Healthy Diet and restaurants. Is it possible?

I always plan what I will consume if I know I'm going out. I look up the restaurant online - most places have menus and a lot have nutrition info.

rosebarnalice wrote: »

I take a couple of strategies:

1. I plan my meals accordingly earlier in the day so that I have the calories to enjoy dinner out with friends
2. I will "save" calories by eating below my calorie goal earlier in the week (or not eating any of my exercise calories) so I can "spend" them on when I want to have a few beers and wings with The Gang
3. I am proactive when the question "where do you want to meet" comes up---and I encourage my group of friends to choose locations where there are at least a few things on the menu where I can make reasonable choices
4. I can't remember the last time I ate a full dinner plate by myself. For portion control, I will either split a meal with someone else or order an appetizer. Better yet, I'll order appetizers for the table, and then just eat a part of them
5. I LOG WITH BRUTAL TRUTH-even when I'm not happy about it

Number three is so important. In most situations, I find that people are perfectly willing to be flexible about where we're going to eat.

It's really easy for me to get into trouble in a restaurant setting, so I just try make the best choice I can, and to eat slowly, drink a lot of water, and focus on the people I'm with more than the food.

Ask your waiter questions. Negotiate the menu. Don't want the battered and fried chicken? Can they make it grilled? Can you put the dressing on the side? Can I get it with no sauce? How is this cooked? Leave off the fried tortilla strips, no rolls, no butter, etc.
I almost went over calories at Chili's after I sat there on their website with the nutritional calculator and when my pretty steak and asparagus showed up with fries, I ate a few and asked my waitress to take them away (the header of the menu it said "without fries", my fault for not asking her not to bring them). Remove temptation! To note, Chili's has a 6oz avacado sirloin that is delicious as is.
If possible make the room for the extra calories or plan on getting in a good workout.

Some types of restaurants are easier than others -- these are some of the things I might order:

* Japanese - Miso soup, seaweed salad, and sashimi -- Your scale may show higher the next day, but that's because Japanese tends to be very high in salt (so it's temporary).
* Anyplace with good fish/seafood -- Sauteed/grilled/blackened whatever and double coleslaw...
* Greek - Avgolemono soup and a chicken dish or salad (light on the feta)
* Chinese - A bowl of hot and sour soup (and then nibble on the main courses)
* Indian - Tandoori chicken, a little bit dal or channa, vegetable dishes without cream
* Italian - A chicken dish, hold the pasta (like chicken picatta or cacciatore)

If I'm going someplace new, I'll usually try to scope out the menu first.

Oh yeah -- and don't forget to relax and have a good time --

Miriam in MA

I eat out a lot, especially on the weekends (Subway AND Pizza Hut today). I always go on the restaurant's website before I go and figure out what will fit into my calorie parameters. I always walk in the door with a game plan, and knowing ahead of time what I'm going to order makes it a stress and guilt free meal

I avoid fried food and things in sauce. You can always ask for sauce on the side though! So yeah, it's often grilled meat or fish with veggies (sometimes mashed/roasted potatoes too if I can spare 300 extra calories though). If I really have no choice, I'll pick a salad, but I'll ask for low fat dressing on the side (even better if they just have vinegar), and I'll be adding up the toppings in my head and remove the high calorie stuff I don't care for (croutons, nuts).

I typically like local restaurants that have no nutrition info more than chains so I do have to guess a lot. However Italian restaurants can be annoying because all the meat always comes covered in sauce or breaded and healthy options are rare.. so I avoid them as much as possible.

Typically I save calories for restaurants though and I can fit a 1400 calorie meal in a week without too many issues... but I still avoid fried food and sauces... I'd just rather save the calories for dessert (unless it's a chain, then it's typically not as good as homemade anyway)...

ETA: alcohol is never worth the calories for me so I'd have seltzer or something!

sanfromny wrote: »

Baked salmon, seasonal veggies for the sides and a cup of water with lemon is usually my go to. Most restaurants i.e. Apple-bees, Ruby Tuesday, Longhorn, will usually have that as an option on the menu. Stay far away from teh salads and dressings! The calories in those are RIDICULOUS! Look them up, about 1000cals +!!!

sanfromny wrote: »

Baked salmon, seasonal veggies for the sides and a cup of water with lemon is usually my go to. Most restaurants i.e. Apple-bees, Ruby Tuesday, Longhorn, will usually have that as an option on the menu. Stay far away from teh salads and dressings! The calories in those are RIDICULOUS! Look them up, about 1000cals +!!!

