<p>We would like to be able to go out to eat, enjoy a nice meal, have some choices, and not feel guilty afterwards. Applebee’s has a few meals for around 500 calories that are pretty good. Any other suggestions? Fast food is also always a struggle, so suggestions there would be helpful also.</p>
<p>It can be done. One of the keys is simply portion size. Ask for a “to go” box WITH your meal and shovel half of it in the box before you even eat.</p>
<p>Get the small burger (no mayo) and skip the fries. Add a side salad with low fat dressing. Light on the dressing. </p>
<p>Burrito places- skip the sour cream and cheese and only eat HALF of the massive burrito.</p>
<p>Pizza- eat a big salad to start and then one or 1 1/2 pieces of pizza with no greasy meat.</p>
<p>Red Lobster- get fish that isn’t fried or swimming in butter. ONE biscuit. Green veggie.</p>
<p>Applebees? Find a restaurant that is not a chain, you’ll find fresher ingredients, better selections, and help a local small business…Casual fast food like Applebees and the like are caloric killers</p>
<p>A small steak like filet mignon with asparagus or broccoli. Surprisingly few calories. About the same as a breast of chicken. No potatoes. No rolls.</p>
<p>Sashimi - chirashi.</p>
<p>Ask yourself “Is it fried?” “Is it too big?” “Is it a white carb?” “Is it loaded with sugar and/or fat?”</p>
<p>If you look up “eat this, not that”, you’ll see a link to Men’s Health’s regular feature that compares a good restaurant choice versus a calorie bomb choice. </p>
<p>As a side note, if you do like eating at Applebee’s be aware that very little of the food is actually cooked there. Most of it is pre-cooked, pre-portioned and then heated. Even the wings are just tossed in the fryer to crisp. All sauces, etc. are pre-done, usually delivered from a commissary. Many grill items like fish or chicken - not fried - are actually cooked on premises. So try those. This is why my slogan for Applebee’s is “It’s Almost Food.” (I learned this from a book about food in the US in which the author worked as an expediter at an Applebees.)</p>
<p>Along the line of Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday’s has a line of healthier choices, too.</p>
<p>Mini’s sugesstion is good, if you like raw fish. Even cooked Japanese food is fairly healthy. Skip the rice and go easy on the tempura, and you will be OK. Oh, and don’t OD on the soy sauce - the sodium in it will lead to water retention = temporary weight gain.</p>
<p>If you eat meat, a lean steak and a side salad with dressing on the side are good choices.</p>
<p>If there is a Nordstrom nearby, their cafe has decent selection of healthy, yummy salads (all calorie counts are posted on the menu) at decent prices.</p>
<p>When my husband and I want to splurge on a fattening dinner, we either get the take out box at the start of the meal and save half for dinner the next day, or we split a meal. We have a burger/steak place that we like to eat at and usually will get a large salad with the burger or chicken on top. If we really want to eat a burger with all the trimming along with the fries, we each order a side salad and split the burger and fries. We also do this when we are on a “we spend to much money eating out” kick; it saves money and we are both satisfied!! And boy does that chili cheese burger taste delicious :)</p>
<p>Bring your own dressing. Beware of steak places that cook thigs in butter. Steamed fish (or yummy lobster!) over pasta. For Mexican, I avoid beans and go for fajita-type styles and skip the tortillas.</p>
<p>We splurge on a lunch instead of dinner. More time to digest.</p>
<p>You can also bring your own reusable take-out container.</p>
<p>Outback Steakhouse- avoid all bread, choose veg of the day instead of baked potato, order the 6 oz steak and take half home, maybe order the side salad (sans cheese) too.</p>
<p>Whole Foods hot bar or deli counter- focus on the proteins and vegs. (The prices will keep your portions small!)</p>
<p>Most restaurants will provide nutritional info if you ask. That’s how I would do it :)</p>
<p>sashimi - yes.
chirashi-zushi - I wish. Unfortunately, primarily white rice and although it’s often less sweetened than nigiri sushi rice, still quite the carb bomb.</p>
<p>With the rice, it is usually around 550 calories.</p>
<p>I will get a small salad and an appetizer, like a crab cake. Crab cakes aren’t diet, but one won’t kill you and often comes with more salad type stuff. </p>
<p>If I’m out with my family,mi just get a small salad and the three of them order main courses. I get some of each and they share. Sometimes it’s just twoncourse and a large salad. </p>
<p>We always tip well though when we do that.</p>
<p>I’ve become officially middle-aged. Our local diner has hot spiced shrimp on the salad bar. When we go out to eat I eat only from the salad bar which comes with my order of a healthy entree and side dish, and then have them hold and box the meal for me for to eat the next day.</p>
<p>Is there a Seasons 52 near you? It’s a small chain owned by the same folks who own Olive Garden and Red Lobster (of all places), but the food is LOTS healthier and more imaginative. Nothing on the menu exceeds 475 calories. They do it through a combination of portion control and lower-calorie ingredients prepared without heavy sauces. [Seasons</a> 52 - Menu - Nutritional Information - Nutritional Chart](<a href=“http://www.seasons52.com/menu/nutrition.asp]Seasons”>http://www.seasons52.com/menu/nutrition.asp)</p>
<p>When I visited my d in Montgomery County, MD recently, I noticed that the calorie counts for all items were printed in the menu. This is a great idea - you can’t pretend you’re not ordering two days’ worth of calories at a place like Cheesecake Factory or Macaroni Grill if you see it in black and white.</p>