We like to eat out. A lot.

Anyway, my husband and I are really getting into looking up the calories before we go somewhere (if possible). I'm thrilled that restaurants are finally putting nutrition information out there.

The calories of some of my favorite meals have blown my mind.(average calories:1400). My husband gets a baked potato meal at one of our favorite deli's. You think a potato is somehow healthy, but it is loaded with a lot of stuff. The calories=1600!!

Tonight I had a 1/2 cup of broccoli cheese soup and 1/2 turkey sandwich. My total calories for today has been 1340 and I had a Starbucks drink!

Does anyone want to share a favorite, low calorie meal you eat at a restaurant?

I happen to be a fan of Carl's Jr. BBQ chicken Sandwiches (330 cal).

Arby's roast beef sandwich is only 320 calories and the jr. is only 270. One of my favorite "treat" snacks. Gotta stay away from those shakes though, the calories in those things are truly scary.

I have to steer clear of restaurants, even the things i think might be ok to eat end up being bad for me lol

Well, I just learned that Applebee's has a Weight Watchers section on their menu and they list the calories for eat entree. It's great!! My husband and I went there Friday night and it was SO nice not wondering how many calories were in my meal, which was Grilled Chicken Breast with a Garlic Sauce, Roasted Red Peppers and Broccoli, Carrotts and Squash, YUM.

Cindy T

i go to websites before i go somewhere and choose my meal before i get there so i can plan the calories...
although i always fail at red lobster... those biscuits are just too good to be true and i eat a basket... or two... of them.

I love Swiss Chalet's 1/4 Chicken dinner...complete with skin, roll, dipping sauce, mashed potatoe and gravy....is 600 calories. It's a 'treat' dinner for me every once in a while because I feel like I've eaten a feast but I can still stay within my calorie allotment for the day. I think it's a Canadian restaurant though.

For many restaurants, it's really a help to look up the menu nutritional info online before you go. I list the names of three or four items that I can order without worry on a wallet card and take it with me. No stress! I always skip restaurant desserts unless it's a very special occasion (as in, once a year). You can double your calories by having dessert!

If the restaurants you like don't have nutritional info readily available, you can always guess on the basis of what FitDay or another tracker tells you. Obviously a "loaded" baked potato is going to be over the top... But a plain baked potato won't be. Portioning food also helps--eat only 1/3 to 1/2 of what you're served and take the rest home. Many entrees will feed a family of four!

The biscuits at Red Lobster are evil and I'm afraid to go there because of them!

Jay

What I hate most about restaurant eating, isn't the calories, it's the sodium. Even when I stay within my calorie allotment, I always seem to gain a couple pounds in water weight. Even though I'm on blood pressure medication, I tend towards low blood sodium levels, so a little extra salt once in a while isn't an issue for me, except for the water retention. It's so frustrating to get on the scale and know it's not "real" weight.

Check out my "eating out tips" I posted on BTTF on Friday:

http://www.backtothefridge.com/blog/eating-out-tips/

*wink*

Olive Garden's Venetian Apricot Chicken has only 380 calories - and I'm never able to eat the whole thing. Their Torta Di Chocolate (a lava cake) has 232 calories, which is great for splitting with someone.

Also like Red Lobster's Live Maine Lobster, steamed with no butter at 160 calories. It's expensive (the last time I had it I believe it was $60.00), but I love lobster! Lobster tails would be considerably less expensive and very low in calories (without butter).

anyone ever look at Dotties Weight Loss Zone? (DWLZ dot COM)... (((i really truly hope i dont get in any trouble for showing you this! im really super NEW and im still learning-i apologize if i did anything wrong)))a friend of mines who is doing Weight Watchers just showed it to me... she said it would really help me IF i even THINK about eating out... it has a million restaurants (scroll DOWN to see them all) and if you click on them they tell you all the foods they have and all the nutritional information... pretty cool huh?

I also use that website Eliz pointed out. I am sure glad it gives out nutrition info. I do not know what I would do without it.

Sarah

I go to Dottis all the time. Love it!

McDonald's classic chicken sandwich -grilled- 420 cal, plus it's on a very tasty wheat bun.

Arby's grilled chicken sandwich - 390 cal

Culver's single sourdough melt - 413 cal
" single cheese butterburger - 398 cal

These are some of the items I rely on when we go out. But, I never, ever eat the French fries anywhere (although I loooooove them and sometimes miss them). I also look for soups to have with or instead of the sandwich (Culver's has great soups!)