When dining out

sjokkebollefeita
sjokkebollefeita Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When dining out, how do you account that into your daily calories? Not every place has menus where they will tell you the calories in each meal, and I have been asking the restaurant, but they never know how many calories there are in the meal. How does everyone in here deal with this issue?

Replies

  • metulchik
    metulchik Posts: 59 Member
    it's really a "best guess" scenario. I try to find the closest thing to it in the database, and pick the one that has the highest calorie value because restaurant food tends to be calorie heavy.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Estimate/overestimate, as I do with almost every meal (I cant be bothered with scales).
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,216 Member
    By estimating. Use existing data as a guideline and go from there.
  • toshtip
    toshtip Posts: 14 Member
    OP ... I have this same concern.

    I will admit that this fear (of grossly underestimating my intake) has lead me to modify where I choose to eat. This is not as convenient, but I am still learning about estimating portions, food weights, etc. Fortunately there is a comprehensive data collective out there (MFR and other sites) that helps.
  • amanda_oc
    amanda_oc Posts: 39 Member
    I try to go to places that have calories on menu.... but not always possible, so at those times, I search the database for that thing, and find the nearest equivalant from another restaurant... if I see that a few restaurants have the same meal, unless I think I had a very small portion, I choose the restaurant listing that had the highest calories... just to be on the safe side.
  • sjokkebollefeita
    sjokkebollefeita Posts: 10 Member
    thank you for tips guys! I try to overestimate as well, but it is just really hard sometimes. Fortunately I don´t dine out too often, but I would like to be aware of my calories in any situation. Just learned that apparently even simple salads can contain an unimaginable amount of calories! So there is just no way of winning with dining out I think, lol
  • mortaleyez
    mortaleyez Posts: 11 Member
    Whenever I go out to eat, I always rely on MFP mobile app as a guideline. Most of the time, someone has already logged that mean in the system. If not? I'll go to the restaurant's website and review their nutrition guide. If it's a locally owned restaurant, then I try to break the meal down into each ingredient and add it that way. The former is obviously the easiest. :)
  • sbarella
    sbarella Posts: 713 Member
    I don't know about the US, but in my country choosing to go where I can find the calories on the menu/online basically means fast food chains. I'm all for IIFYM and I have nothing against eating "dirty foods" in moderation but since I'll have them in moderation they'd better be awesome.
    SInce I've started eating out less often I'd rather guesstimate a delicious plate than choosing a lower quality meal because I know how many calories there are in it. I'd rather eat a proper sandwich with fresh bread and high quality meat than a Big Mac just because the Big Mac has a nutritional label.
  • freemystery
    freemystery Posts: 184 Member
    I live in the UK where it's not really the norm to put calorie counts on menus. I have a few things I do to try and keep things under control:

    I try to order the most simple un-processed thing there is, usually something that's just protein and veggies as calorie counts are a little more consistent in those- when you start getting to pasta/ pizza/ curry etc you have no idea of the ingredients. I at least try to start with a choice that's easy to break down and analyze.

    I am somebody who is quite diligent about weighing/ measuring portions when I make food at home so I have a rough idea what 200g chicken breast/ 100g broccoli looks like. I can have a go at breaking down what is on my plate this way.

    NO SAUCES- in the past these have been my blind spot. Realizing that the gorgeous silky hollandaise is a good proportion of my cals for the whole meal was a wake up call. If I absolutely must have a sauce it should be separate from the meal so I can control how much I eat!

    Skip the bits that you need to. Unfortunately these are the best bits for me, so that lovely crispy roast potato or the creamy sauce, the stuff you KNOW is trouble.

    It's not an exact science but it's working for me!
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    I break the food down per item. So meat I find and enter separately, also any side etc. Plus I account for any gravy, condiments I may use and drinks.

    It's a bit tedious and not 100%, but can be done. You can bring a portable scale with you, some people do. Personally I am not too comfortable with that in public but hey, why not. I also ask restaurants to go easy on the butter/oil, if I have a salad I ask for the dressing on the side as well as any sauces. basically try to make the dish as simple as possible so I can log it.
  • TwoPointZero
    TwoPointZero Posts: 187 Member
    While at dinner, I guess. Then, after the fact, I enter it and really pay attention to what the actual calories were, i.e., I get a bit of feedback on my guess. Then, the next time I eat that thing, or something similar, I have a much better idea what the calories are . . . I personally find this "guess/feedback/better guess" loop really useful! :)