I know!! the salad dressings can be horrendous!!!!

What about going to the buffet?

Oh yes it is very possible to eat out and still stay on plan. What I do is if its a new restaurant I look online at their menu ahead of time and figure out a couple of choices I can narrow it down to. I stick with simple meals like a lean meat: steak, chicken or fish loaded with lots of vegies on the side. I substitute extra vegies for a potatoe side. Who needs potatoes when you can have double vegies?? I also ask for my "saute'd" onions, peppers and mushrooms that go with my steak to be steamed in the microwave instead of on the grill so I can avoid the butter/oil they use. I have a restaurant background since I been 14 so it helps me to know how they cook things and what they can and can't do. I am confident and try to be as pleasant to the waitress and convey what I want and need my food to be like in a quick and easy manner. It is true that cooks dont like you to do substitutions but if you say just use the microwave then that is okay becuase its pop the vegies into a bowl and push a button them dump on the steak. This is why it is beneficial to go the same restaurants so they know and expect what you will order and it also pays to send the kitchen a quick thank you note for their good job and for accomodating you. I promise a thank you goes along ways. Cooks are very proud of their work and dont get enough recognition.

Be wary of gettting featured salads: they have alot of hidden calories in them.
As far as drinks go: well the alcohol itself is anywhere from 64 to 80 calories per ounce. Most drinks have at least 2oz in them. Then you have to figure in your mixers. Now I either order a diet soda with it or I ask for water in the drink and mix in a water flavor additive like crystal light or mia,etc. This way I can have a fruity drink as well. I always order a big glass of water on the side and make it a point to drink that water 1 on 1 ratio with each mixed drink I order. Will you have to pee alot?? YES. but it is what it is. Or... dont drink and have fun anyways. Ask for soda water with limes. Trust me, nobody cares if you drink or not. This is what I do when and if I go out. Being a bartender and waitress for over 25 years, I prefer to stay home and make my own food, drinks and atmosphere. But that is just me. Hope all this helped.

veliia wrote: »

What about going to the buffet?

Try to go for one of those buffets that have a side grill that you can pick out all your fresh raw meant and vegies along with any sauces for the grill cook to whip up for you. I love these kind of buffets. Mostly you find them at asian buffets but occasionally they are at other ones if you are lucky. I judge the best I can on 4 oz of meat and load the rest of my plate with vegies and some of their spicy sauce. LIke szechaun and red pepper flakes. I love spice and vegies.

If you can't find a buffet like this: then start with a broth soup paired with a simple lettuce, tomatoe and vegies salad with the dressing on the side. Before each bite of salad, dip the fork in the dressing then stab your veggies- this way you truly get dressing each time you take a bite but not too much. Then on the next trip: avoid fried foods. Load up with the leanest meats available to you, lots of vegies, go for shrimp cocktail if its there or a baked fish, chicken etc, then if you have room for dessert: go for the jellos or fresh fruits. SKip the pop they offer and drink water with lemons or limes. Enjoy each bite you take and when you get home do your best to log what you ate and just move on. YOu may have went over a bit but you can be satisfied in the fact that you made the best out of what you were dealt. That is my philosophy anyways.

First, if it's a restaurant I really love I will bank calories to get whatever I want. "Whatever I want" tends to not be the most outlandish thing on the menu. I try to compromise a little so that I'm coming out around 1000-1200 calories and not 2000-2500 for the meal.

If it's a meal I don't care much about, I'll get something low calorie off the steamed menu or a salad. I'm careful of salads because many times all the toppings can make a salad the same calorie count as a burger. If there are croutons I'll ask them to bring without, dressing on side, etc.

Those are the extremes, I can also choose something in the middle of the road if I have the calories for say...a nice 800 calorie meal. My logging and weighing foods at home allows me to do a decent job of understand what to pick.

For drinks during a more strict cut, I'll have vodka and club soda. Generally I'll just have a glass or two of wine though. Or none--because it depends on what I picked for dinner! There are a lot of ways to fit in a nice dinner and variables to play with.