I'm going out to dinner and I don't know what to order!

I've only been counting my calories for about 3 weeks now. I've been making my own meals and not eating out. Tonight I have a dinner date and I'm not sure what I should order. Most restaurants have the same standard items, cheeseburgers, grilled chicken salad, chicken sandwhiches etc... Does anyone know any safe low calorie options? Should I get a burger with a veggie patty instead of the meat? I have about 800 calories left for dinner. Help!

Well...


start with a salad and make sure to use a light, clear salad dressing - nothing creamy like ranch or french.  and try to make sure there isn't any meat in the salad, unless it's grilled.

or start with a light, clear soup.  this fills you up pre-dinner.


it depends on what you're in the mood for.

if you get a pasta, get a tomato-based sauce.

Stay away from the words fried, sauteed, battered...etc.

and look for words like grilled, roasted and steamed.

Read what's in the meal, and then think about what they use to MAKE the meal.  If it sounds heavy, it probably is.


It's good that you're going out, though.  :D  Never let dieting interfere with your social life.

Have fun!

You've got a fair amount of calories left over...I'd order whatever I wanted (I'm thinking cheeseburger and fries!!) and box up half of it before you start eating. So order whatever you want, and then just eat half as much. 

If you do end up going over you calories, don't freak out. It's good to sometimes to eat more--it revs up your metabolism. Your body can get too used to eating low calorie and adjust so that you don't need as many calories (which means you don't lose as much weight!). 

Enjoy your dinner, and don't worry too much about one bad meal. Get right back on track tomorrow!

cheeseburger it is!

Thanks for the help guys... I mean gals!

Some places offer things that are supposed  to be like weight watchers,  like at the 99 or something, but you probably don't want to eat that.  Fish is really good though, with some greens.  I really like baked haddock, soo yummy!

 

Anyway, eating out is can be bad if you do it all the time.  Enjoy your dinner.

Does the restaurant have a website?  You could look it up and see what they offer for low cal foods. some places are just really hard to eat at because they really do not offer healthy/low cal items. CC has restaurants uner the food section. You may find someplace similar to where your going.  Broth based soup, or a small baked potato with grilled ckn or fish and ask for plain veggies is usually a good standby. Although I do agree with seallain, I would prefer the cheeseburger and fries, I've not done this for long and need to stay on track for now!

Some tips for restaurant eating: If you're not hungry anymore, stop eating! It's hard not to clean the plate sometimes. Throw your napkin on your plate when you're no longer hungry to keep from picking at the food. Research the restaurant online to see if they have a menu you can browse (this may help you avoid an impulse food choice) or see if they have their nutritional info posted. Order just a main (no pre-meal appetizer). Keep portion control in mind because restaurant portions are usually huge. Opt for salads. Sometimes burgers may seem like a good choice but the toppings and bread are killer. Order soup or salad as the side, not potatoes (hidden butter!) or fries. Don't drink your calories. If you MUST get dessert, split it with someone, or just grab an after dinner mint for a little sweetness. Or bring your own individually wrapped candy!

Original Post by cellophane_star:

Some tips for restaurant eating: If you're not hungry anymore, stop eating! It's hard not to clean the plate sometimes. Throw your napkin on your plate when you're no longer hungry to keep from picking at the food. Research the restaurant online to see if they have a menu you can browse (this may help you avoid an impulse food choice) or see if they have their nutritional info posted. Order just a main (no pre-meal appetizer). Keep portion control in mind because restaurant portions are usually huge. Opt for salads. Sometimes burgers may seem like a good choice but the toppings and bread are killer. Order soup or salad as the side, not potatoes (hidden butter!) or fries. Don't drink your calories. If you MUST get dessert, split it with someone, or just grab an after dinner mint for a little sweetness. Or bring your own individually wrapped candy!

 Good tips.  I'll add that a caesar side salad has just as many calories as fries, so avoid caesar salad like the plague.  With the dinner salads, watch the dressing.  If you can't get it on the side, a burger might actually be a better choice - particularly if you ditch the bun and eat the burger part with a knife and fork.  Fries are fine if you have self-control; only you know whether or not you can stop after eating ten fries.

I like to opt for a salad with grilled chicken. Use olive oil and vinegar, balsamic vinagrette, or some other clear dressing. I heard this tip and cut my dressing consumption IN HALF: dip your fork in your dressing and then load your fork with salad and enjoy. Tastes almost as good as drizzling it on!

Another favorite is some sort of baked fish with low-carb veggies (potato products count as a starch here, not a veggie). If something comes with fries, most places will substitute fruit instead (or a side salad). The fruit puts me a little over my carb limit but it gives me something sweet so the craving for dessert is virtually nonexistant.

And if you must order dessert: NEVER, EVER get a whole dessert for yourself. ALWAYS split it, one two or even three or four ways. This not only saves calories and guilt but also SAVES MONEY as well. =)  Always a bonus.

Besides pre-meal portion control (boxing up half is a very good suggestion - saves you calories and you'll have lunch for tomorrow) a big thing for me is end of meal portion control. I will nibble if it is in front of me. In this case, I always get my plate taken away as soon as I can when I am done eating. Keeping things more than an arms length away seems to help if the table is big enough.

Hope this helps! Good luck and HAVE FUN!

First, check for a website that lists the nutritional content of the foods.  If that isnt available steer clear of anything fried.  Go for broiled or baked fish or poultry.  Beef has way too many calories.  Ask for your veggies w/out sauce or butters.  Keep out of the bread basket and never order dessert. 

Use visualization to help you.  Remember too that Nothing Tastes as Good as Being THIN FEELS!!!!!