For those of you who eat out...how do you record calories?

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    Chain restaurants often will be listed in the data base. If not, find a similar item or log the components as best you can.

    I do always log something because that will at least get me in the ballpark.

    Regardless, think of how much better you are doing just by logging something!! After all, if you are like me, before I started here I would have eaten the restaurant food with abandon, and even ordered appetizers and dessert. And then gone home and eaten more. . . .
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Chain restaurants often will be listed in the data base. If not, find a similar item or log the components as best you can.

    I do always log something because that will at least get me in the ballpark.

    Regardless, think of how much better you are doing just by logging something!! After all, if you are like me, before I started here I would have eaten the restaurant food with abandon, and even ordered appetizers and dessert. And then gone home and eaten more. . . .

    And if you limit it to only once every few months, you can get away with doing exactly that and it would not affect your goals in any way.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    More often than not, I choose my restaurants based on whether their nutritional information is readily available. It's nice that all fast food chains here have to have their calorie information available, but that really should be a requirement for ALL restaurant chains. I don't know why sit-down restaurant chains are excluded from this requirement. Surely it doesn't take that much effort for them to do; a recipe calculator like MFP's would be all they need and it takes minutes to calculate it.
  • BlackStarlight
    BlackStarlight Posts: 554 Member
    If the restaurant doesn't have a website that I can input the correct numbers, best guess is what I am left with. Once you have been tracking for a while, you will get a better feel for what is true. When I really have no idea and there is more than one item in the database that is similar, I just put in the one with the higher calories (if I am choosing b/t two items) or the one in the middle (if I am chooing from more than two). I never choose the one with the least calories.

    This xxx
  • smarionette
    smarionette Posts: 260 Member
    You know that the server can tell you how many ounces of a particular thing are on the plate right? Or they can at least ask the chef. Restaurants are businesses, and they have to track inventory like every other business. They are NOT out to sabotage you and put 3x more food on a plate than they have to, and if you simply ask you can often get the information you need. You can also do things like ask for any sauce to be on the side, ask for a double portion of veg over starches etc.

    You don't understand the food service industry. None of the wait staff know, and the cooks don't care. When I've asked, they just shrug their shoulders, and make something up. I know they're lying. I can tell that they have no idea. Sure, the chef can tell you the salmon is 6oz, but I can see that. They also have no concept of a serving. Have you seen what most chefs look like? They love food, and butter, and all that. They don't care about one serving of mashed potatoes. Nor, do they care to tell you exactly what's in it.

    They are deceptive, and it is intentional.

    And the aliens are out to get you too...

    I actually know several people in the industry, friends and family, and contrary to what you think they aren't obese slobs. Say it with me "A restaurant is a business." Are portions given at restaurants bigger than what is recommended? Yes. Should you know what a serving of mashed potatoes looks like? Yes. Will people make an effort to get you information if you ask politely? Yes. Demonizing an industry is just silly.
  • karijoeide
    karijoeide Posts: 103
    If I know that I will be going out to eat, I will usually pre-plan my meal by looking up the nutritional value of what I am having before I even get to the restaurant. Nothing to decide once I get there....no surprises :)
  • kroonha
    kroonha Posts: 102 Member
    I tend to go for the veggie/salad meals anyway in a restaurant so I add the ingredients that I know, then additional calories for oil/salad dressing etc and overestimate the calories. If I know I"m eating dinner out, I have a light breakfast and lunch, or plan my meals accordingly.
  • gabbygirl78
    gabbygirl78 Posts: 936 Member
    Most large chains have a nutrition info page on their website but when I eat at a place that does not I either go to another website with similar menu items and use that info or I just guess at it.. sometimes I don't even log it but that's not frequently.
  • calliekitten9
    calliekitten9 Posts: 148 Member
    Thanks everyone. I am going to J. Gilberts with my family this Saturday to celebrate my birthday and although I can't find anything in MFP or online....it appears to be very similiar to Ruth Chris so I'll just use those entries and adjust accordingly.
  • Amberlynnek
    Amberlynnek Posts: 405 Member
    If you cannot find any info in the database or online, try steering your friends to towards restaurants that have that information readily available. If that does not work, ask for a very basic meal plain chicken or fish, steamed veggies and rice or some type of grain if they have it and just claim to have an "allergy." that way you at least don't have to account for mystery sauces or anything and its easy to track. Every restaurant can make some form of this basic entree. I know its not very fun but at least it will keep you where you need to be.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I guess on the high side. That's why I try to stick to chains, lol, it's a bit of a pain. But one day is not going to make much of a difference anyway... Heck, even chains, you never know how accurate their claims are (like that 6oz steak and broccoli from Chili's at 250 calories... yeahno!).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    So I tend to eat out with friends often...some places have calories listed...but others do not. I can "sometimes" find the restaurant and item in the MFP database...but more often I cannot. So I oftentimes have to put in components or the "closest item" that I can find. However that means that those entries are best guesses at best for calories. I am wondering how others handlle that...do you leave extra calories remaining to account for an estimate?

