Eating out is one of life's simple pleasures. Whether enjoying a sunny patio or grabbing dinner with friends after work, dining out is a great way to unwind and celebrate. But what if you’re trying to stick to a diet? How do you enjoy a meal at a restaurant without completely derailing your progress? Tracking calories when eating out can help you make informed choices to stay on target with your goals.
What are macros and micros? It's crucial to understand how they relate to dieting, especially when eating out. If you can grasp the concept of calories and their composition, you can make educated guesses about the nutritional content of items on a restaurant menu. This guide will give you key tips for tracking calories when eating out and counting calories faster with AI. One way to make tracking calories when eating out easier is to use Diet AI's calorie counting app. Using artificial intelligence, Diet AI's AI calorie counter can help you identify foods, count calories, and analyze the nutritional content of your meals so you can reach your diet goals even faster.
Table of Contents
Can You Eat Out on a Diet
Just because you’re watching what you eat doesn’t mean you have to swear off restaurants. Americans love eating out, and there's no reason why it can't be healthy. But you can't always find the amount of calories, fat, or salt in a restaurant's menu items. So follow these ordering tips to ensure you stay within your healthy diet.
Some Fats Are Good for You
Monounsaturated Fats
These are substituted for saturated fats in your diet. They help lower bad LDL cholesterol but don't reduce good HDL cholesterol. They are found in canola oil, olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts, and nut butters.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Help lower cholesterol. Found in fatty fish, vegetable oils, nuts, and sunflower seeds.
Fish Is Good for Your Heart
Fish is a healthy choice when dining out. Ordering seafood such as salmon and tuna adds omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. They are polyunsaturated fat that helps lower your heart disease risk. You’ll also find a different kind of omega-3 in walnuts and edamame (soybeans).
Avoid Fried Foods and Added Cheese
Eating out often means too much saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories. How can you spot the dangers? Saturated fats come primarily from meat and whole-fat dairy foods. Tropical oils like palm, coconut, and butter are also saturated fats. Cholesterol is found in animal fats. The saturated fat and cholesterol in the foods you eat increase your cholesterol levels.
Spotting High-Sodium Foods
Restaurant foods can be very high in sodium, or salt. If you are watching your sodium as many Americans need to, watch for:
Foods that are pickled, smoked, in broth, or au jus
Cocktail sauce, soy, or teriyaki sauce
MSG
Look for low-sodium soy sauce. And ask that your food be prepared without added salt or MSG.
Have a Heart
Some restaurants have tuned into heart-healthy eating. They offer low-fat, low-salt, low-cholesterol menu items designated with a heart icon. Don't confuse this with the favorites icon, which can be a flag for popular, fatty choices. One delicious heart-healthy option is grilled fish filets, a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Don't Be Afraid to Ask
In restaurants where food is cooked to order, you can make special requests for lighter fare. If you're counting calories or keeping an eye on saturated fat, cholesterol, or sodium, tell your server. Ask what's in a dish. Find out how it's cooked. A chef can often prepare food using less oil, no butter, or no added salt. If there is sauce, salad dressing, or gravy, get it on the side. Then, you can dip or skip it and use less.
Clues to Unhealthy Dishes
Concerned about high cholesterol, diabetes, or losing weight? Read menus carefully.
Thumbs Down
Fried, au gratin, braised, buttered, creamed, escalloped
Hollandaise, cheese, or cream sauce
In gravy, pan-fried or roasted, rich, in butter sauce.
Clues to Healthy Nutrition
Grilled chicken vs. fried chicken. Broiled fish vs. fried fish. When dining out, look for possible code words for healthier food with less saturated fat.
Thumbs Up
Baked, broiled, grilled
Poached, roasted, steamed
In its juice, garden fresh
How to Track Calories When Eating Out in 6 Simple Ways
1. Use Diet AI for Counting Calories
DietAI transforms tracking calories with an AI-driven calorie counting app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. With DietAI, all you need to do is take a picture of your food, and our app will instantly analyze your meal and deliver accurate calorie and macro information without any manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods. Whether trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
2. Looking Up Calories Beforehand
The internet can be a beautiful place for tracking calories at restaurants. Thankfully, we live in an era where smartphones hold the same power Ronald Reagan used to run the free world. Many restaurants are now working to be transparent about what is in their food. Many restaurants have their nutrition information somewhere on their website.
