restaurant nutritional information

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kbg1
kbg1 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Had dinner at cheescake factory yesterday. THOUGHT i was making a healthy choice by ordering the thai chicken lettuce wraps. Shared them with my mom. Got home and went online to the restaurant website to find that one serving is 1090 calories!!!!! Are you kidding me? I should have just had a piece of cheescake instead, same amount of calories. Very dissapointing ending to an otherwise great day!

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  • mariahruby
    mariahruby Posts: 130 Member
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    i totally understand where you are coming from. i am constantly amazed at how many calories are in restaurant meals. so, i have been trying to avoid it at all costs! sorry about the disappointment. most have the nutritional menus now, so i always look at those first!
  • andrea10191
    andrea10191 Posts: 24 Member
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    If I'm going out to eat I usually look up the nutrition information for the restaurant ahead of time. That way I go in with some idea what I'm going to order and how its going to affect my calorie count for the day. I've found that some of the healthiest sounding dishes on the menu are actually the worst nutritionally.
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
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    Sorry that happened to you.

    Restaurant dining is HARD when you are trying to diet. You just never know what they are putting in it for seasoning, oil, etc. And, you can't be sure on the portion size either. A lot of them give you WAY too much of anything, even healthy food like grilled fish.

    The one suggestion I have is to check 3 places BEFORE going out to eat. I have been doing this to try and plan my ordering ahead of time. It is working better for me than getting there, perusing the menu, and then choosing and hoping the cals are low enough.

    First, check the place's official site. A lot of them are starting to post their info.

    If they don't have it, try these two sites:

    http://www.dietfacts.com/

    http://healthydiningfinder.com/

    But don't let this one time get you down. Use it as a learning tool. :smile:
  • kajun_at_work
    kajun_at_work Posts: 60 Member
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    They can really pack those calories in restaurant food!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    best advice, go on the restaurant website (if you can) before going there! I used to go to Moe's Southwest Grill and have a burrito that was big and yummy...with the side order of chips and salsa. So one day I went on their website to find that it was almost 1400 calories! So I played around on the website until I found something "reasonable" which came in around 700 calories, and I now eat half of that and bring the other half home. I also skip my own order of chips and maybe eat 2 or 3 of my sons!
  • HurricaneShaunna
    HurricaneShaunna Posts: 61 Member
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    The Cheesecake Factory is brutal. I actually wanted the vegetable salad with chicken when we went last night, but I didn't know the calorie information so I opted for the Spicy Chicken Weight Management salad instead, since I knew it was under 590 calories on the menu. Then I came home and a quick search online showed me it would have been less calories to have what I originally wanted in the first place!
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
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    They can really pack those calories in restaurant food!

    Man, no kidding.

    One of my favorite things to eat when hungry, PRE MFP, was a large Chicken Finger Plate from Zaxby's.

    1773 Calories!!!!!!!!!!!

    That is 400 more than my daily goal, so obviously, now I have to adjust what I eat there.

    If I am craving it, I order the 5 chicken tenders by themselves, and then get a size salad. Much lower on the calories that way.
  • SpaceMarkus
    SpaceMarkus Posts: 651
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    If you have an iPhone, check out the "Fast Food" app. It has a ton of restaurant's nutritional information, and you can add up your calories so you can calculate your entire meal.
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    Yeah....I have learned the hard way to look at the nutritional information BEFORE I go eat!! LOL!:laugh: I heard the Cheesecake Factory is really bad! I did that at Applebee's. I had one of those little dessert shooters. I thought, "well I am doing good....it is super tiny compared to the other desserts"...yeah right!! Over 400 calories for 3 or 4 bites!! :noway: I blew it that day! Another example....this past Thursday it was Girls Night Out and we went to Olive Garden. I got Chicken Marsala served over pasta, a bowl of chicken & gnocchi soup, and a bread stick. My sister ate 2 bowls of salad and herb roasted salmon. Whose do you think had the most calories?? My sisters!! She ate puney because she was watching her calories and (so am I but...)I got what I wanted to....I did go over 120 calories, but I didn't care it was delicious!
  • SassyStef
    SassyStef Posts: 413
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    eating out is so tricky..I order every thing dry and ask that they put half of my meal in a to go box before they bring it to my plate, or ask for a to go box and do it myself lol it is such hard work!
    When in doubt order a salad and get every thing on the side, or fish or some kid of seafood and ask they cook it dry if they use butter.

    Better luck next time, now you know :smile: knowledge is key!!
  • sandyw127
    sandyw127 Posts: 131 Member
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    I avoid restuarants completely i dont trust my self just yet. id rather make a nice meal at home. :)
  • fullofhope
    fullofhope Posts: 78 Member
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    If I'm going out to eat I usually look up the nutrition information for the restaurant ahead of time. That way I go in with some idea what I'm going to order and how its going to affect my calorie count for the day. I've found that some of the healthiest sounding dishes on the menu are actually the worst nutritionally.

    Absolutely! Ialways check the website to see if nutritional info is posted. If it is not, I look for a link that says contact us and I send an email stating that until they have info for me to see I will be choosing other dining establishments. I received a very nice reply from Bravo, they will have info posted sometime this year. These restaurants want feedback from the general population. Let them know what we want as a consumer. Ruby Tuesday's has a blackened talapia with a mango salsa that comes in at 230 calories. Pair that with broccolli 91 calories and white cheddar mashed potatoes at 169 and you have a wonderful dinner out for 490 calories total. Ruby Tuesdays also has a allergen sensitive menu. Good luck!
  • kathymc54
    kathymc54 Posts: 56 Member
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    Thanks for the info/ideas. I run into trouble when eating at a place that is not a chain.
  • amercado3101
    amercado3101 Posts: 8
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    I am a chef at a country club so I know how hard it is when it comes to eating at restaurants! Obviously the best way to go is usually a salad but be careful when it comes to toppings. My best advice is don't be afraid to ask for them to change something about the meal. Such as leaving off the cheese, or doubling the vegetables instead of eating mashed potatoes as a side. We get these requests all the time from healthy eaters.
  • kbg1
    kbg1 Posts: 5
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    Thanks for all of the great feedback! I usually do check the websites before going to a restaurant. This was spur of the moment! It was amazing to me how badly this set me back! That and not getting the job I was really hoping for! I am getting back on the wagon !, and trying not to be so hard on myself.
  • JennaLee1486
    JennaLee1486 Posts: 101 Member
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    Most restaurants do have a menu with calorie counts. It is generally a binder in the backroom with lists of calories hidden behind ingredient lists and food allergy information. I have asked at Boston's Pizza and a few other restaurants and they were able to find it. If not, your server may just not know where this information is kept. Ask a manager. I heard it's a law that restaurants have nutritional information available to their customers. I'm not sure if that was a rumor though.
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
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    Nah, I don't think it is a law.

    If it is, I know a few I need to bust.

    Mexican place we love here called Chepe's has no info. I asked 3 wait staff AND a manager. They all said it is "being worked on."

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