Working in a Resturant!!

1knowright
1knowright Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
HELPP!!

Okay, So I'm a waitress, I find that it's hard to eat healthy when I'm working 5 days a week, for 6 - 8 hours. I'm running around, and usually only can eat my dinner standing up cause I'm busy. My bar menu is typical deep fried bar food. We do have salads, but the typical, caesar, house and greek salads which aren't always that best for you, they do have those extra calories hidden in there. I can ask the cooks to make me anything, on or off the menu, but I'm just not that creative when it comes to thinking of healthy dinner choices, when I can pick chicken fingers and fries (my FAV!!) Could anyone please help me come up with some healthy dinner ideas while i'm at work, that will give me the energy I need and that satisfaction to stay full.


Thankss

XO

Replies

  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    Bring your own food from home?

    You will know the portions and ingredients.
  • sarkrisd
    sarkrisd Posts: 60 Member
    I cook at a restaurant, so I know how you feel. Can you have them grill up some chicken breast and make you a wrap? Or make your own salads with the grilled chicken? Do you have soup? Roast beef sands on wheat bread with Swiss cheese is low-cal. What is available to you? I can try to help you come up with some stuff.
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
    Grilled chicken with salad (top with red onion, tomato, olives, anything you fancy), no dressing and some fruit after?
  • Owligator
    Owligator Posts: 14 Member
    I'm a server as well so I get the long hours and temptations. I've started looking up my restaurants nutritional info before I order food after my shift. It's surprising how many calories are in the food ! I've brought my own salad before and just got a side of fruit and some grills chicken. Easier said then done though. Just try to do your best and if you cheat one day don't beat yourself up about it, nobodies perfect!
  • xRiverX
    xRiverX Posts: 149 Member
    Hi I would work out a 400-500 cal sandwich and would drink plenty of carbonated water with Lemon and Lime.Breakfast I would make a 2 fried egg and 2 rash bacon(rapeseed oil) with some beans I prefer Blackbeans in water with Tabasco but most beans are goooood! I would drink green tea.

    so thats about 900 cals there you have X for snacks and x for Dinner,but to fill you and get your metabolism going strong is the water :wink:

    Hope this helps
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    Have them make you a spinach salad with balsamic vinegar as the dressing, whatever veggies you like, and add grilled chicken. Maybe add some avocado or walnuts if you need it to hold you over for several hours.
  • 1knowright
    1knowright Posts: 18 Member
    I can definitely bring my own food, im just sometimes in a rush and won't eat before my shift, then half way through i'm starving and ordering crap.
    we do have soup but i talk to to the cook and a lot of the time it is made with cream, so i'll automatically skip that. I feel my best option is grilled chicken on a salad, it's just hard cause that will get boring after awhile.
    We have open faced corn beef sandwiches, and turkey avocado club sandwiches as well, I know the turkey avo club is probably health, what about corn beef though?

    Thanks for all your input, I really appreciate it. It is definitely hard when you're serving people who are ordering nachos and burgers and fries and you can get any of that for free, and you're trying to stay on track.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    I got so sick of the food when I worked at Outback Steakhouse. Customers would say, "I'll bet you eat the Bloomin' Onion all day working here. It's so good!" Of course I would say yes, but in reality I wouldn't touch that crap with a 10 foot pole. It has a billion calories! Lol.
  • danceswithsparkles
    danceswithsparkles Posts: 1
    Do you have access to a microwave at work? If you do, you can bring your own food from home by making a week or two's worth of meals, freezing them, and grabbing one on your way out the door in the morning. It's what I do, and I work about 60 hours a week between two jobs, one at a restaurant.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    stop thinking in terms of "healthy" and "unhealthy" and more in terms of how many calories each of your choices has.

    if something is really calorie dense and isn't going to fill you up, then you probably want to avoid that most of the time. but that doesn't make it "unhealthy". it just makes it something that you want to save for an occasional treat.

    once you understand your daily calorie allowance, it's not hard to budget your meals outside of work so that you can fit in occasional meals at work that break up the boredom of eating chicken every day.
  • xRiverX
    xRiverX Posts: 149 Member

    Thanks for all your input, I really appreciate it. It is definitely hard when you're serving people who are ordering nachos and burgers and fries and you can get any of that for free, and you're trying to stay on track.

    Its easy let me tell you how. One day when you are really hungry eat as much off that menu as until you are sick,then,eat some more force it down so you cant bare any more.The next day your brain with reprogram its self to not want anything off that menu for at least a month and will want to make your own dinners it works.I too use to work in a fish and chip shop Chinese take-away.
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
    I was a waitress at a pizza place, it was tough. I would end up doing a small or medium salad (extra veg) with a garlic breakstick for lunch or for dinner I'd do a simple extra large slice of plain cheese pizza (with a mess of veggies when I wanted something different). A lot of the things you listed sound delicious, just consider your portions and the amount of cals in each choice. Don't be afraid to change things up, salad will get boring after awhile.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I work in a restaurant, too. I just fast during my shifts. I sometimes have a protein bar or a non-alcoholic beer (I bar tend, sometimes the customers like to buy me a "drink") but I don't order anything from the kitchen as a rule for staying healthy in this industry.

    As a waitress you may be required to sample the foods as part of your job. Just take one bite, and toss the rest. That way you'll know how to describe the dish to your customers, without totally blowing your health and fitness efforts.

    Before I head to work, I eat 800-1000 calories. This will have me feeling stuffed through most of my shift. If I do feel hungry I have a protein bar on hand. Or I bring a piece of fruit and leave it in my locker.

    It's just easier to play a game and have some water on your break since you never know when you'll be able to take a few minutes away from the dining room. Always have a healthy meal planned for after work. I find I'm pretty darn hungry when I get done, so I try to have some healthy snacks available the moment I walk in the door. Pre-cut veggies and greek yogurt dip is perfect to munch on while I cook my dinner.
  • lovebig30
    lovebig30 Posts: 167 Member
    when iam busy at work iam a manager at a pizza place and don't have time to it a meal I grab baby bell chesse, protein bar, meal replacement bar, or a piece of fruit and nuts. drink lots of water and eat a healthy meal before work if you can I work usually 10 am to 8pm. so mornings I grab a protein shake before woek so I can get done with lunch rush before iam hurgry again. I take veggies and hummus a lot to eat. sandwich's I use thin sandwich bread 100 call lean lunch meat slice of cheese and maybe mustard or horseradish I like a little spice.
  • enchantedgardener
    enchantedgardener Posts: 214 Member
    I cook in a restaurant, so I know how difficult it can be. It's so easy to grab a handful of fries at any time of the day/night, but the calories (high) and nutrition (low) just don't justify eating them.

    Sandwiches are generally a healthy choice if you: choose whole wheat breads, replace mayo with mustard or bbq sauce, avoid cheese, and pile on the veggies. Choose a side salad or a broth-based soup instead of fries.

    I bring my food to work often even though I do have free meals. I'll usually bring some cooked veggies, beans, and fruit. I'll grill myself a couple chicken breasts, a fillet of salmon, a 5 oz steak, or a couple shrimp and eat that with my veggies or a salad.

    Even when you don't have much time, bring a few healthy 'snacks' like raw veggies and hummus. Or, bring different protein choices to go with your salad, like boiled eggs, chickpeas, canned tuna; and bring your own lower-fat dressing or make a simple vinaigrette.

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