3. One Plate Rule
When it comes to fat loss, especially, how much you eat is more important than what you eat. What I mean by this is that it is way less about what you are eating specifically, because as long as you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose body fat. This works out well for you when you are eating out at restaurants. I have something I have my online coaching clients do all the time, and that is to utilize the one plate rule. The one plate rule is simply this: no matter what you eat during that meal, it has to fit on one plate. This includes appetizers, entrees, and desserts. If you cannot fit it on a plate together, you need to scale back your portion size. What this does is, without tracking calories meticulously, it allows you to keep your calories in check. If you stick to your food being able to fit on one plate, you can inherently only fit so many calories on that one plate.
4. What Makes Up The One Plate
When it comes to how to track calories at restaurants, if you stick to the one plate rule mentioned above you are going to win, I promise. Yet if you want to take it up a notch, here is how you can do that. You know everything has to fit on one plate, but you want to be mindful of what is on that plate, right? Of course you do; you're a hard-working dieter. Here is how you can do that. That one plate has to composed of 1 palm size portion of protein (1/4 of the plate) 2 fist fuls of vegetables (1/2 of the plate) 1 cupped handful of carbs (1/4 of the plate) Now you have narrowed down and gotten even more specific with keeping your calories in check when you may not be able to count them perfectly.
Friendly Reminder
This strategy is not only used when eating at a restaurant. This can be used at your friend's house for the football game or your grandma's house for Sunday night dinner. The beauty of this strategy is that it is yet another way to keep your calories in check without counting calories meticulously. God willing, you will always have your hand portioning your proteins, carbs, and vegetables. You will always have your eyeball to measure portions on the plate. Protein is usually lower to moderate in calories and incredibly filling. Vegetables are typically low in calories and incredibly filling as well. Then you still leave room for your beloved carbs.
5. Use Your Knowledge
One of the beautiful things about tracking calories is that you learn so much from it. You understand that 100g of cooked rice has about 130 calories. You also know roughly how much 100g of cooked rice looks like to the eye. This is one of the main reasons I have my clients count calories. The information you can learn from it. When you run into situations like eating out where you cannot track your calories, your previous experience will come into play. You can order a dish, scan it, and get a rough estimate for how many calories each portion of the meal is.
6. Overestimate
My last strategy for tracking calories at restaurants is to simply overestimate the calories you are eating, especially if you are on a calorie deficit. Let’s take the example above. Say you order steak, rice, and broccoli for your meal. From your previous calorie counting knowledge, it looks like roughly 100g of cooked rice and 7 oz of steak. What can you do? Simply add 50-100 extra calories for each one of them. Instead of recording 100g of rice, record, say, 140 or 150g, rather than inputting 7 oz of steak, input 8 or 9oz. This will automatically add a bit to the total. If you overestimate one of 3 things will happen.
You overestimate and stay under your calorie deficit. You overestimated it more than you thought, so you are spot on. You overestimated, which was more than what you even overestimated. You are still closer than last time, though. Again, this is all based on getting as close as possible and being as consistent as possible, not worrying about perfection.
Related Reading
• Do Minerals Have Calories
• How Long in a Calorie Deficit to See Results
• How to Use a Food Scale to Lose Weight
• Can You Eat Pizza on a Diet
• Do Carbs Make You Fat
• Why Am I Not Losing Fat in a Calorie Deficit
• What Are Net Calories
• Is the Fitness App Accurate
• How Many Calories Below Bmr to Lose Weight
12 Expert Tips for Eating Out on a Diet
1. Prep for Success by Reviewing the Menu Before You Go
Familiarize yourself with the menu before setting foot inside the restaurant. You’re more likely to make unhealthy choices when you're hungry or distracted. The sight and smell of food can make sticking to a plan more difficult, especially if you are hungry. Choosing your food before you arrive makes it easier to avoid snap decisions you might regret later.
