Eating Out Calories

It’s so easy to underestimate the amount of calories that go into commercial foods. While perusing the menu at a popular food chain or walking down the line of steaming entrees and veg at a tried and true cafeteria, I think of how I might perhaps fix similar items at home. I think about the ingredients I might use to make that same dish, thinking that, well it can’t be that bad, what would be on it/in it that would make it so high calorie?

I decided to check out my latest edition of The Calorie King Calorie Fat & Carbohydrate Counter book. If you haven’t got one, run to your nearest bookstore or on-line seller and buy it. You’ll be glad you did. It’s invaluable. Anyway, in the back of the little pocket-sized book is what I consider a pretty reliable nutrition list of menu items from popular restaurants and fast food chains. Some of it will scare you! I’m not saying don’t eat these things or go to these places. What I am saying is to be sure you know what you’re getting. More information allows you to make an informed decision.

Listed below are a few items I found in the book with their calories written alongside. If you're limiting your calories to around say 1500 or even 1700 a day, many of these dishes would be totally out of the question. Check it out.

Appleby’s – Fiesta Lime Chicken – (entrée with sides and sauces) – 1285 calories! (at least Appleby’s does have a listing of Weight Watchers items on their menu which are not too bad.)

Burger King – Original Whopper sandwich – 680; Whopper Jr., (no cheese) – 370

Cheesecake Factory – per slice - Brownie Sundae – 970; Original Cheesecake – 630

Chili’s – Classic Nachos – with fajita chicken – 1630; with fajita beef – 1740

Dunkin’ Donuts – Powdered Cake donut – 310; Bagel – plain multigrain - 410

IHOP – Buttermilk pancakes – short stack (3) [without butter and syrup] - 330

Macaroni Grill – Primo Chicken Parmesan (dinner size) – 2220!

P.F. Chang’s – Lo Mein Beef (per whole dish) – 1375

Ruby Tuesday – Lemon Grilled Salmon (entrée without sides) – 505

Zaxby’s – Chicken Finger Plate – (regular entrée without sauce) – 1055

Lighter Menus

Last night, being Saturday night, my husband suggested we go out to dinner. Never one to turn down such an offer, I readily agreed. But immediately after saying yes, my thoughts turned to where, because where is an important factor when you're calorie counting. Luckily, right down the road is a Chili's Grill & Bar, and since my husband is also calorie counting these days, that was a great choice for us.

Like an increasing number of chain restaurants, Chili's offers a small section of its menu as lighter fare. The "Guiltless Grill" offers four entrees that include chicken, vegetarian, and fish. Granted, four doesn't sound like much, and it isn't, but if you go to Chili's website and click on the menu, at the very bottom there is the link to nutritional information for its entire menu. Everything offered in the restaurant is listed and you can then find what suits your taste and your calorie allowance. I will add that on the selection I made, the Guiltless Grill Chicken Sandwich, the restaurant menu says 490 calories, whereas my favorite calorie counting book, The Calorie King's Calorie Fat & Carbohydrate Counter, lists the same entree at a higher 535 calories. Such discrepancies do happen sometimes. For my money, I'm going with the menu listing, and not just because the number is lower. The booklet I have is 2 years old, there might have been an ingredient change since then that has lowered the calories. It's also possible that it's a typo. And finally, it's my understanding Calorie King gets their information from the restaurant chain, so why not go by the original source? If the menu gave the calorie count as higher than listed in the booklet, I would still go with the menu listing.

Other restaurant chains are beginning to offer lighter fare listed on their in-store menus, too so you can know at a glance and make an informed choice. (If in doubt as to whether the calories listed include everything on the plate as in the sides too, your server should know.) They include: Applebee's, Red Lobster, La Madeleine, Smoothie King, Luby's, and even Carvel ice cream stores. And of course, thanks to Jared, everybody knows about Subway. Restaurants owners are realizing that while there is a part of their customer base that still wants the biggest food serving of what ever they can get because they think it gives them better value, there is a growing number of customers who want lighter more normal servings with the nutrition information posted either right on the menu or at least on the restaurant website. By picking a place that offers lower calorie entrees, or taking the time for just a little research before you go, you can easily find something that fits your daily allowance so you can have just as good of a time as everybody else at the table!

Mexican Food Tonight!

One of my favorite foods is Mexican food, well TexMex. All that cheese, all that salsa, all that great flavor. What's not to like? It's also one of the most 'loaded' meals when it comes to calories, so it's not one of those kinds of meals you want every week.

But tonight, my husband and I will be joining a friend at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. That's where my little calorie counting book from The Calorie King, www.CalorieKing.com comes in handy. Even though the book doesn't have any calorie counts for this particular restaurant, I can still look up Mexican food and get a general idea of what I'm going to be facing. For example, it lists the "average enchilada" as 330 calories, an ounce of tortilla chips are listed as 150. (An ounce worth probably being about 17-20 chips.) About a half cup of refried beans are 160. These are all going to be guesses, yes. But it at least these numbers give me an idea, something to go on so that I don't throw caution to the wind and go crazy scarfing down all the chips and salsa before diving into a platter of 3 enchiladas, rice and beans followed by a dessert of flan or sopapillas covered in honey.

This is where portion control also comes in. Have a taste of everything, just don't devour everything. Will I go over my allotted days worth of calories? Perhaps. Will I beat myself up for it? Nope. Will I get right back on the horse tomorrow and start the day fresh with a clean sheet of paper to list my daily foods and calories? Absolutely.

Remember, this isn't so much a diet as it is a way of life. Some days are a little more difficult than others. The important thing is to stick with it, never give up, and be sure that you are the one in control, not the food.

Invest In A Reliable Calorie Book

FIFTH ENTRY: It's not possible to do this very well without one. Luckily, nutrition information that includes calories and the number of servings expected from most cans and boxes of food items, make it easier. But what about the foods that don't come out of a box or can? Do you know how many calories are in a banana or a bunch of fresh broccoli or a chicken breast? How about when you eat out? It might not be exact, but having the estimated caloric total of a couple of beef tacos helps you at least keep things in the ballpark and in perspective. And if you're lucky enough to have a book that includes a section on restaurants, that's even better. Really, it's not as overwhelming as it all sounds.
Calorie King's "Calorie, Fat, & Carbohydrate Counter," is an excellent little book. it's updated annually and contains the calories, fat grams, and carb grams for all kinds of foods including name brand items. There is a special section for ethnic fare and a special section for popular restaurant chains. I also like that the pocket size of this little paperback makes it incredibly easy to take along in your purse. When it's not there, I keep it in the kitchen for quick reference on items. I use mine daily.
There are several other calorie counter books in the nutrition section of most bookstores so find one you can easily work with and use it! They are invaluable. After awhile, you'll know the calorie count of your favorite foods by heart.
Now is also the time to make out your daily food diary, this time listing each food's calorie count. You'll see how quickly the numbers can add up with your old choices.
This is a critical step in moving forward in changing your lifestyle, eating better and eating lighter. It's really not that hard, but you have to want to do it. It's for you!