    As others have stated, you just have to do your best and use something similar from the data base if a restaurant doesn't post nutritional info. I personally don't eat at chains so I always just have to make it my best guess. That said, I don't eat out that much anymore...while it is highly enjoyable, I found it difficult to lose due to inaccuracies even for those restaurants that did post nutritional information. I figure keeping this to a minimum can't do too much damage even if I miss on my estimates and it has resulted in my dining experiences being much more special when I go out.

    I can't remember what it is exactly but restaurants are allowed quite a bit of leeway in their calorie estimations due to the fact that you just have some line cook back there slapping stuff together...they're not sitting their weighing out exactly 30 grams of this and 85 grams of that...their pretty much slapping food on your plate as fast as they can for good service. Also keep in mind that restaurant portions are on average about double the recommended portions and they usually use a lot of oils for flavor...a typical restaurant meal easily runs 800 - 1000 calories if you eat the whole thing.
  • sassypants0923
    sassypants0923 Posts: 7,188 Member
    Just put "Way too freakin' much"
  • Crymoarfatty
    Crymoarfatty Posts: 13
    Like are they in the restaurant weighing out every drop of dressing, or measuring the extra cheese they get ? When I go out to eat with family, I am trying to enjoy myself. Like If I went to olive garden for example, I am not going to be like "Ok I ate 1/3 the salad, and 2 and a half bread sticks, there was some extra cheese on my lasagna lets add that in, oh and the appetizer, let me just look that up and do the math while we sit here eating". Yeah you can go to the website and find the MAIN dish, if that is all you eat, But when they put cheese on the top or THEY decide how much dressing goes on the salad, its really up in the air.
  • Crymoarfatty
    Crymoarfatty Posts: 13
    So I tend to eat out with friends often...some places have calories listed...but others do not. I can "sometimes" find the restaurant and item in the MFP database...but more often I cannot. So I oftentimes have to put in components or the "closest item" that I can find. However that means that those entries are best guesses at best for calories. I am wondering how others handlle that...do you leave extra calories remaining to account for an estimate?

    As others have stated, you just have to do your best and use something similar from the data base if a restaurant doesn't post nutritional info. I personally don't eat at chains so I always just have to make it my best guess. That said, I don't eat out that much anymore...while it is highly enjoyable, I found it difficult to lose due to inaccuracies even for those restaurants that did post nutritional information. I figure keeping this to a minimum can't do too much damage even if I miss on my estimates and it has resulted in my dining experiences being much more special when I go out.

    I can't remember what it is exactly but restaurants are allowed quite a bit of leeway in their calorie estimations due to the fact that you just have some line cook back there slapping stuff together...they're not sitting their weighing out exactly 30 grams of this and 85 grams of that...their pretty much slapping food on your plate as fast as they can for good service. Also keep in mind that restaurant portions are on average about double the recommended portions and they usually use a lot of oils for flavor...a typical restaurant meal easily runs 800 - 1000 calories if you eat the whole thing.

    The calories listed at most places don't include half the crap. Like fast food places, wont count the cheese or condiments when they say the calories. Like when I go to subway, the calories listed are for a bare minimum sandwich NO cheese or sauces on PLAIN bread. People dont realize those calories are not included, your 400 calorie footlong goes to 800 calories when you put everything on it you like.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
    I eat sashimi a lot. and some basic sushi rolls. They are fairly easy to calculate. At other types of restaurants, I try to eat things I can easily identify the ingredience--like a side salad (dressing on the side) with a hamburger patty (no oils, etc). or plain salmon. I have to eyeball the serving size and assume most restaurants are going to over do it on portion size. I stay away from soups, pastas, and sandwiches.
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
    I just choose the closest thing possible, and sometimes add "quick added calories" and just go with it. One day of going over or whatever won't ruin your diet.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    So I tend to eat out with friends often...some places have calories listed...but others do not. I can "sometimes" find the restaurant and item in the MFP database...but more often I cannot. So I oftentimes have to put in components or the "closest item" that I can find. However that means that those entries are best guesses at best for calories. I am wondering how others handlle that...do you leave extra calories remaining to account for an estimate?

