What do you eat when the restaurant doesn't show calories?

2

Replies

  • Living4Liz2012
    Living4Liz2012 Posts: 312
    Kinda hard to say if you do eat your favorite foods have a small portion.
    You could also have a side salad with low fat dressing
    stick with chicken(grilled)...don't be afraid to tell them to hold the mayo, and instead of fries have a steamed veggie on the side
  • joe7880
    joe7880 Posts: 92 Member
    Thank you so much. Everyone is very helpful. I'm so thankful that I found this site. Going to Outback Steakhouse and going for grilled fish and veggies and salad. I'll bring my own dressing. No bread and no cheese fries for me anymore.

    Looks like other members put in the calories for some items at outback already. Maybe you should take a look at them to help you decide what to eat.

    Edit: what you picked sounds good also btw!
  • msgremmy
    msgremmy Posts: 88
    My perspective is that if I'm eating out, I want to enjoy something I can't (or won't) make at home. If a restaurant happens to have a yummy salad, that's great-- but I won't force it. And if I want fries, I eat my husband's :) They taste better from his plate anyway, and that way we share and I can't eat them all. I also believe in portioning the meal. These days I'll actually eat the leftovers for lunch, so that's one other thing I don't have to worry about!

    Enjoy dinner!
  • niknak2308
    niknak2308 Posts: 315 Member
    Generally if I'm being good I'll try to order something low-carb. If I'm feeling naughty I'll order what I actually want and just deal with the consequences later.
  • RiverMelSong
    RiverMelSong Posts: 456 Member
    I don't go to restaurants very often, so when I do I see it as a treat and order whatever the heck I feel like :)
  • mrsdizzyd84
    mrsdizzyd84 Posts: 422 Member
    In those cases I order things I can easily guesstimate. For example, lean protein, veggies, and a carb are usually pretty easy to log. You do need are add some additional fat though.
  • Heaven71
    Heaven71 Posts: 706 Member
    salad and ask for vinegar and no oil.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    Lot's of options.

    1. Look it up beforehand on this site or on their website.
    2. Chose something generic (steak and baked potato) that I can roughly estimate from experience, or look up similar on my smart phone. The plainer the dish the less likely that it has been loaded up with fats.
    3. Say f-it and eat what I want and make up for it later.

    Avoid things with creamy dressings or sauces. I have found restaurants load those with sugar and fat to "make it taste better". Like the salads at Applebees, they have like 100 grams of fat, it must be all in the dressing as there is nothing else to them.
  • mrsdizzyd84
    mrsdizzyd84 Posts: 422 Member
    Another thing I do is cut down on the carbs by asking for veggies instead of the fries, mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. That really helps with the calories.
  • bergsangel
    bergsangel Posts: 131
    Outback's nutrition is on the web. I go for the small sirloin special..not so bad! The calories are in the apps, the toppings for potatoes, etc. Even the bread isn't that bad if you don't eat the whole loaf!
  • jiddu17
    jiddu17 Posts: 187 Member
    Sometimes I order breakfast. To me, an Egg White Omelet with Green Pepper, Onions and Feta with a side of Turkey Sausage always sounds good. We eat at a lot of Coney Islands. Lol.

    I was once told by someone who lost a great deal of weight that the minute she received her food, she requested a box and IMMEDIATELY put half of her meal into it.

    We do eat outside of our house frequently. I've started seeing it as part of our meal plan, not as a treat. So I WILL order a Turkey Burger with just pickles, onion and tomatoes or a Salad, maybe some soup. I eat like I would at home. And then I share an order of something "bad" with my husband. Even without knowing the calories, on the spot, I am certain that the starches are going to send the calories up higher. So, if my "something bad" is REALLY high, I will eat the Turkey Burger with no bun.I had to do something different, we apparently only cook at home 3-4 times per week. Once per month date night is the meal I eat half of, but I get what I want (which I have usually thought up long before we arrive - and usually have already logged into MFP)
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    I was once told by someone who lost a great deal of weight that the minute she received her food, she requested a box and IMMEDIATELY put half of her meal into it.

    When people ask me about my weight loss, I usually mention this first. It works for any diet, any belief about what's best and worst to eat.
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    guesstimate, but be realistic. For example, pasta from olive garden is not the same as if you make it.

