What Nutritionists Order When Eating Out

[braval]

A new study has found that only 1 out of 6 diners pay attention to posted nutrition information on menus -- and while some is better than none, the reality is that the each meal eaten outside of the home tacks on an average of 134 calories to your day.

What's worse is that even for those who are conscious of calorie counts at restaurants, another recent report analyzing foods from 42 restaurants found that nearly 1 in 5 of those numbers may actually be incorrect.

So with conflicting messages, what is a health conscious dieter to do? To help you navigate your next menu, we asked four nutritionists to tell us how they order at various types of restaurants, from a pizza place to an ice cream parlor to a burger joint.

 

[jared767]

I build my meal with a nutrition calculator before making my order. It helps a lot to keep myself within my limits.

 

[ManBeast]

It is probably harder to be exact at a resturant where you have a chef preparing the dishes to order because sometimes they use the "dash of this" type approach (I know I did/do on a couple of recipies, but only with spices).

ManBeast

 

[kingjod123]

I don't think you'll ever get an exact measurement at a restaurant. Like man beast said there's a "dash of this" approach every chef uses. Like butter on steaks and grilled fish and in sauces. I work with a nutritionist and he's cool with me ordering grilled chix or fish over salad with oil & vinegar dressing on the side. Or sashimi at a Japanese joint is always a safe bet. I just try to follow along the lines of whether I'm having a hi med or lo carb day on my rotation. Can't always be exact unless you make it yourself!

 

[T-Bone]

View attachment 52691

 

[SMC USA]

I request specific things .. like no potatoes or rice & double veggies .. any sauces I ask for on the side .. taste it .. you will know if you can eat it .. eat the top sirloin not the ribeye .. grilled not fried .. most restaurants will make it the way you want it .. its all how you ask them .. there will always be fluctuations in the macros but not usually something that will destroy you .. I also don't usually frequent them during busy times so the special requests aren't a bother ..

 

[fadi]

I love eating out, but not fast foods. I order top sirloin, grilled chicken breast, or salmon dishes. I always lookup the nutrition for the restaurants. They are not exact, granted... But I work from home, and going out to lunch is my way to vent.

 

[AaronJP1]

I recently really got heavy into cooking for myself, and lifting was a factor being single and just wanting to be healthier. Personally I don't worry or spend too much time counting just listen to your body and make good choices as far as food goes. I'm not a pro thus I dont put a lot of effort into it, I think sometimes people over think it.

 

[GreenEarth]

I go out and eat so little (usually cook at home), that usually I approximate caloric impact. After logging everything you eat and all of the macronutritional data for quite some time, you mind up with a sort of 6th-sense pertaining to nutritional info. You'll never be spot-on, but after eating you can look up food items and approximate how much you had.

Or, if you go out very little, just live it up and hop back on your diet tomorrow. Progress will be measured by your consistency, not by that one-day slip-up.

 

[fadi]

until I tracked portion sizes and calories for few days, I did not realize how much I was eating. I was under estimating my calory intake. I don't track calories, but it helps to set a baseline for portions.