I'm beginning to dread going out to eat...

This is me. All the time. I hesitate making dinner plans with friends because I know they'll just want to go down to the local pub and get a parmagiana or something ridiculous.

Eating healthy at a restaurant is a challenge, but an important skill to learn for the long term
Here's my best tips for eating out:
- order something "plain". Like a grilled steak or fish or chicken. This way you can make a better guess about what you are eating, as the food isn't so hidden.
- ask for sauce/dressings on the side.
- ask for steamed veggies or plain rice as a side. They may have butter or oil added, but you can account for this.
- give the bread a miss. Push it to the other side of the table, or put a menu in front of it!
- Don't have dessert, or share it with someone. Look for something fruit based.
- Skip the wine or beer, or alternate - one alcoholic drink, one water or plain soda water.
- If you can check the menu online before you go, its easier to be prepared, even if they don't have calorie info (they never do where I live).
- In spite of what your mum told you, you DON'T have to eat everything on your plate!

Good luck, don't give up your social life, just find a way to work it in.

ugh, i hate it when that happens!

my best suggestion is to try to see the menu beforehand (most restaurants should have this on their website), so you can take your time and pick out a healthier option. you could also try eating half of it, and either sharing with the b/f or packing it up to eat at a later time.

i really wouldn't skip breakfast - it can cause overeating later in the day, and won't give your metabolism the jumpstart it needs. maybe you could also suggest a different type of activity, such as going to a movie (and skipping out on the popcorn), hanging out at an apartment, mini-golf, lasertag, etc...it would probably end up being cheaper as well!

@Rubybelle; one of my favourite things to do is to either eat half of what I get and save the rest for tomorrow at lunch, or eat all the protein and veggies first, after which I'm usually too full to eat the carbs. Eating slowly is also a good trick, and drinking lots of water with your meal - you feel full before you eat all that food! I also refuse to go anywhere where they can't give you a calorie menu, wither or not it's online or in the restaurant.

I was terrified of eating out. If you know you're going out, make sure you get a workout in, even if it has to be super early in the morning. Also, you can plan for it the rest of the day. I usually will have a 3 egg white omelet with low fat pepperoni, low fat cheese and mushrooms for breakfast on a day when I eat out. For lunch I will have a piece of fruit and hummus and rice cakes or a salad with a can of spicy thai tuna, and then I have plenty calories left over for dinner. Order a salad with dressing on the side, order a half size or order your meal and a take out box, so you can immediately put half of it in the to go box so you won't overeat, or pre-eat at home and then order an appetizer. Also, restaurants are completely accomodating. Ask them to grill a plain chicken breast for you and some steamed veggies, be creative. Most places will be able to make you what you want. Watch your drinks. Try ice water with lime in it. Mmmm, yummy!
Good luck, don't stress, and you get more comfortable with it as you go along.


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I just finished having this exact conversation with my boyfriend. Tomorrow we are going out to eat (again) unfortunately this has been a lot because his birthday is this weekend and everyone wants to feed him! We have also had 4 birthdays in the family these past 3 weeks.

Most restaurants list the ingredients...except the ones that we eat at which are mostly ethnic fare. Tomorrow is Hot Pot, all you can eat not less. To prepare for this, I am doing some extra cardio in the morning and eating light for my earlier meals. I will do the best that i can and not beat myself up if I go over. I find if I do the extra cardio, I really don't go over by much and besides, I'm good the rest of the week.

good luck!

I hear ya! I'd agree with still eating your breakfast and put in as much calorie-burning activities as you can plus plan what you're going to order and stick with it.

Plan Plan Plan,

Most menus you can find online now-a-days, so go on there and find something you can accurately count the calories for and you can work into your day so you know what you are ordering before you arrive. Stick to it and then make sure you drink lots of water and workout that day.

Some other good things to do if you can't pre plan are:
- Go vegetarian for the meal - you're invariably going to get less fats and more veggies
- Skip the sides; no rice for Indian or thai, no fries etc
- Maximise veggies, order side plates of veges for the table and fill up half your plate with them
- If you are having dessert split with someone or opt for a sweet tea
- Don't eat the whole portion, restaurants normally over serve massively
- Drink lots of water!

And keep some perspective - one dinner out now and then wont hurt you, just all the time

listen, I absolutely agree. Used to be you could go out and at least find somewhat healthy 'home cooked' meals but no more. All they feed you is greasy, processed poison. NO nutritional value
I'm cutting way back on restaurants and if someone wants to take me on a food date, IT BETTER NOT BE JUNK FOOD or that will be the last date.
Food should nourish us. We should eat to live, not live to eat. Get your b/f in the kitchen & cook together. (it burns calories & it's seductive)
yeah, I'm done pouring junk into my body. It's a temple, not an amusement park!

this one looks easier to read

http://www.shapefit.com/restaurants/cracker-barrel-calories.html

I NEVER want to worry about what I eat if I go out to a restaurant with family or friends on occasion. I think to many people become the "chosen frozen" when they stress out about what they are going to eat at any restaurant.
Especially if it's a celebration and you should be ENJOYING the time with friends or family, rather than contemplating whether or not you'll gain a pound. Blech. If it's occasional, ONE MEAL won't disrupt your goal even if you went over in calories by 1000 and you returned back to normal eating. In fact for some they may even, "kickstart" their slowed metabolisms because long term calorie reduction will do that.
Life is too short to worry if you ate 200-1000 calories over your limit.

All of these are great suggestions. There is one more I'd like to add:
You can always estimate the number of calories based on what you're eating. This is better than nothing, and it gives you some power when you feel hopeless/helpless.

I know that spinach is very low calorie and so are egg whites. If I get a spinach and egg white omelette, I can ballpark a figure. I usually always add oil or butter, because restaurants are notorious for adding fat! You can always request to have things cooked without added fats- a good way to avoid things in your food that you don't want is to tell your server you're allergic!

When all else fails, look for menu options that are labeled for Weight Watchers, etc. or order the kids' size.

During term time almost all my lunches are in the school dining room. It's proper, home cooking most of the time, but my calorie counts feel like random guesses. It does stress me out sometimes, but, like eating out, there's a social element too which I wouldn't want to miss, the variety is excellent and it's free!

Restaurants that I didn't like before are now some of my favourites because they list calories. Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant doesn't, which smacks of hupocrisy to me.

@Rubybelle; one of my favourite things to do is to either eat half of what I get and save the rest for tomorrow at lunch, or eat all the protein and veggies first, after which I'm usually too full to eat the carbs. Eating slowly is also a good trick, and drinking lots of water with your meal - you feel full before you eat all that food! I also refuse to go anywhere where they can't give you a calorie menu, wither or not it's online or in the restaurant.

more good tips here, thanks, I like the idea of eating the protein and veggies first, I'm going to add that to my list.
Menus with calorie counts aren't common in Australia (unless you want to eat at Mcdonalds, which I don't consider food) so that is not an option for me - I just pick the best looking option and estimate.