    That's basically what I do. Sometimes I'll put in the ingredients as best estimated... 8oz chicken breast, bread crumbs, olive oil, spaghetti sauce, cheese = chicken parm, that kind of thing. I'll often add it a bunch of extra fat (usually through extra oil as it's the easiest) since restaurant foods are generally higher in fats than non-restaurant dishes.

    But ultimately, everything we do is a guess. Estimate it as best you can and move along.
    Yup, this.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    Please keep in mind, cals posted for chains are per serving, not for the entire meal. What the serve you is probably a serving of 3 or something. Be careful. It's tricky.

    But, to answer your question, I just guess. I had Peruvian food yesterday for lunch because my boss lost a bet. So, he bought. So, I just totally guessed. How would you possibly figure out Peruvian food?

    The same way you would figure out any other food? Break it down (mentally) into its components, estimate how much of each component there was, make sure you account for sauces and cooking fat,, don't skimp on your estimates, and log.

    I appreciate that. I wasn't sure how to do that. Thanks so much. I'm new at this, and i was confused.


    I'm glad it was helpful. Don't let the food confuse you. That's part of its strategy. Once it has you distracted by the confusion, it sneaks up and jumps on your hips or other "problem areas." :wink:
  • ericasb83
    ericasb83 Posts: 6 Member
    this guy wins.

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  • ericasb83
    ericasb83 Posts: 6 Member
    Doesn't burn many calories, but the wife sure enjoys it
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    You know that the server can tell you how many ounces of a particular thing are on the plate right? Or they can at least ask the chef. Restaurants are businesses, and they have to track inventory like every other business. They are NOT out to sabotage you and put 3x more food on a plate than they have to, and if you simply ask you can often get the information you need. You can also do things like ask for any sauce to be on the side, ask for a double portion of veg over starches etc.

    You may be able to get this info from a chain, but I think you'll find that trying to go into eating at a smaller, single-location, perhaps family-owned place is different entirely (in regards to the first part, anyway).

    I do it all the time at all manner of places and I don't eat at chains. Let's face it, you can't run a business if you can't track your inventory. Sure I've gotten some funny looks but very rarely have I never got an answer.

    It's going to come down to whether the server really cares to check. It doesn't take any knowledge at all to give an answer. Some will know, some will check, some will just give any answer that will let them get on with their job.
  • Samenamenewlook
    Samenamenewlook Posts: 296 Member
    So I tend to eat out with friends often...some places have calories listed...but others do not. I can "sometimes" find the restaurant and item in the MFP database...but more often I cannot. So I oftentimes have to put in components or the "closest item" that I can find. However that means that those entries are best guesses at best for calories. I am wondering how others handlle that...do you leave extra calories remaining to account for an estimate?

    I do my best to plan ahead by looking at the website before I go. Then I can record it ahead of time and not worry once I get there.
  • ghimm
    ghimm Posts: 38 Member
    Often I'll look up what seems similar in the database and pick the one with the highest calorie count, just to be safe.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Here, often it says on the menu somewhere in small print that detailed nutritional information is available upon request... some of the wait staff think it's weird that they have to bring out the lovely laminated sheet with nutritional breakdowns on it out to you, but most seem to understand that we really are a health-conscious society. Most wait staff I've had in restaurants are very understanding about it. (and if they're not or the information isn't available, fat chance I'm ever going back)
  • IPAkiller
    IPAkiller Posts: 711 Member
    Nutritional facts are on the other side of the bottle...
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  • lambchristie
    lambchristie Posts: 552 Member
    Same as you do. Not much else you can do.

    I just found out in CALI that it is no longer 'law' to have calorie info on menus (it use to have to be there on chain style restaurant menus) ... so that is really annoying.

    Just go with the flow ... select an item that is closest to what you ate ... and if you feel it is 'under' the calorie than add a few 'quick add calories' to your diary.

    Best of luck!
  • Levesque_7
    Levesque_7 Posts: 104
    this has probably already been said but i look online to see if they have a website and check out the nutrition facts. Sometimes you may have to do a web search if they dont have a website, although most do these days.

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