Accounting for the macros in restaurant food can be quite a challenge, especially if you can’t find the meal posted online or in your tracking app. But that doesn’t mean you can never eat out.
Here are 9 tactics you can use to better hit your macros when eating out:
Decide how lenient you can afford to be
If your goal is to get super lean for a fast approaching event (think physique competition or wedding), you’ll need to be as accurate as possible. This may mean seldom eating out and choosing your dishes wisely. But for most dieters, the occasional meal out is no problem.
Fast to create room for more food
Restaurant meals are notoriously high in carbs and fat, so you’d do well to make room for this by skimping on carbs and fat early in the day. You’ll also want to make sure to eat enough protein leading up to your meal so you won’t find yourself short at the end of the day.
Know exactly how many macros you have left when choosing your meal
The number of macros you have to work with will dictate what type of dish you can order. More macros may leave room for a burger and fries, while poverty macros might mean ordering a salad with dressing on the side.
Look up the macros of the meal before you order
Don’t live dangerously. Try to look up the macros of a dish before you order. Five minutes of research online or looking through your app can prevent blowing through your macros early.
Simplify or customize to create your own meal
The simpler the dish, the easier it is to track. A 6-oz. chicken breast, baked potato, and portion of steamed veggies will be much easier to account for than a casserole. You can also customize your meal so you’ll have a better idea of what’s in it. For example, you can always request no butter or added oil with sauce and dressing on the side, or substitute one item for another.
Guestimate and overestimate
When guesstimating, you’ll never be dead on, but that’s okay! Eyeball your food and take a stab at identifying the items in it and their corresponding serving sizes. If your goal is fat loss, you may want to give yourself a cushion and overestimate by 10%. Chefs often add extra fat to food, so if you can see visible oil, you’ll want to log your meal with an extra tablespoon of oil.
Use the macros listed for a similar meal
If your restaurant doesn’t list the macros for your meal and you can’t find it in your app, use the macros from a similar dish already in the database or online! If several macros are listed for the same dish, take the average, or just use the higher number if you’re worried about fat gain.
Choose beverages sensibly
Be mindful when ordering drinks because the carbs in these bad boys can add up quickly! Speaking of drinks...alcohol is certainly not off limits, but you must account for the macros.
For information on how to track alcohol, click here.
Eat mindfully
Not all occasions warrant strict tracking! For example, if it’s your birthday or anniversary, you may want to simply eat mindfully and enjoy your special event. But this isn’t an excuse to eat everything in sight. Instead, practice moderation and estimation!
To read about these nine tactics in more detail, read our article "Flexible Dieting Hacks For Eating Out". Additionally, check out this video by one of our co-founders, Katie Coles, showing you exactly how to use some different strategies while dining out! How to Estimate Macros While Dining Out