Eating Out

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beenyweeny
beenyweeny Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
I dont eat out very often but when i do i seem to pick the fattiest item on the menu (chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and cream gravy). Now that its the holidays and we are visiting the inlaws we seem to eat out every other night. My occasional splurges were fine but this is not so good. Any tips? Ideas? Sympathy?

Replies

  • Melisha82
    Melisha82 Posts: 243
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    I have been looking up the nutritional values on my phone before I order... I was so surprised to find that my "healthy" choices were actually worse for me than my regular choices! For example, I opted for a grilled turkey burger the other day rather than a cheeseburger.... cheeseburger ended up being about 500 calories (bad yeah??) but that GRILLED TURKEY burger was 900!!! I was so upset for not checking!!!! I am going to start ordering from the childrens section, though... they always give too much in the regular portions
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
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    If it's a chain restaurant that has the information online, make sure to check the menu and nutritional info online before you go, so you already know what healthy choice you want to eat.

    If it's a local restaurant that doesn't list nutritional information, pay attention to how it is prepared. Healthy sounding things (Chicken, Salads, etc) can actually be the least healthy depending on how they are prepared. Stay away from anything fried or any heavy sauces. Believe it or not, steaks are often one of the more healthy things on a menu if you eat out, assuming its not doused in a fatty sauce.
  • rewdy
    rewdy Posts: 6 Member
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    I've found the same thing when I eat out. I tend to want to eat the stuff that's the worst for me.

    One thing I've found to be helpful when eating out, is really paying attention to portions. Part of the reason that the "bad" stuff is so bad, is because they give you far more of it then you would ever need. Even a standard serving of french fries is probably twice or three times what you should eat.

    How you regulate it, specifically, is something you'll have to figure out for yourself, but I've heard of some people who ask for a to-go box with their meal and before they even start eating, splitting it all in half. For me, I usually tend to visually decide what I'm going to eat before I start eating then cover my food with a napkin (out of sight, out of mind!) when I've eaten the proper amount.

    I find that I am never hungry (it's not like you won't get enough food), but I will eat far less. Then, you start splitting those calories in half and all of the sudden a meal that is insanely high in calories, is a lot more reasonable.

    That's what I do. Give it a shot and maybe it will help.
  • neelia
    neelia Posts: 750 Member
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    I agree to check the nutritional info before you go.

    If you can't do that, try putting half of your meal in a to-go box before you start eating.
  • bhonniered
    bhonniered Posts: 228
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    Great advise - I personally go out to lunch almost everyday at work. The only way I don't get bothered during my lunch. So I check the nutritional values online before I go or use my phone on the way. I have learned (the hard way) that sometime that 'healthy' salad is worse than a kid size burger. Crazy huh? So I drink water before we go - try for something healthy (splurge occasionally) and drink lots of water during the afternoon. :drinker:

    Good luck and enjoy your family time!
  • kt2007
    kt2007 Posts: 315 Member
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    we have been doing a lot of eating out also and I have found that most large chain restaurant usally have a few weight watchers meals or healthy choice meals. check for them.
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    We all pretty much know what to eat . . . but more importantly, what NOT to when going out.

    I tend to choose a grilled chicken, chicken souvlaki, or steak sandwich (minus the bread) and just have a green salad with whatever protein I choose. I always ask them to not salt my meat and to omit any rice, potatoes, or anything else except the salad from the plate.

    I ALWAYS choose the healthiest option when going out as I like to treat myself to a light beer with my dinner . . . and anyone who knows me knows my favorite saying . . . I save my calories for beer (my personal weakness)!

    Most restautants have huge portions so ONLY eat about the size of the palm of your hand with whatever protein you choose.
  • yellowfairy
    yellowfairy Posts: 207 Member
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    I have been doing the "box 1/2 my food up before i get it" thing-and that seems to be working for me.
  • dnbhippie
    dnbhippie Posts: 14
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    What we do is exactly what others here have said. We look up the menu to the place we're going and pick what we're going to have. A lot of the time I will even add the items I want before we go to commit myself to those calories. This is the best way I've found to do it, and if you can discipline yourself to take half of it home and have it for dinner too, or a snack, you won't be hungry later wishing you hadn't spent 900 calories eating lunch. A weight watchers trick is to box up half of your meal before you even start eating. One way to do this is to ask the server to split it and get the other half to go. That way you don't even see it.
  • dnbhippie
    dnbhippie Posts: 14
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    I have been doing the "box 1/2 my food up before i get it" thing-and that seems to be working for me.

    Oh, you. Beat me to it.
  • fairyleo
    fairyleo Posts: 23 Member
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    Yesterday for lunch, I had a mandarin chicken bowl (sauce on the side and only used half with chili sauce), a very small amount of steamed rice (maybe 2 tablespoons), mixed veggies (extra veggies to compensate for rice), and my fortune cookie for 539 calories from Panda Exress... It was very filling and delicious. :tongue: A little more fat and calories than I expected, but not bad. I looked up the calories before hand.
  • Bermudabarbie
    Bermudabarbie Posts: 568 Member
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    The biggest "shock" for me with restaurant food is the sodium content. Not just "fast food," but almost all restaurant food seems to be loaded with sodium.

    All of the suggestions above are great. I will disagree with one and that has to do with potatoes. Unless you are following a diet that restricts potatoes, a plain baked potato can be a wonderful choice. You have to order it plain -- no butter or other toppings. Look it up! It is usually rated A- or B+ for dieters. That would include white or sweet potatoes.

    You can add a small amount of butter or other toppings to the potato and still do okay. Also, forget the rolls and butter. Just pass them up, if you can. A plain, side salad is fine too -- again with the dressing on the side. Not too exciting, but often very fresh tasting and delicious. No extras in the salad -- croutons, cheese, crunchy noodles, etc. Just a plain salad with oil and vinegar is just fine.

    If you go to a certain restaurant regularly, try to get a copy of their nutrition guide and study it in advance. Only the chains and fast food places have them. But ask and study. You can even go to fast food places, but, again, no mayo, special sauce, extra cheese, only 1/2 the bun.... that sort of thing. Forgo the soups as well. Way too much sodium. If you really want dessert, that is instead of the meal -- not after the meal.

    Hint: Wear the tightest pants you have and keep your goals in mind. Yes! These tips do work.

    If all of this sounds too dreary and it is really a very special occasion, just order and enjoy yourself! But don't stop going out with your friends and family. Start again immediately. You can do this!
  • ropedancer
    ropedancer Posts: 115
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    I feel your pain. My favorite restaurant is the 99, and pretty much everything I like there is very bad for you. That's probably why it tastes so good :). I think I'll try the take out box method next time I have a chance to go.
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
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    If it is a local restaurant, especially one you frequent regularly, don't be afraid to ask your server how a certain dish is prepared. I do that at a place I visit regularly and they've let me in on some tricks to save calories (i.e, they normally butter the bun, so I ask for the bun without butter)
  • beenyweeny
    beenyweeny Posts: 6
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    Its funny that you say that about saving your calories for your beer! My motto has always been "I'd rather eat a whole cake than a six pack!"

    Thank You everyone for the suggestions!! I have used the box half method before and does work so i just need to be more diciplined.

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