Judging Food Serves At Restaurants

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Julzmusic
Julzmusic Posts: 48 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi there,

I was wondering how you enter what you have eaten, if you have eaten out at a restaurant on to MFP?

I really struggle with my perception on how many grams is in a certain piece of food so I am not sure what to classify things as when I go on to my fitness pal.

My current example is a small predicament between a *Chicken Parmigiana* at a restaurant, assuming they cover it with topping etc. etc. and looking through, most of the parma's listed are only listed up to 400calories, but sometimes I feel like I'm eating 800 calories worth! Same with the *Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Risotto* I can't really find anything in MFP that I would be able to list it as.

So I was just wondering whether it be salad, pasta, grill, seafood, chinese or any pub meal - How do you judge your calorie intake (compared to most of the packet food that comes up on MFP)

Thanks guys!!

Replies

  • Josephina57
    Josephina57 Posts: 170 Member
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    Check if they have the nutrition information on line. That's what I did when we went to Outback.
  • Julzmusic
    Julzmusic Posts: 48 Member
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    Hey - I wish they did... Some cuisine specific restaurants do... however, I am just referring in this instance to any old pub/RSL and what pub meals should be interpretted as.. :)
  • LCBinGA
    LCBinGA Posts: 102 Member
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    Check if they have the nutrition information on line. That's what I did when we went to Outback.

    and so at Outback they cook their steaks with butter and lots of salt-o-season. this adds 5 extra grams of fat and lots-o-water weight .....total bummer! but you can ask for them to drop the salt and butter!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    It's always going to be a guessing game at restaurants (only fast food places post calories in Australia, not restaurants), all you can do is compare it to how much you would eat at home and take a good guess.
    In reality, every single thing we log is an estimate - even it its food from a packet, there is still going to be a margin for error. Just make the best guess you can and it should even out with the underestimates balancing out the overestimates.
  • laurajane30
    laurajane30 Posts: 6 Member
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    I had the same dilema today with chick parm. I used a 4oz chicken breast as a base (120 calories) and estimated my toppings. I believe I used a 350cal entry. This was leftovers from a low carb (but high fat) option at a restaurant so I left most of the toppings off when I re-heated.

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