    That depends on who is making it. I can cook a far better pasta dish than they can and a healthier one! ;)

    But in all seriousness, scan your choices and try to make the healthiest one you can. Life is meant to be enjoyed, don't stress to much over it. Go out, enjoy and make good choices and if they aren't so good, you get to start over again tomorrow! Enjoy your meal!
  • Kenhabes
    Kenhabes Posts: 187 Member
    Lean Meat + Veggies. Ask how many ounces of meat. Eat 3-4 ounces of it. For me, I would ask to put no extra salt.
  • 2012asv
    2012asv Posts: 702 Member
    Anything that isn't covered with mystery sauce and stuff! So grilled chicken, salad, steak, things I can easily estimate because typically it's the same.
  • Moosiklaydy
    Moosiklaydy Posts: 37
    Anything that has some kind of sauce or dressing should always have it ON THE SIDE. AVOID ANYTHING COATED IN A CREAM OR BUTTER SAUCE. Go for the basics like grilled chicken or fish. If you get a salad, be wary of sneaky, fatty things like excess cheese or tortilla strips.
  • awmejia
    awmejia Posts: 147 Member
    Grilled chicken and tons of veggies if possible then have them bring a to go box out and put half of what ever I get in that box
  • arps05
    arps05 Posts: 2
    Try to stay away from anything that has a "cream sauce", or cheese added to it...if you want some cheese, always ask for it on the side - Grilled proteins (chicken, beef, shrimp, fish) are always great choices, as well as grilled or steamed vegetables - You can always ask if they have brown rice instead of white, stir fry dishes aren't too bad, aside from the sodium content on there... the hardest seem to be Italian restaurants, where most things are pastas etc... again, see if they have grilled chicken dishes, and see if you can get some veggies on the side rather than pasta - IF you must have pasta, just limit yourself to the INSIDE portion of your palm size...avoid things that are breaded, and deep fried...hope that helps...
  • beckylawrence70
    beckylawrence70 Posts: 752 Member
    If I'm going to a restaurant, I eat whatever I want..........I try to look it up as best as I can to log it.........
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
    I was once told by someone who lost a great deal of weight that the minute she received her food, she requested a box and IMMEDIATELY put half of her meal into it.

    Exactly this. There's always way more than enough food, and if it's sitting in front of me -- especially while chit-chatting and being generally distracted -- I'll just keep eating. With standard restaurant portions, I've never once felt like a 1/2 order wasn't more than enough. And, it's lunch or dinner for the following day, which is a nice way to spread your dollars as well as calories.

    And what others said -- look up the menu before hand, check out general calories, and decide what to eat before going. AND -- most importantly, enjoy!
  • lunatikchik
    lunatikchik Posts: 30 Member
    Baked/Broiled fish or chicken with Steamed Veggies :)
  • yentess
    yentess Posts: 167 Member
    Usually try to find a smallish steak, skip the potatoes and double up on whatever veggie side they offer.

    I do this too. It usually ends up to be around 400 calories.
  • knwitall
    knwitall Posts: 420 Member
    Eat whatever looks good to me. I don't eat out that often so i just chop it up to a cheat meal and keep it moving. Its ok to treat yourself every once in a while. But most likely i would order grilled chicken and a yummy salad.
  • irishchic1020
    irishchic1020 Posts: 3 Member
    Grilled Chicken Sandwich which usually comes with fries. BUT substitute the fries for a side salad with dressing on the side and no bun on the sandwich which leaves you with a cheaper meal than if you ordered an entree and a healthier option!
  • briyowes
    briyowes Posts: 757 Member
    Thank you so much. Everyone is very helpful. I'm so thankful that I found this site. Going to Outback Steakhouse and going for grilled fish and veggies and salad. I'll bring my own dressing. No bread and no cheese fries for me anymore.

    If you have time and know where you are going beforehand, you can look up the nutrition information online at the website for the restaurant. That what I usually do. Here is the information for Outback. http://www.outback.com/menu/nutritionselection.aspx
  • BodyByButter
    BodyByButter Posts: 563 Member
    Had this experience yesterday at a chain restaurant. I asked the server for calorie info and she brought me a binder from the back that had everything listed. Many of the numbers were shocking. I ended up with grilled salmon, asparagus and a salad with dressing on the side.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I don't log all the time now, but when I did, I mostly got what I wanted, and logged it as the closest thing at any other restaurant.. For instance, if I got lasagna at a locally owned restaurant, I'd log it as Olive Garden's. I treated big chain restaurant dinners as a worst case scenario... their portions are always huge, so chances are, I'd be over-estimating instead of under-estimating.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    You guys get it too easy in America. Almost nowhere here in France offers nutritional info so we always have to guess. It's good practise for making wise choices.
    I usually choose seafood or a lean meat. Aim for grilled if possible, and avoid creamy sauces. You can always ask for extra vegetables instead of the rice/potatoes etc. Vegetarian options can be good too, but not if laden with cheese.
    Also, since it's rude to sit there logging your food on your phone, take a quick snap on the phone's camera, then you can refer back to it when you log later.
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
    Hotwings and beer.


    Yes. Mmmm.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    I just eat what I want and to hell with calories.
    That's just me.
    It would depend on your goals and why you are out in the first place. I go out to enjoy a fabulous meal with no worries about health, calories or consequences.
    I go weekly and call it "free day".
    If I have to drag my diet into a restaurant, it's just not worth going.
    Go, and ENJOY :drinker:
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