    Cheers.
  • SephiraRose
    SephiraRose Posts: 766 Member
    It's definitely easier when you dine at restaurants with NV info on their web sites. If not available, like all the others replied, I order items I can easily calculate the calories for and avoid sauces or gravies as well. At home I always weigh my food so after a short bit you can really judge portions and weights. Good luck, enjoy those dining out occasions.
  • cafetieres
    cafetieres Posts: 1
    I just enter the closest thing I can find and try to overestimate a bit. I'm in this for life so I can't just stop eating at restaurants. Mostly, I am focused on consistently stopping eating when I'm not hungry and making sure to get a hearty helping of veg in what I order. Then I get back in the game the next day.
  • prettygirlstorm1
    prettygirlstorm1 Posts: 721 Member
    It may help to look up the restaurant on the web before you go out. You can usually find the nutritional facts for just about every big restaurant i.e Olive Garden, Red Lobster etc. as well as some popular small ones. The MFP database is also a good source. When in doubt overestimate then do a little more exercise!!!
  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
    When dining out, how do you account that into your daily calories? Not every place has menus where they will tell you the calories in each meal, and I have been asking the restaurant, but they never know how many calories there are in the meal. How does everyone in here deal with this issue?

    The vast majority of chain restaurants have their nutritional data online somewhere. For local, independent eateries (where the food is largely house-made, from scratch) if you're familiar with cooking yourself, you can "guesstimate". At least, that's what I do. My husband and I do not frequent chain restaurants- there are a few different local places we prefer. Some dishes are difficult to figure out, but now that I've been on here for a while measuring ingredients and portions, and building my own recipes, I feel pretty confident when I log my meal from these restaurants. If unsure, err on the side of caution and overestimate. Best of luck!
  • jeffininer
    jeffininer Posts: 204 Member
    I just search the database for something close to the item and proportion. If there are multiple items, I usually pick the highest calories. But, I don't eat out a lot at places that aren't in the database, so I don't stress if it's not exact. That one meal isn't going to break my goals :)
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  • hastingsmassage
    hastingsmassage Posts: 162 Member
    I usually go to Wetherspoon bars and dining in UK, they have full caloric info on everything in menu.
    If any other place I am trying to estimate.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    When dining out, how do you account that into your daily calories? Not every place has menus where they will tell you the calories in each meal, and I have been asking the restaurant, but they never know how many calories there are in the meal. How does everyone in here deal with this issue?

    Generally I'll just eat less during the day before and then order whatever I want at the restaurant, calories don't really play a factor into what I order when I'm out
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  • culo97
    culo97 Posts: 256 Member
    When dining out, how do you account that into your daily calories? Not every place has menus where they will tell you the calories in each meal, and I have been asking the restaurant, but they never know how many calories there are in the meal. How does everyone in here deal with this issue?
    If you don't know the ingredients of a recipe, you can Google to find out or look it up on a website like AllRecipes.com. Sometimes the nutritional information per serving is available.
  • David_AUS
    David_AUS Posts: 298 Member
    When eating out, enjoy yourself first. Worry about logging second. If you use scales at home you can estimate pretty well. For hidden calories like dressings ask for these on the side to moderate your intake.
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  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
    It may help to look up the restaurant on the web before you go out. You can usually find the nutritional facts for just about every big restaurant i.e Olive Garden, Red Lobster etc. as well as some popular small ones. The MFP database is also a good source. When in doubt overestimate then do a little more exercise!!!

    What she said.

    A lot of restaurants, even non-chains, now at least post their menu online. Even if they don't list the nutrition/calories, I can at least browse that menu in a neutral setting...without the fantastic aromas and sights of other diners' plates.

    Looking at the menu online I can make rough estimates about calories and decide what I am going to eat before I even arrive at the restaurant. That is power. As best I can, I pre-log my whole day including my best over-estimation of what I have selected for dinner.

    When I place my order, I ask the server to have all sauces and dressings served on the side, AND to bring a carryout box when my food is brought to the table. If the portion is much larger than I anticipated (I have gotten reasonably skilled at eyeballing portions) I put part of the food in the box before I start eating and set it aside. I am less likely to unconsciously clean my plate and I am again in control of my portion size. Most places will also allow you to make substitutions of veggies or their side salad for the standard fries or loaded baked potato.

    You do the best you can with figuring out calories, remembering that you can control what and how much you eat. If you go over, you will make it up the next day. Most importantly, enjoy your time out with your dinner companions.

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