this I make sure to exercise and eat very light during the day, before I go out. Kinda like banking my calories...also who wants to hang out with the girls and feel guilty about every morsel that you put in your mouth??
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    A tip for salads - ask for your dressing on the side, then instead of pouring it over your salad, just dip your fork in it and eat the salad that way. I usually use only 1/4 of the dressing restaurants give me - really saves on the calories from the dressing!
  • a1schwei
    a1schwei Posts: 617 Member
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    another idea would be to get in a super awesome workout in the AM, eat a lighter lunch (good time for a homemade salad), not snack as much throughout the day, then get something yummy on the menu that looks good (i would however still avoid alfredo or super cheesy entrees)...but ask for a box when you order and put 1/2 of your entree in the box right away to eat for lunch the next day...that way you don't feel left out or like your diet is hindering you when you are with friends...i've found that i have been successful with losing weight with mfp because i don't completely deny myself the things that i want, i just eat in moderation and plan ahead a bit :)

    This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say. You still want to try to make good choices, but get something you want and will enjoy. The other thing is I always try to do my best to estimate what I ate and log it. We go to a lot of local restaurants that don't have nutritional info or websites. But I will enter whatever I had into the database here at MFP and come up with something I think is close. Even if I am off a bit, the accountability is what keeps me on track. Good luck!

    i do the same thing with guesstimates about how many calories are in meals from local places :) i check out 2-3 that sound close to what i got and then pick the middle one...makes me feel better i am not the only one!
  • kirstendawn07
    kirstendawn07 Posts: 9
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    The only time I eat a salad when I eat out is if I'm craving it. Just because I am on a diet does not mean I cannot enjoy the foods I like from time to time. What works for me is exercising extra hard that day and eating a light lunch. If I am able to I will plan my meals by looking up the menu online. But usually if you take most meals (within reason) and cut them in half they are not that bad to eat for one night out. I have tried dieting so many times and when I deny myself things I enjoy, I fail. This time around I allow myself the enjoy my dinners out (otherwise what is the point of eating out). I am just smarter about my choices and portion sizes.

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