Restaurant Choices with Reasonably Low Calorie Meals

Chipotle has some decent meals since they let you pick out the ingredients. I usually have a decent meal between 350 to 450 calories. Mostly veggies with chicken and rice.

I found this site. It breaks down everything. https://fastfoodnutrition.org/

Not really restaurants, but fast food options.
Panda express, get the mixed vegetables and mushroom green beans or not-fried chicken dish(like broccoli, mushroom, or string bean chicken, or broccoli beef.
Whataburger will make any sandwich a salad if you ask for no bun and extra veggies. I like the grilled chicken melt.

Mexican restaurants are usually a safe bet because so much of the menu is veggies and grilled proteins. If you stay away from the obvious calorie adds (carbs, dairy, guac) you can still have a full tasty low calorie meal.

While most restaurants have entree salads you have to be careful about what they put on it. Cheese, bacon, croutons, avacado, nuts, and full fat dressing add up quick. You are often better off getting a grilled entree with a veggie side or basic side salad.

Online menus and nutrition information are your friend for pre-planning.

Personal favorite chains include:
Chipotle
Subway
Outback
Red Robin (only for their Ensenada Chicken, but great for groups and many different occasions so you don't usually have a hard time convincing people to go)

I’m not huge on eating out, but I’ve been driving a ton for work lately. Taco Bell has a few options if you look on the value menu. I like the cinnamon twist things when I’m really wanting something sweet.

McAlister’s Deli (Southern US chain) has a veggie chili and chicken tortilla soup that comes in under 300 for a bowl.

Ate at a local tex-mex type place this past weekend. I had to estimate calories, but I kind of deconstructed and think I did ok on guessing.

Cajun shrimp tacos in lettuce bowls, had 3. They would normally go in 6" flour tortillas. About 4 small breaded shrimp each. I had assumed grilled when looking at the menu (and because this place used to have several grilled shrimp tacos, but they changed their menu.) Chipotle Aioli. Found a diary entry for chipotel aioli @ 100 cals per tbsp and assumed 1 tbsp per taco. When they came, I really don't think it was that much. Perhaps 2 tbsp across the 3 - but figured that made up for the breading on the shrimp. And a cabbage blend, with some mango salsa.

AND not getting the tortillas allowed me more room for chips & salsa. I counted my chips lol. I had 20, and figure for most thin restaurant style chips: 12-14 per ounce. So logged 2 ounces.

Re: salad dressing. If a place really has no low calorie options (I can’t remember where I was recently but even their Italian was a cream dressing) you can always ask for some lemons and go with a spritz of lemon juice.

I’ve found that many Chinese restaurants have cooks who are happy to make something healthy if you just ask. I’m diabetic so I just say so, and the last place I went to, the cook said, “oh, my mother is diabetic, I will make what I would make for her.” I ended up with grilled fish, tofu and veggies with a spicy garlic sauce, and it was awesome.