How do you calculate foods sold at smaller/independent restaurants?

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JamesMauldin
JamesMauldin Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My friends love to go to small, non-chain restaurants. I do too. But I can never find nutrition info for the places, and estimating portion sizes and ingredients is a nightmare. I usually give up an log nothing. How do y'all figure out what's in your food at places like this?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    you find something similar in the database from another restaurant and give it your best guess.
  • JamesMauldin
    JamesMauldin Posts: 14 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    you find something similar in the database from another restaurant and give it your best guess.

    I try to do this, but there are so many results with varying counts its hard to determine what is right. I've started going to the same places all the time so that I know each time what I am eating.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Guesstimate based on something similar in the database. Sometimes, I'll guesstimate based on the ingredients mentioned in the dish's description.
  • PeiDub
    PeiDub Posts: 77 Member
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    JamesMauldin wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    you find something similar in the database from another restaurant and give it your best guess.

    I try to do this, but there are so many results with varying counts its hard to determine what is right. I've started going to the same places all the time so that I know each time what I am eating.

    I usually pick one of the ones with a higher calorie count. Better safe than sorry.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    Same as others but I usually pick one that is about average calories. I figure a portion and calorie count of a mom an pop restaurant are less than a chain--that might be wishful thinking. Anything is better than doing nothing.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    OP there are some good tips in this thread about eating in restaurants in general...

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10213155/a-guide-to-going-out-to-eat/p1

    I love to go out to eat, and love to find local, independent places. I usually try to look at their menu ahead of time, to see what options they might have (I did this even before tracking on MFP, it gets me excited about my night out!), and then I look through the database for similar options. I would find 2-3 options that sound reasonable (like if you find a ribeye steak for 100 calories, it's probably too good to be true) and log something in the middle, but estimate high. I also look for a restaurant entry, not a generic entry. So again, if you are going to a steak place, that isn't in the database, but Morton's or even Longhorn is, then I would go with something like that...

    When all else fails, log 1500 calories and call it a day. :)
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    Same as others but I usually pick one that is about average calories. I figure a portion and calorie count of a mom an pop restaurant are less than a chain--that might be wishful thinking. Anything is better than doing nothing.

    Depends on the mom and pop - but you probably have a decent idea if the meal is closer to a typically high cal chain, or a lower cal chain.

    This is mostly what I do - a mental comparison to similar meals I've eaten at other restaurants. Then there are the times I eat at 'high-falutin' places where the dishes are unique. Usually, those places have small portions, and I'm having 3-4 courses. That's when I'll estimate based on the ingredients I can detect.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    JamesMauldin wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    you find something similar in the database from another restaurant and give it your best guess.

    I try to do this, but there are so many results with varying counts its hard to determine what is right. I've started going to the same places all the time so that I know each time what I am eating.

    honestly, when i was actively losing weight, i had a lot more success when i just ate out a lot less...it got to a point where i ate out so infrequently as to be completely irrelevant...maybe once or twice per month. it was also a lot easier on my pocket book and my blood pressure (less salt...i'm hypertensive).

    in maintenance i do eat out a bit more, but still not all that often...kinda got out of the habit and now it's usually a special occasion or at least feels like one.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,481 Member
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    I'm in the "estimate by using database entries on the higher side of the calorie scale" camp. I like having something similar to what I ate in my diary (vs quick-add calories) as a reminder if I go back & review, and don't like to skip logging because it doesn't help me estimate what I need to do when changing calorie goals based on weight loss.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    I find a similar entry and add 10%.

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