2. Curb Your Hunger with a Healthy Snack Before You Arrive
If you’re starving when you arrive at a restaurant, you may end up overeating. One way to combat this is to eat a healthy snack before you get there. A low-calorie, high-protein snack like yogurt could make you feel more full and help prevent overeating.
3. Drink Water Before and During Your Meal
Water is a fantastic choice for drinking before and with a meal, especially if you drink it instead of sugar-sweetened drinks. Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water can help reduce your intake of calories and added sugar. One study showed that people on a diet who drank 500 ml (17 oz) of water half an hour before a meal ate fewer calories and lost 44% more weight than those who didn’t.
4. Investigate How Food is Cooked and Prepared
The way food is cooked can have a significant impact on the amount of calories it contains. Look for food that has been steamed, grilled, roasted or poached. In general, these cooking methods equate to less fat and therefore fewer calories. Foods that are described on the menu as pan-fried, fried, crispy, crunchy or sautéed will usually contain more fat and more calories.
5. Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating means making conscious choices about what you consume and giving your full attention to the eating process. Take the time to savor the aromas and flavors of your meal and thoughts and feelings that arise while you eat. Mindful eating has been linked with healthier food choices in restaurants and can also help improve your self-control and prevent you from overeating.
6. Order Your Meal Before Everyone Else
Other people can influence our decisions without us noticing. People tend to mimic each other subconsciously in social situations, and dining out is no exception. People’s menu choices and eating behaviors can be highly influenced by the choices of different people at the table. If you’re eating with a group likely to order something that doesn’t fit your healthy eating plan, make sure you order first.
7. Start with Two Appetizers Instead of a Main
Studies show that people are more likely to overeat when served more portions. If you go to a restaurant where you know the portions are enormous, try ordering two appetizers instead of a main course. This can help you fill up without going overboard with the calories.
8. Slow Down and Chew Thoroughly
Chewing your food thoroughly and eating more slowly could help you eat less. It can also make you feel full more quickly. When you’re eating, try counting a minimum number of chews per mouthful to stop yourself from eating too quickly. Putting your utensils between mouthfuls is also a good way to slow down and give your satiety signals some time to kick in.
9. Replace Dessert with a Cup of Coffee
Skip dessert and order a coffee instead. You’ll seriously cut calories and added sugar, and you’ll also get some of the incredible health benefits associated with coffee.
10. Avoid All-You-Can-Eat Buffets
People are notoriously bad at estimating portion sizes. So when faced with an unlimited food supply at a buffet, eating the right amount can be challenging. If you’re stuck with a buffet as your only choice, using a smaller plate might help you eat less. Another effective trick is to use a normal-sized plate and fill half of it with salad or vegetables.
11. Ask to Make a Healthy Swap
Most people aren’t eating enough vegetables. Vegetables are great since they contain very few calories but lots of healthy fiber and nutrients. For example, broccoli and spinach are extremely low in calories but high in fiber, vitamin C, and all sorts of beneficial plant compounds. Increasing vegetable intake has also been linked to a reduced risk of many diseases, including cancer, obesity, and depression. When you order your meal, ask the server to swap part of your meal, such as fries or potatoes, for extra vegetables or a salad. You’ll boost your vegetable intake and cut your calories.
12. Request Sauces or Dressings on the Side
Sauces and dressings can add a lot of extra fat and calories to a dish, so ask for your sauce on the side. For example, two tablespoons of ranch salad dressing will add 140 calories and 16 grams of fat to your meal. Keeping it separate will make controlling the amount you eat much easier.
Use DietAI for Macros and Caloric Tracking
DietAI transforms calorie counting with our AI calorie counting app. Take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
8 Best Calorie Counting Apps
1. Diet AI: Snap and Track
DietAI transforms calorie counting with our AI calorie counting app. Take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
2. Lifesum: A Comprehensive Nutrition App
Lifesum, a comprehensive fitness and health application, aids in monitoring people's diet, exercise, and the state of their bodies. Moreover, this myfitnesspal alternative is free and includes customized meal schedules, valuable tips and tricks to stay healthy, and regular workouts adapted for personal objectives. It is a myfitnesspal alternative with a barcode scanner.
