Restaurant Survival
Plan
My husband and I were preparing to meet some
friends for dinner at the Olive Garden.
Based on my weight of 125 lbs., level of exercise,
and slow metabolism, I have learned over time (and trial
and error) that to maintain my weight, I require
approximately 1,300 calories per day. That doesn't
seem like much when you consider a Big Mac (without
fries or a drink) is 540 calories or more than 1/3rd of
my daily intake! So needless to say, trying
to find restaurant menus that fit within my "daily
budget" is sometimes difficult.
I have found that the single most important step in
eating out is PLANNING AHEAD. It is
possible to enjoy great food and great friends without
sabotaging your efforts.
I try to make my daily caloric goal fun. I
pretend that instead of having $1,300.00 every day to
spend on insignificant "stuff", I have 1,300 calories a
day that I can spend on food. Each day is a new
day, and the bank miraculously deposits another 1,300
credits into my account each morning.
Awesome!
So when we planned to meet for dinner, I hopped
online to figure out what I could order with my
remaining 600 calories for the day. To my shock
and dismay, almost NOTHING fit into my plan! Even
Greg, my husband, who is trying to stay within
2,200-2,400 calories per day was frustrated.
For example, 1 serving of house salad with dressing
is 291 calories. Add one breadstick (and who can
eat just one?), is another 140 calories. Before I
could even get to my entree or drink, I would have used
up 431 calories!
The Tour of Italy is 2,000 calories. The
Chicken Marsala is 973 and Cappellini Pomodoro is
644.
After careful planning, I decided to order the
Venetian Apricot Chicken with steamed asparagus.
The meal was fabulous, and only contained 448
calories. I quickly divided the meal in half and
took half home. So I consumed 224 calories for my
entree, had one serving of salad at 291 and skipped the
breadstick. Since I had herbal tea with my meal,
no additional calories were consumed. So there I
was, triumphant in my quest, and completely satisfied
with my meal of 515 calories.
The trap here? Dessert! Beware...one
piece of Black-Tie Mousse cake is 1,352 calories!
Skip the cake and enjoy the thin chocolate mint wafer
you get with your check.
Want to plan ahead for your next restaurant
meal?
Click here to view our
"Restaurant Facts Nutrition" link. More than 452
restaurants are listed so navigating your way around
your next lunch or dinner should be a breeze.
I hope you enjoy this helpful tool! Have fun
"spending" YOUR daily deposit!
