How do I log these foods?
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jonrenly
Posts: 116 Member
Hi guys.
I need some help with how to track food when I dine out at restaurants.
So I'm a vegan who likes to dine out a lot. This means a lot of the time I have to make modifications to menu items, like asking them to hold the meat or make it without butter or whatever. Its usually not hard at all to eat at any restaurant and have them modify the food on the menu so its animal-free. My question is, how do you log modified menu items? A lot of places nowadays, especially chain restaurants, list their nutrition information online which is very helpful... if you order the items as is. For example, I went to the Cheesecake Factory today and got their Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps, obviously without the chicken. Straight off the menu, three of these wraps clock in at 440 calories. But without the chicken, I have a hard time believing that the calorie total comes in at nearly that high a number, considering the rest of it is lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro and rice noodles.
How should I log stuff like this? Should I just guesstimate the number of calories saved from not eating the chicken or whatever else the modification may be? Should I leave it as-is and overlog instead of risking underlogging and going over my daily calorie goal?
Those of you who have to make a lot of modifications at restaurants for whatever reason, how do you approach stuff like this in terms of calorie counting?
I need some help with how to track food when I dine out at restaurants.
So I'm a vegan who likes to dine out a lot. This means a lot of the time I have to make modifications to menu items, like asking them to hold the meat or make it without butter or whatever. Its usually not hard at all to eat at any restaurant and have them modify the food on the menu so its animal-free. My question is, how do you log modified menu items? A lot of places nowadays, especially chain restaurants, list their nutrition information online which is very helpful... if you order the items as is. For example, I went to the Cheesecake Factory today and got their Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps, obviously without the chicken. Straight off the menu, three of these wraps clock in at 440 calories. But without the chicken, I have a hard time believing that the calorie total comes in at nearly that high a number, considering the rest of it is lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro and rice noodles.
How should I log stuff like this? Should I just guesstimate the number of calories saved from not eating the chicken or whatever else the modification may be? Should I leave it as-is and overlog instead of risking underlogging and going over my daily calorie goal?
Those of you who have to make a lot of modifications at restaurants for whatever reason, how do you approach stuff like this in terms of calorie counting?
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Replies
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Are you trying to lose weight? If so, stop eating out at restaurants, as they pile an incredible amount of calories and sodium into their food. If you aren't, don't worry about it - just be obnoxious and tell them what to leave out and what to put in the food you order. Don't forget to leave a BIG tip because the waiters will probably have to share the tip with everyone involved. You can guestimate the number of calories, but you will most likely be way under.-4
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atypicalsmith wrote: »Are you trying to lose weight? If so, stop eating out at restaurants, as they pile an incredible amount of calories and sodium into their food. If you aren't, don't worry about it - just be obnoxious and tell them what to leave out and what to put in the food you order. Don't forget to leave a BIG tip because the waiters will probably have to share the tip with everyone involved. You can guestimate the number of calories, but you will most likely be way under.
Nice.
Don't tell me to stop dining out, that was not my question. I am perfectly aware of how to avoid the high calorie options and make smarter choices.
Its not "obnoxious" to ask for modification to your meal to suit dietary needs.
And thanks for reminding me to leave a tip, as if I'd ever not leave one...
What was the point of this passive aggressive response?0 -
Just thinking of the servers and your impossible demands . . .-2
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atypicalsmith wrote: »Are you trying to lose weight? If so, stop eating out at restaurants, as they pile an incredible amount of calories and sodium into their food. If you aren't, don't worry about it - just be obnoxious and tell them what to leave out and what to put in the food you order. Don't forget to leave a BIG tip because the waiters will probably have to share the tip with everyone involved. You can guestimate the number of calories, but you will most likely be way under.
Nice.
Don't tell me to stop dining out, that was not my question. I am perfectly aware of how to avoid the high calorie options and make smarter choices.
Its not "obnoxious" to ask for modification to your meal to suit dietary needs.
And thanks for reminding me to leave a tip, as if I'd ever not leave one...
What was the point of this passive aggressive response?
I don't know what her deal is with telling people not to go to restaurants. I've seen her do it in other threads.
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atypicalsmith wrote: »Just thinking of the servers and your impossible demands . . .
Can I please have the asian chicken lettuce wraps, but please hold the chicken.
Thats..... impossible?
