Issues w/ eating out/restaurants

ZakWray
ZakWray Posts: 20 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
Hi Everyone. This is my first post in the forums.

I'm in my 3rd week using MFP. I love using the barcode facility on my iPhone to measure what I'm eating, I also recently purchased some scales to weigh certain foods and monitor portions which has also helped tremendously but what I'm still struggling with is managing calorie counting in restaurants. I eat out regularly and nowhere supplies any nutritional information. I'm basically left second guessing how many calories are in what, I've just opted for things like chicken and salad and chicken kebab w/ pitta bread, but it's still been impossible to know. The waitresses aren't much help either!

So is there a solution behind this or is the only alternative to buy products and eat in if we really want to know exactly what we're eating, feels like a shame if this is the case? Fwiw I live in the UK.

As a sidenote I've only just started taking calories seriously and I've been pretty shocked at the lengths products go to mislead. Displaying info in 1/4 of the pack etc, or using packaging to hide the info. I feel this info should be far more accessible than it is worldwide, no wonder so many people are oblivious to what they are consuming.

Zak

Replies

  • Dtrmnd86
    Dtrmnd86 Posts: 406 Member
    I'm not sure about the UK, but before we go out to eat, I check the website's nutritional values and know what I am going to order before getting there. This way I don't look at the menu to get tempted. If there are no calories listed anywhere (menu, online, etc) I check the database here. And still, if there is nothing, I try to pick something I *think* is okay. Like grilled chicken with veggies. If I get stuck without an healthy options, I'll only eat 1/2 or 3/4 of whatever I order.
  • pippyrlz23
    pippyrlz23 Posts: 40 Member
    If you know where you are going to eat...try seeing if they have a website with their nutritional values on it. Then you can pick what you are going to have ahead of time and know what the caloric intake will be. If you are going out to eat on a whim, try to go for something that has been baked or broiled. It will usually be lower in fat. Also if anything comes with a "cream sauce" ask for that on the side or without it completely. Salads are great and lots of restaurants have big salads for dinner. Vinaigrette or fat free dressings will be your best friend! :-) Hope this helps!
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
    Some places in the UK do have the nutritional values of their menus up on their websites, but they're few and far between. I'm afraid you are going to have to guestimate the calorie content of your menu choices.
  • hummzz
    hummzz Posts: 385 Member
    The best thing is to become your own chef. Even if the calories are low (which is unusual for most restaurants) the sodium will most always be high. I would just be disciplined and only eat out occasionally while on your journey.

    Or another solution is to only eat half of what is on your plate while eating out and take the other half home for the next day.
  • kathy0317
    kathy0317 Posts: 66
    Have you checked online? Restaurants (especially big chains) are may have nutrition info posted there.
    I've also looked online, before I go out, to see what the menus are like. I may even try to calculate the approx calorie count and then try to pre-decide what I will eat. (I look at what is in the menu item, and recreate the recipe to calculate)

    Takes a little extra work. Having looked at a few restaurants, you might be surprised what the count is on some items... as much as a whole day base calorie allotment.

    Good luck.
  • SharaLynnG
    SharaLynnG Posts: 10 Member
    I generally avoid restaurants that aren't chain because I know that I can find the calorie info for most chain restaurants here, even small ones. If it isn't chain, I'll try to find a similar food from a chain restaurant to add in it's place.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Go out and enjoy yourself and get back on track the next day. You should be able to indulge a little while out, what's the fun in going out and only getting the lowest cal or "healthiest" thing on the menu?
  • nikkiamor
    nikkiamor Posts: 7
    For restaurants i use the Unified LIfestyle Restaurant app, its pretty great and shows most restaurants!
    I then just create a food on MFP to log my calories(:
  • ZakWray
    ZakWray Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for the advice people. I'll try and stick to bigger chains then. It's a shame this info isn't just on menus, then again the place might not get as much business if they disclosed what some of their things contained!
  • ZakWray
    ZakWray Posts: 20 Member
    For restaurants i use the Unified LIfestyle Restaurant app, its pretty great and shows most restaurants!
    I then just create a food on MFP to log my calories(:

    Thanks for this, I think it's just applicable for the US/Canada though
  • dreilingda
    dreilingda Posts: 122 Member
    My job requires me to travel constantly so this is a problem I run into all the time. As some have said you usually have to plan in advance by checking a website or calling ahead to see if they will give you the nutrition info. Hole in the wall type places usually don't even know the info on their meals so you just have to go for something similar to what you might have had elsewhere and guess (grilled chicken, salads with low cal dressing, etc). God help you if you're trying to keep sodium intake down though...
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    Despite chains having nutrition info available, I prefer to go to local places that make their food fresh and to order. To me, the trade off is not having the exact numbers but having food that is fresher, made with less processed and pre-packaged ingredients and be an overall better meal. If I'm going spend the money and calories to eat out, I'm not going to waste that on chain restaurant food. A lot of the places I choose to go use fresh enough ingredients that I just add each component of the meal like I was cooking it myself since I know I don't have worry about over processed/over salted, saline injected, canned and pre made foods.

    Just my opinion though.
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