Tips When Eating Out

dreesing on the side of your salad always....lay off the bread....anything grilled or seared ...tuna salmon scallops....usually the size is listed.....strip steak 12 ounces....so eat half and your at 7

dreesing on the side of your salad always....lay off the bread....anything grilled or seared ...tuna salmon scallops....usually the size is listed.....strip steak 12 ounces....so eat half and your at 7

This is what I do also. Dressing is on the side, dip the fork in the dressing before stabbing the lettuce; order veggies as sides; if you want the hunan chicken with fried rice, then only eat half; etc.

2 starters instead of a starter and main, split the dessert with someone.

I usually check and see if there's a menu online before I go and then I'll decide based on the nutrition information. Or, if there's a 500 or under menu I'll choose from there. But I do as others have said, dressing on the side, veggies as sides, less rolls or bread. I opt for baked or grilled fish or chicken, or I get steak. It's rare that my husband and I ever get dessert when we eat out so that's never a problem to have to factor in.

I only tip for exceptional service :-p ... or the waitress is cute

-Salad, cutting down on unnecessary toppings. Ask for plain balsamic vinegar (not vinagrette) as a dressing
-Brothy soups
-Grilled chicken
-Ask for a gluten-free menu, sometimes they have a variety of healthier choices on there
-Order sandwiches or burgers without the bread

If I know where I'm going, I'll scour the restaurant's website for nutritional information. And for those that don't, shame on them, but I try to find comparable foods on MFP (and pick the highest). I try to avoid buffets and Mexican food just because I can't trust myself.

I eat out almost every meal. Although this idea will work whether you eat out or eat in. Afterall, we tend to eat the same things, over and over anyway, right?

After I log a meal, I go to the Quick Tools and save the meal. I NAME IT FIRST WITH THE NUMBER OF CALORIES, then the name of the restaurant, then a brief description. So, the name might be "348 Bob Evans, Potato Crusted Flounder, Salad with ranch, Green beans." (I know that I always order salads with no croutons and no cheese and always the dressing on the side which I only eat half at any time). After a while I had a list under Meals that shows me what I can choose from depending on how many calories I want for the meal. I currently have about 55 meals to choose from.

I go further, by copying them all and pasting into an excel spreadsheet that I then "cleanup" and sort so that the calories are in order from smallest to largest. I make this into a pdf and send it to myself so I can store on my smart phone (I update and send a new one periodically as I have more meals).

Now, I always have this handy when I'm out. If I have 450 calories left over to have for dinner, I can look at the list and see how many meals fall below 450. I then choose the meal that sounds good and go to that restaurant.

It will also work for meals that you make yourself. It really helps with planning. It takes a little effort, but in the end, it makes it easier because all I have to do is look for the meal under "My Meals" and log it.

Pre-log, even if that means making estimates. You can always go back and alter entries if necessary.

I eat at a lot of locally owned and ethnic restaurants, which means there's usually not any nutrition info available. Some of my favorite tips or tricks are:

order non-breaded meat/poultry or seafood when possible
when eating Thai, go with a salad
err on the side of under-ordering in general. A la carte, even. You can always order another item or two when you finish the first.
get sauces or dressing on the side when convenient, and use lightly
eat just a few bites of rice and/or beans that may accompany your meal (except when that is the bulk of the meal)
totally skip the chips & salsa
if eating naan, pita, tortillas, etc...limit yourself to one or two pieces, ahead of time
stay away from creamy sauces unless you feel confident that you can correctly log them based on ingredients

If you do go to a buffet, make your plate carefully to include everything you TRULY want to eat...and do not get a second plate, period (unless it's something like a soup bowl or a separate small plate for a sweet treat/fruit).

Pre-log, even if that means making estimates. You can always go back and alter entries if necessary.

This helps me a LOT, especially at places like Texas Roadhouse, where I know I could easily snarf down 2 or 3 of their delicious hot rolls they set on the table right away! Logging ONE roll before I even leave the house helps me stick to my plan.

As others have said - check out the menu and nutritional info online beforehand whenever possible. At many restaurants, hubby and will split a meal, or I'll divide it as soon as they set it before me, eat half and take the other half home.

And I always order water. Unless I'm having a margarita. :drinker: But I still have water, too! LOL

Tips I've heard...

look up the menu (even if there's no nutritional info) ahead of time if possible
order water, unsweetened tea, or diet soda
skip the bread, appetizers, & desserts
order salads w/out croutons & cheese with a low or no fat dressing on the side
shoot for a grilled meat with a side of veggies
immediately box up half of your meal to take home
eat a little something before you go out so you're not as tempted to eat everything on the menu