Restaurants and Fast Food

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Loganmmontgomery
Loganmmontgomery Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What are some good tips for eating out? What do you usually eat? What are some places that offer healthy options?
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  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
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    i am just beginning my weight loss so i am going to forget going out for a while. i assume salads would be a good option, or go to wendy's mcD's burger king etc and get a grilled chicken breast wrapped in lettuce with no bun and no dressing and no fries. i would also get unsweet tea or water in lieu of a soda.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
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    I like places that let you customize nutrition info such as Chipotle or Wendy's. They have menu builders that let you add or take out ingredients and you get the nutrition info for that exact item.

    At Wendy's I go for bunless burgers - they are very accommodating.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,476 Member
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    Ask for water instead of soda (even diet).
    If you're getting a burger at a sit-down place get a salad/steamed broccoli/coleslaw instead of chips/fries.
  • one1fast68
    one1fast68 Posts: 51 Member
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    kissedbythesunshine wrote: »
    When I do eat fast food I get a large chilli from Wendy's. Very good and filling.

    This is what I do as well.
  • megzchica23
    megzchica23 Posts: 419 Member
    edited May 2016
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    If I go to Wendy's I get a 4 piece nugget and a side salad. If we go to pizza hut, 2 slices of pizza. If we go to Braum's I get the 4 piece chicken strips(usually eat 2 and save 2 for next day) and a small fry.

    I usually only pick places with their nutrition online that way I can preplan and see what I can eat.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    Lately I like Rubio mahi mahi and Coke zero. 6" Subway + ice tea. Chicken tender pieces from Carl Jrs, Stater Bros.

    I think I'm gonna get a low calorie (lettuce wrapped) burger today. It looks healthy.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    I usually opt for unsweetened iced tea to drink, skip the bread basket, skip appetizers (or get something to share with the table and only have a small amount), ask for an extra veggie side rather than a starchy side, and order meat that has been cooked pretty simply (yum, steak!); at fast food places I skip the bun on a burger and swap a salad instead of French fries.

    Or, if it is a truly special occasion, I just order whatever I want, enjoy it, and know that one meal isn't going to be the end of the world!
  • ernestrodgers82
    ernestrodgers82 Posts: 203 Member
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    logandiekmann15 wrote: »
    What are some good tips for eating out? What do you usually eat? What are some places that offer healthy options?

    I try to stay away from chain restaurants and stick with places that actually cook food rather than just "assemble" food items. I've also ordered all vegetable sides and no meat, which saves both money and calories!
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I drink water or unsweet tea. If I am in hard core mode I will eat two grilled chicken breast and not the bun but mostly I go for the sandwich. Skip the fries and mayo but mustard is okay. I think salads are over rated and often have more calories than posted. At nicer places I can get a 6 oz lean meat or fish and grilled veggies and do really well. Once again you have to not eat the bread or potatoes.
  • mom2wessarah
    mom2wessarah Posts: 72 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I was just faced this today. I was meeting a friend for lunch and she wanted Buffalo Wild Wings. I prepared by looking up their nutrition information first, and decided what to get before I even stepped into the restaurant. Most chain restaurants post nutrition information online.

    If you're going out to a more formal place, ask for no bread, or make sure the basket is far from you if others at the table want it. Restaurants tend to provide very large portions; ask for a to go box right at the beginning of the meal and put some portion in the box right away. I even sometimes bring my small food scale to the restaurant (I know I'm a nerd).

    Plus the biggest tip is to ask questions! Most restaurants are very accommodating and will substitute, make without butter or little oil, etc. Just smile and ask nicely.

    Enjoy!
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
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    Restaurants--if I can find a menu online in advance, I spend some time planning my order. Otherwise I stick with salads w/very light dressing/toppings. Grilled fish tacos are easy to log and will stuff you. Grilled fish and veggies in general work well. I go out a lot and I eat what I'm craving the most, but I definitely plan my day around it and make sure I'm making great choices for the sides.

    Fast food: I rarely do it but Jack & the Box chicken fajita pita is in the 300's. Anywhere else I'd get a kids meal.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    Ask for a take-out box and split your meal in half. Pre-log or at least look up nutritional info for the meal you want.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    McChicken with no mayo (mostly so they have to make a fresh one) and a small fry. 550 calories is still quite a bit for me as I am petite, but it's not going to make me go way over calories.
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
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    If you're cool with Chik-fil-a, they added a few lower calorie items to their menu. New salads, grilled nuggets, etc. Calorie count ranges are posted on their menu in store, so it's easy to weed out food that isn't going to fit into your day.

    I usually eat at non-chain restaurants, so I try to find a comparable meal at a chain restaurant (and go with higher cal entries). A cheeseburger at a local place might get tracked as a cheeseburger from Red Robin, etc. I also save exercise calories during as a buffer for my restaurant/going out days.
  • gatorsong
    gatorsong Posts: 7,000 Member
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    Find places that post their nutrition information and judge what you can fit in. I like to find places that are not your usual fast food trips. One I've found in my area that I really enjoy is Tropical Smoothie Cafe (actually eating from there right now). Their food is customizable and tastes really good. Do a little research before hand and you can find something. Sub out buns, get lettuce wraps, get chicken instead of beef, ditch the condiments or put it on yourself so there's not too much. There are lots of ways to make eating out a little less damaging to your goals.
  • willworkoutforwine
    willworkoutforwine Posts: 64 Member
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    I eat out quite a bit when life is busy and prefer restaurants that offer fresh food vs traditional fast food like McD's. Some of my favorite places are Qdoba, Moe's, Panera, Chick-fil-a and Jimmy John's (swap bread for lettuce wrap!). If I'm really in a pinch, I order from the fresco menu at Taco Bell. I've done some research so I have a go-to order at each of these places. A good rule of thumb for me is to skip cheese, most fried items and high cal sauces in general. Salads can be deceivingly bad at restaurants, plus I can make easily make them at home, so I rarely have a salad at a restaurant ... but if I do, I love the side salad at Chick-fil-a with fat free honey mustard dressing (skip the fried topping they put on the side).

    I'm not a fan of Subway but they do have some low cal options.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,089 Member
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    Simple rules for fast-food diet control:

    1. Limit fried options
    2. Limit high-cal sides (bread & potatoes especially)
    3. Choose your drink wisely

    Some choices violate multiple of those rules (think french fries) but are easily substituted out for other options. You can easily eat at most fast-food places for under 800 calories by watching out for those three rules, and some places you can eat for under 500 calories yet be full. My personal favorite in the latter category is Pita Pit, which loads tons of meat and veggies inside a very thin pita wrap (rather than super-thick slabs of bread). Avoid high-calories sauces (mayo) and pick high-flavor sauces (sriracha, tobasco) and you can get an entire sandwich for just a couple hundred calories. Add some baked chips or fruit with water and voila, high-protein, high-fiber, low-cal meal from a fast-food joint.

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