Oy, I hope you never get into food service...0 -
why are people so rude? I thought these forums were supposed to be supportive? I don't get it.0
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Impossible demands? lol wow ... so god forbid you have an allergy or something!
i think id just try an input the ingredients of the meal into the diary or even the recipes section (to use again) its hard to guess the portions though0 -
To answer your question, I log and weigh all my food at home well enough to get a good idea when I go out to a restaurant. I'd log it all separately, the wrap, greens, and and oz or 2 oz of the noodles depending on what the portion looks like. I usually add in 120 calories for oil depending on the meal as well.0
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Thank you for the genuine answers guys... thats a good idea to log all of the ingredients separately and overestimate a little just to be sure.0
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atypicalsmith wrote: »Are you trying to lose weight? If so, stop eating out at restaurants, as they pile an incredible amount of calories and sodium into their food. If you aren't, don't worry about it - just be obnoxious and tell them what to leave out and what to put in the food you order. Don't forget to leave a BIG tip because the waiters will probably have to share the tip with everyone involved. You can guestimate the number of calories, but you will most likely be way under.
pardon???
its a restaurant...they serve people
As a former restaurant owner i had no problems at all to serve my guest their wishes. If you have problems with that then you are in the wrong job.
I liked to please my customers and cooking without salt with salt, sauce on the side or on top of the food, extra mayonnaise, no tomato in my salad please, can you put cheese over than?, oh some mustard will be great ty, no matter what.... i did it. I liked to cook what they wanted.
And yes the tip is very nice indeed and yes you have ****hole's and stupid people. But i didn't care about that. A restaurant should serve their customers as Kings and Queens as long as they behave like them and respect you as a waitress or chef. And their wishes is nothing obnoxious about.
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And the point is? Restaurants, especially chain restaurants, cannot control what they serve. Local restaurants cannot control what they serve. About the only restaurants that have absolute control over what they serve are fast-food restaurants, where every single ounce of everything put into a "meal" is completely weighed and accounted for because it's a science for them. The OP asked how she could calculate calories in a restaurant. The answer is that she can't. She can only estimate and add probably 30% to her estimate. And yes, I've been in the restaurant business off and on for years.0
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oh and for the OP
Take a picture of your plate with food or write it down and guesstimate
Or ask the chef.
When totally wrong...what does it matter..its one meal, enjoy it and tomorrow another day.0 -
I would just take your best guess. If you aren't losing weight, then lower your guesses by a bit.0
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Hi guys.
I need some help with how to track food when I dine out at restaurants.
So I'm a vegan who likes to dine out a lot. This means a lot of the time I have to make modifications to menu items, like asking them to hold the meat or make it without butter or whatever. Its usually not hard at all to eat at any restaurant and have them modify the food on the menu so its animal-free. My question is, how do you log modified menu items? A lot of places nowadays, especially chain restaurants, list their nutrition information online which is very helpful... if you order the items as is. For example, I went to the Cheesecake Factory today and got their Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps, obviously without the chicken. Straight off the menu, three of these wraps clock in at 440 calories. But without the chicken, I have a hard time believing that the calorie total comes in at nearly that high a number, considering the rest of it is lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro and rice noodles.
How should I log stuff like this? Should I just guesstimate the number of calories saved from not eating the chicken or whatever else the modification may be? Should I leave it as-is and overlog instead of risking underlogging and going over my daily calorie goal?
Those of you who have to make a lot of modifications at restaurants for whatever reason, how do you approach stuff like this in terms of calorie counting?
I modify because I am lactose and soy intolerant, and I have GERD. If I can get a hold of nutrition information, I will log whatever calories are provided to account for any errors of underestimation on their part. If I had a salad and it's pretty simple, I might guess on the ingredients and enter those in.
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I don't normally modify but a lot of places give no nutritional details.
So i just have to find a food in the data base that's as close to it as possible and then slightly over estimate on the serving size.
Like Sichuan prawns on rice. I would split the meal between rice and Sichuan prawns and get as accurate as possible then increase it a bit.
I see it as a eating out calorie tax.
And don't listen to people who tell you to stop eating out. What's the point of weight lose if it means you lose friends or can't enjoy some food.
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Not getting into the whole debates here.
To answer the OP's question, I eat in restaurants a lot too, and while I'm not usually modifying meals, I have a similar challenge because restaurants where I live don't typically provide nutrition information for their menus. What I usually do is visually estimate the ingredients and quantities as best as I can, and use the recipe builder when I get home to reconstruct the recipe from memory. I usually add more oil or fat than I would typically use at home, since restaurants do tend to do that. And I try to estimate high, not low.
Accepting a certain margin for error is inevitable, but you can often guesstimate pretty close.
Another thing that sometimes helps is if I order a meal and get half of it to take home. Not only does this help me stick to my calories (since restaurant portions are typically giant), but it also means I can weigh the half I took home on my food scale when I get there, and extrapolate how much I probably ate.0 -
Ask for the nutritional information for your meal. Chain restaurants have it available.0
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