Calorie Counting and Dining out
 

So...as most of you can probably relate to...food is a very social thing for me and I LOVE to go out to eat. I feel as though for me to really be successful, I need to find places where I can still go out to eat and socalize with friends but make healthy choices. I have found a couple of places where I can do that, but I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions on good places to have dinner?
Chili's and Islands both have healthy menus, also Pei Wei has a noodle bowl that I split in half and is only 300 calories...but that is pretty much all I have found.
I'm trying to stay at 1200 calories a day, under 120 carbs and under 30g fat.
Any advice?

I found Uno works for me - really anywhere where I can disect thier menu online first and plan for it. Claorie counting is all about planning. I used to keep a little piece of paper in my wallet with calorie counts for restaurants we ate at frequently. It came in handy.

I'm delighted to see you have the exact same weight ticker I did before I removed mine. (It's wasn't moving, so I decided not to depress myself with it!) I realize that's an odd thing to say, but it's been one of those days where very very little things make me happy.

Cheers!

haha about the counter! =) We must have good taste! lol...
What is Uno?

Red Robin has a great calories counter and customizer online so you can customize your meals and count calories. Cosi (if you have any around you) is great, and TGI Fridays is a great spot too!

You have to remember also a restaurant may SAY this is only 300 calories but it could be more in actuality as the chef's aren't measuring portions out to a T.

When I want to eat out one place I love to go is a pho house. I usually eat pho tom or tai pho.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph%E1%BB%9F

Applebee's used to be a good choice for me. They had the Weight Watcher options. I don't have one around here any more, but looking at their menu online, it appears they still offer those options. It's points instead of calories but you could probably still get a close idea of how many calories, etc.

Outback isn't bad. They definitely have some good choices, and a lot of their grilled stuff doesn't have a lot of oils and sauces added to them. Last time I had their shrimp on the barbie a salad and half of a sweet potato. I was stuffed.

Next time you go to pei wei, try the edamame! It's healthy, full of protein, and definitely doable calorie wise. Of course, you can get a whole bag of it at the grocery store for less money, but still...

I get frustrated when a restaurant doesn't have their info available at the restaurant itself. I've decided that anywhere I go, I'm asking if they have it. I figure if enough people start asking about it, they might get a freaking clue!

Mmmm Pei Wei!! I miss it! I used to live right down the street from one when I lived in Raleigh.

I would check websites for nutrtional info before you go out. Decide what you are going to have before hand and don't look at the menu so you can't change your mind.

We have weird schedules and last night we needed dinner at around 11PM. Well, the only place open was Denny's and I was shocked that they have some new healthier options. The Chicken sausage is very spicy and good, and they have calories online.

wow you guys...thanks! Keep 'em coming! Love it!

Unfortunately I don't have an Uno or an Applebees near me...
Eumie--I can totally relate...I try to do my research before hand...but I don't know why everyone can't post their nutritional facts! rawr! lol...
Nella-I know! I <3 Pei Wei. I get the Dan-Dan noodle bowl with rice noodles instead of egg noodles. SO yummies!
Thanks again everyone...any other recommendations are so welcome! =)

My diet picks include: Resturants
Uno's (my fav pick)
Outback (look at their website if gives you ideas and how to ask for it)
If you feel you have strong control at that time you can go to a buffet style like Old country buffet or golden corral. I like it because your family can get what ever they want and you have great choices of salads, fruits, veggies(but watch what they are sitting in) and then pick what "other" items you want. Go online and plan ahead.
Chilli's: Guiltless menu Look online for info because some of them are higher than others and the salt can be high.

More fast food choices
KFC grilled chicken
Taco Bell Fresco meanu <--- really good and fits diet so well

Over all, I try to look online for all places in my area so that I know what I can have. I pick some good basics so if I am out with friends/family I don't have to worry and pick something way over.

I'm a big fan of independent, locally owned places so I'm finding it harder to eat out and know how many calories I'm consuming as most of the local places don't have a nutrition content list.

Today, I went to a local bakery/sandwich place with a friend and ordered a hummus sandwich with fruit. I ate half the sandwich and tried to decompose the components to figure out how many calories were in the dish - I was probably off (I can't really know about their hummus or their bread, as they make both on site), but I figure it's worth trying.

Originally Posted by beerab:
You have to remember also a restaurant may SAY this is only 300 calories but it could be more in actuality as the chef's aren't measuring portions out to a T.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph%E1%BB%9F

Yes, exactly. Or, they are using the closest item from the point they are standing. Study after study has shown that lower calorie options are vastly incongruent from what is advertised.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer.

That being said, if you are eating out infrequently, it is probably fine.

I'm with ya, it's definitely hard to stay on track when eating out a lot. Here are some of my favorite 'healthy' menu items (that actually taste good):

Mimi's Cafe: Marinara Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich w/fruit cup • 650 calories

PF Chang's/Pei Wei: 1/2 order Ginger Chicken & Broccoli w/ 1/2 cup brown rice • 560 calories

Olive Garden: Linguine Alla Marinara w/ minestrone soup • 600 calories

Thank you there are some good suggestions in this thread! I defintely try to chose restaurants that offer easy to find calorie information before I dine out.

