What to order at local restraunts besides grilled chicken sandwiches

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dasteve003
dasteve003 Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
First off I'll say I'm glad I found a community of people who seem happy to help other with their weight and heath goals. I'm just looking to drop an additional 10-15 pounds more (down about 8 so far in a month) and drop overall cholesterol, LDL, and raise HDL.

I've been eating a lot of grilled chicken sandwiches instead of hamburgers when I go out to eat at local places. I figure their hamburger meat is probably 80/20 and don't want that amount of saturated fat for one burger. I've also been skipping fries and subbing for salads or soups.

My question is what else should I be looking to order that restaurants might have that is a healthy choice, feeling like I'll be getting burnt out on grilled chicken sandwiches pretty quickly if I keep this up. Also soups (and chili) the restaurant makes don't have near the sodium as canned soup right? The canned stuff has an insane amount of sodium and although I'm not as concerned with sodium I'm still keeping an eye on it.

Thanks for any thoughts!

-Steve
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Replies

  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    I usually order soup/salad, grilled chicken salad, or salmon if they have it! Plus whatever fruits and veggies they offer.
  • Elanesse100
    Elanesse100 Posts: 30 Member
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    Most restaurants have "light" or healthy options available. And they're usually pretty apparent on the menus with a special logo and calorie count. Many of the items aren't just chicken, though a lot of variations of chicken are on the list.

    You could always ask your server if they have a specific menu of light options you could see. I know they can provide you with nutrition facts if nothing else.
  • dasteve003
    dasteve003 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm referring to several different non chain local restaurants where lighter choices aren't really on the menus.
  • slw5X5
    slw5X5 Posts: 282 Member
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    See if they have a menu online so you can find something that fits whatever is left in your macros.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    if i go out to eat i eat what i want and make it fit or eat at maintenance. If we are spending money to eat out im gonna enjoy it. I could make better tasting food at home for the "low calorie" options at most restaurants.
  • MinmoInk
    MinmoInk Posts: 345 Member
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    Salad, soups, hamburgers (no cheese), Chicago or plain w mustard dog. go cubbies :)
  • jimmyhsharkey
    jimmyhsharkey Posts: 51 Member
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    I try to know what I'm going to get before I go out. It takes the spontaneity out of going out but it helps me stay on track.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Small steak with grilled veggies. Or fish.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    edited April 2016
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    What do they have on their menus? Are these fast food type places or restaurants with a more varied menu?

    I would not assume that restaurant soup has less sodium. A bean, lentil or vegetable soup is probably lower calorie unless it has added cream or cheese.
    You can look up a similar item at a chain restaurant and get an idea of what the calories might be. A piece of meat, solitary vegetable or fruit is easier to guesstimate than a mixed dish.
    Things that can sneak up your calorie count are overly large portion sizes, nuts, dried fruit, cheese, condiments, sauces, dips, dressings, butter, jam, bread, crackers. Breaded and fried foods have more calories but a grilled chicken sandwich or salad could be the same as a burger depending on what is added to it. It is easy to eat more rice than a portion should be.
    Thin crust pizza, salad with a vinaigrette dressing, single burger, baked potato, grilled meats, vegetables, taco with salsa instead of cheese/sour cream/guacamole, eggs, yogurt, oatmeal without a lot of additions, fruit, unsweetened tea, water are probably safer choices when you don't know the calories.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Well it really depends on your goal. I have no problem fitting a 1000 calorie meal at lunch, for example, as long as I plan for it. So it opens up a whole lot of options for me.

    But yeah, it's pretty much impossible to find filling options for less than 600 calories otherwise. Even your grilled chicken burger is probably that many calories (most buns are huge and probably 250-300 calories on their own). Soups can easily be 300 calories a cup too... and not filling for me at all. So I tend to avoid local restaurants that don't have grilled meat and veggies, unless I'm really craving something specific. Or leave the bun out.

    Otherwise, salad. But with dressing on the side (or just vinegar if possible) and being *very* mindful of the quantities of stuff on them... Typically I ask them to remove the nuts and croutons, it easily adds up 200 calories and I don't care for them, then I just eyeball the other stuff to get an estimate... still can easily come to 800 calories though.
  • RWClary
    RWClary Posts: 192 Member
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    I am not eating out and ordering foods that aren't fabulous. I'd rather just pack my own healthy stuff and save the money.
  • coalz
    coalz Posts: 308 Member
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    Get what you want then only eat half. American portions are ridiculously large! You'll get more bang for your buck & less meal planning to worry about the next day. I just tell the server straight up - I'll take this & may I please have a to go box as well :).
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    coalz wrote: »
    Get what you want then only eat half. American portions are ridiculously large! You'll get more bang for your buck & less meal planning to worry about the next day. I just tell the server straight up - I'll take this & may I please have a to go box as well :).

    That never works for me. Half a sandwich will keep me full maybe 2 hours... I don't find most portions that huge (except the fries that come with everything, there's always probably 400-500 calories worth)... In chains, yeah, but this isn't about chains.
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    I'm all about the seafood, if that's an option. Grilled shrimp, blackened fish. We're going out for seafood for lunch today, actually.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    The main place we go is a Greek place. They have turkey burgers and various vegetarian options using mushrooms instead of meat. Another lunch place has grilled shrimp or salmon but it is a bit more expensive. I like going to the local places rather than the chains because they are usually more flexible.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
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    Grilled chicken baked potato and steamed veg no butter is always my go to for restaurants. Or salads with dressing on the side and no cheese.
  • DanSTL82
    DanSTL82 Posts: 156 Member
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    You're not going to get much variety for healthy options at most restaurants. You're pretty much stuck with grilled chicken or fish, and salads. Anything else is fatty meat, cheese, and bread.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    Grilled turkey sandwich.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
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    RWClary wrote: »
    I am not eating out and ordering foods that aren't fabulous. I'd rather just pack my own healthy stuff and save the money.

    Pretty much. I can grill a chicken breast myself. Why would I pay someone else to do that at some obscene cost? If I am eating out it is probably a special occasion or I am on vacation. In neither of those cases, am I cheaping out in terms of calories or cost if I'm eating out.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I'd avoid sandwiches, personally, since I don't find bread particularly filling. Fish and veg are good. With salads, be careful as to what's on it.

    I'm going out tonight and depending on the specials and the soup am planning to have either salmon with spring veg, Israeli cous cous, and potato-leek puree or striped bass with bok choy, kohlrabi, and apple miso. Will eat as much of the various components as seems reasonable given serving sizes. (I tend to go out a lot on Friday night and just assume it will be lots of calories and fit it into the week.)

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