Eating Out at a BBQ Restaurant - Help!

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Buckeye_Dave
Buckeye_Dave Posts: 59 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Greetings!

I will be eating out at a BBQ restaurant this evening and need some help choosing a lower calorie meal. I am a faithful CICO believer so the calorie count is obviously important. Unfortunately, this restaurant does not share any nutritional facts for its selections. Any advice? Here is a link to the menu:

https://4rsmokehouse.com/menu/
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Replies

  • Azuriaz
    Azuriaz Posts: 785 Member
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    Does it have a menu with calorie count online? Some places do.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    Smoked turkey and green beans. Or basically any meat, easy on the sauce, steer clear of the mac & cheese on the side.
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
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    looks a little dicey for sure! I would probably go with chicken and veggie sides...smoked corn, jalapenos, or even coleslaw. I think those would be your better choices for low calorie. The beef brisket or steak tips would probably be ok too. I would avoid those cuts that have tons of fat or mystery ingredients...ribs, sausage, etc. I would also skip cornbread, mac and cheese, potato salad, any sides like that. Their salads are probably pretty high calorie and wouldn't be as satisfying as a plate of lean meat with some good veggies!

    Enjoy it!
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    Any of the meats will be fine any likely you can just use the USDA value. Pulled Pork=USDA Pork Shoulder. Brisket is obvious. Get the chichen, decided if you want the skin or not. Basic BBQ, with ribs as the acception, doesn't have sauce on it. That being said, to keep the moisture of the meet, some place will put it in a sauce which may or may not have a lot of sugar in it. Ribs are hard. It is difficult to estimate the amount of meat and the meat is very fatty and wet ribs come with the sweet sauce. Chicken by the piece would be the easiest. I don't use much if any sauce beyond vinegar or hot sauce. Sweet BBQ ruins the flavor of the meat.

    The sides are where it is harder. Even if they have green beans or other vegetables, they may be cooked in a lot of fat.

    I love BBQ and make it all the time at home (as I southerner I know the definition of BBQ means it's been cooked for many, many hours. Burgers or chicken on the grill is not BBQ). At home, I have low calorie sides. When I go to BBQ places, that is rarely an option. I will just treat myself to fries.
  • Buckeye_Dave
    Buckeye_Dave Posts: 59 Member
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    Thanks for great suggestions. Not only the meal itself but tips on how to log it! You guys are the best....
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    edited September 2015
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    I just looked at the menu. If I was trying to keep my calories to a minimum, I'd get get half a smoked chicken, corn, green beans, and baked beans. I'd take the green and baked beans home to use s a side in another meal.

    Or get a salad with chicken on it.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    I'd probably get the 1/4 smoked chicken with collards and smoked jalapenos. I'm so going to smoke jalapenos this week now. I never even thought of that!
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
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    Eat light during the day and bank your calorie for BBQ. Eat what you enjoy and allow yourself to eat up to maintenance or a little higher for the day. Plan and log before you go out so you don't have any major surprises.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    I would take it easy on my other meals for the day and then I would go nom some BBQ and not worry about it.
  • VykkDraygoVPR
    VykkDraygoVPR Posts: 465 Member
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    I had a 1/4 of lean brisket yesterday. That's going to be pretty similar always. I usually get half a chicken, or pork loin. This is Texas though, so barbecue is just smoked meat, which is pretty easy to calculate.

    No matter what you decide to get, they should able to weigh the meat for you. Just ask.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Well it's tough to say without knowing what your daily goal is.

    I went to a BBQ restaurant for lunch yesterday. I had half a rack of baby back ribs (just smoked, I added some sauce), some sweet potato/green bean salad, and cornbread. I estimated it at 1200 calories (the ribs were pretty big). I used whatever database entry I could find, and picked a high one for the ribs. Wasn't hungry at all for dinner so I skipped it... still stayed under my 1800 calorie goal. But yeah, it was lunch, which is my biggest meal anyway, big dinners just don't work out for me because I can't just skip lunch.

    Bottom line is you can probably fit whatever you like as long as you eat lightly the rest of the day. Just maybe not dessert on top. Either way, even if you go over, with your typical deficit you'll make up for it in a couple days anyway.
  • Buckeye_Dave
    Buckeye_Dave Posts: 59 Member
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    Excellent advice! Thank you all
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    All good advice here! Just had to chime to say 4Rivers is awesome! Best BBQ. :smile:

    Their salads are actually really good too (much better than typical BBQ restaurant salads), just decide if you want to get it without the croutons. Basically, it's a pile of good, fresh veggies and meat. Otherwise, I agree with everyone else to just plan what you and fit it in with "close enough" entries from the database. Enjoy!
  • DBrooks1979
    DBrooks1979 Posts: 350 Member
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    SOUTHERN PULLED PORK ........................... 11.99 SMOKED chicken ......... half 12.99 SLICED PORK ............................................ 11.99 COLLARDS, SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS, SMOKEHOUSE CORN

    These are the choices that I would find would be the lowest in calories and all for you if your doing a dinner plate there... just some ideas...
  • tryin2die2self
    tryin2die2self Posts: 207 Member
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    You will be safer with smoked meats. Sticky BBQ = lots of extra sugar. If the sides are creamy or fried, let the buyer beware. Then there is the bread to be wary of. Salad, fresh corn and the veggies should be fine. You should be able to stay the course with what they offer.

    All that said, treat yourself within reason. Does you plan allow for a cheat meal? Can you "bank" calories/macros? A diet that is so strict you have little room to move normally leads to binge eating with a side of guilt. I say that... but maybe you had a cheat meal already this week.

    Know Thyself :)
  • VykkDraygoVPR
    VykkDraygoVPR Posts: 465 Member
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    7lenny7 wrote: »
    CICO takes a back seat to BURNT ENDS!!

    My family yells at me when we get barbecue. I have a tendency to steal all the burnt ends off the brisket. It's worth it.
  • sbmcm
    sbmcm Posts: 32 Member
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    I was in the same boat yesterday. I managed to navigate it with grilled chicken breasts, cooked greens and fresh fruit, and I split the chicken breasts to have over two meals. However, even just half my order of chicken breasts was more than my full day's allotment of sodium, so don't be alarmed if you still see extra weight afterward.

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