What about Japanese food? Most of the Japanese food places around here aren't big enough to post their nutritional facts. Do you thnk I'd be safe with a little miso and some veggie rolls? (I have a craving, can you tell? lol)

Also...anyone ever been to the Veggie Grill? I've heard good things, but it's all vegetarian...is it any good?

I also had a friend recommend Charo Chicken. Has anyone been there?

Also, I understand that the calorie counts might not be perfect when I go to a restaurant...but my thought process is that I'm more likely to stay on track if this is a way I don't deny myself. Does that make sense? I usually account for about 50 calories over what they say. Food is such a social thing for me...I don't think I could handle being on this program if I didn't go out once a week or so.

Thanks again for the great advice, everyone!

I agree with the idea of checking out the online menus before going out to eat. USUALLY, every place has some healthy options or things that can be requested healthier. If you know your going out after work or whenever, just calculate everything before you go, then don't even look at the menu when you get there (you'll just be tempted...or atleast I would be).

StellarGirl - you are actually very fortunate to be in California because a new law just went into effect requiring all chain restaurants with 20 or more stores to make available nutritional data (calories, fat, carbs, sodium). Sometimes it's posted right on the menu, and sometimes its in a bar menu or other separate sheet. It makes it so much easier to judge how good or bad something is before ordering. Obviously there will be some variance due to actual cooking technique used, but it can help you avoid some serious land mines in things that seem like they'd be a good choice.

Originally Posted by SaySumthing:
StellarGirl - you are actually very fortunate to be in California because a new law just went into effect requiring all chain restaurants with 20 or more stores to make available nutritional data (calories, fat, carbs, sodium). Sometimes it's posted right on the menu, and sometimes its in a bar menu or other separate sheet. It makes it so much easier to judge how good or bad something is before ordering. Obviously there will be some variance due to actual cooking technique used, but it can help you avoid some serious land mines in things that seem like they'd be a good choice.

I am from CA and took my summer vacation there this year (now live in WI). It was so great to have nutritional info on the table! If I remember correctly I lost 4-6 lbs while on vacation! ...what gets me is that many of these restaurants still won't post the info on their websites! I know I can look at other sites but I think there is more accountability if they post it. ...but oh well, maybe other states will pass the same laws. Or I just move back to Cali. :D

A lot of the major chains do have their nutritional information on their website; just look for the "nutrition" link. Also, a lady has put together a website that has the WW points for many different restaurants, and she also includes a lot of other nutritional information as well.

Since I'm new I'm not super-comfortable posting a link to the website, so I did a search here and see it's mentioned many times. Read post #4 on this page:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/calo...-counters.html

Hope this helps!

I actually eat out quite a lot and have lost weight doing it. I just love the social aspect of going out to eat, and I honestly don't think I could give it up. I, too, check menus on websites for chain places. Macaroni Grill has a nice grilled chicken speidini with roasted vegetables that I enjoy lately. I also like the "naked tenders" at Buffalo Wild Wings...it's basically grilled chicken tenders and then I order a few of the lighter sauces on the side for dipping, such as the teryaki and Asian zing.

In general, when I eat out I'm looking for some type of grilled chicken, lean steak (like a filet) or a turkey club with no bacon and mayo on whole grain bread. We actually go to Mexican places a lot and I order chicken fajitas. I don't eat the sour cream or cheese or many of the oily veggies actually...just pick out the meat, degrease it a little with paper napkins, and load it up onto a flour or corn tortilla. If it's flour, I just eat one tortilla. I load up on salsa too because it's generally not bad for you. If I can order vegetarian style black beans, I do that too.

At burger places, I do a salad with low-fat ranch and a burger with about 1/3 of the bun. I strategically tear up the bread to create kind of a smaller bun for myself. LOL. I load up on tomatoes, onions, lettuce, etc.

At steak places, I do a filet and plain baked potato. Yum!

We have a great BBQ place where I order smoked turkey and a plain baked potato. All the sauces are on the side, so I just control my portion of sauce by dipping bit by bit rather than dousing it.

These are some of my strategies and I actually swear by them. I look forward to eating out, and I've learned to do it in a much healthier way. I will say that if I do go out for one meal, then I make sure to go a little lighter for my other meals and snacks, because you can't be for sure how many calories you're consuming at the restaurant. But at least you can go there making healthier choices and still lose weight.

I'm not sure about exact places but what I've done is gone to the website of each place that I eat at on a regular basis, looked at the nutritional info and picked a couple foods that are low calorie from there and wrote on down on an index card. I have a section in my purse that just has the index cards that way when I go out to eat I know what I can have and it so far has stopped me from going over in calories.

thanks for the suggestions, all! Keep 'em coming!

saysumthing...you are right..I have been fortunate to find some options at my favorite places because of the nutrition information...

Some new things I have found are:
PF Changs: steamed veggie dumplings/budda's feast (no rice!)
Chili's: chicken fajitas with corn tortillas (no sour cream or cheese)
Flame Broiler: chicken veggie bowl with white meat chicken and brown rice! (I've been here like 2x a week! love!)

Let me know if you have somewhere else you guys like! Great suggestions here! =)