Pros
User-friendly interface
Extensive food database
Personalized recommendations
Syncs with various devices and apps
Cons
Some features require a premium subscription
Occasional syncing issues with fitness trackers
Limited free version compared to competitors
3. Macro Sync: A Free Macro Tracking App
Macro Sync is an entirely free macro tracking app designed by Macros Inc.'s experts, leaders in nutrition coaching. Unlike many competitors that charge for premium features, everything in Macro Sync is free, including tools that other apps lock behind a paywall. With Macro Sync, you gain access to verified food entries, a barcode scanner for easy tracking, and the ability to set custom goals.
It’s a simple, user-friendly app that helps you track your macros, create personalized goals, and measure your progress. The app is updated regularly based on user feedback, ensuring it remains responsive to the community’s needs. While it’s still growing, and the database isn’t massive, Macro Sync’s development is fast-paced, with more entries regularly added. Macro Sync offers a fantastic solution backed by a trusted name in the industry for anyone looking to level up their nutrition tracking without hidden fees.
Pros
Completely free with premium-level features
Easy to use and customizable
Integrated barcode scanner for quick tracking
Verified entries by Macro Sync for accuracy
Community support and constant updates
Net carb tracking options for low-carb diets
Cons
The database is still expanding, but more entries are being added frequently
4. MacroFactor: A Smart Macro Tracker
MacroFactor is a standout app in the macro tracking space, offering an incredibly intuitive and user-friendly experience. As a nutritionist, I’ve been thrilled to see how this app goes beyond basic macro tracking to provide actionable insights that help users achieve their goals efficiently and sustainably. What makes MacroFactor unique is its science-backed algorithms that adapt to your progress. Unlike traditional macro apps, MacroFactor doesn’t just ask you to adjust your macros manually; it uses your input (like body weight changes and calorie intake) to update your targets dynamically. This makes it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a more innovative, data-driven way to track macros.
Pros
Automatically adjusts macros based on your actual results.
Focuses on long-term sustainability, not crash dieting.
Excellent user interface with a clean, modern design.
Integrates with fitness trackers for accurate calorie burn estimates.
Cons
It's free for only 7 days
5. MyMacros+: An Affordable Macro Tracker
MyMacros+ is the first paid-only macro tracking app on our list. However, it’s a one-off payment of $2.99, so it’s hardly breaking the bank! This provides access to the database of 5 million food items and a barcode and label scanner. The app is straightforward and includes an Apple Watch version, allowing you to track things on the move. You can add your recipes based on ingredient macros or include information available on labels.
This makes it quick and easy to track your macros throughout the day. The Pro version costs $1.99 a month, which gives you access to deeper data analysis and a diet summary. The Macro Coach option ($9.99 monthly) tracks your weekly targets for better progress analysis. MyMacros+ is perhaps not the best option for newbies, as it’s helpful to have some starting information. But if this is you, it’s a great way to level up your macro tracking.
Pros
Despite being paid-only, the app offers lots of good features for the price
Comprehensive options for tracking macros and diet goals
Apple Watch app is a nice addition
Macros Inc verified entries within the food database
Cons
It can be more time-consuming to learn
6. 1st Phorm App: A Dynamic Nutrition Tracking App
The 1st Phorm App is such a dynamic app. I recommend it strongly for busy people who don't have time to piece together a custom diet plan on their own because it puts an entire weight-loss ecosystem at your fingertips with a catalog of passive and interactive features. You'll track apps, plan a personalized meal plan, follow along with all the best workouts, and get guidance from an advisor. Let's start with meal planning. This app allows you to select a custom macro plan based on your goals and lifestyle.
Your barcode scanner is connected to the world's largest database of food! You can also save custom meals that you like for easy tracking. The workouts alone make this app worth its weight in gold. You're tapping into EMOM interval training, cross training/functional fitness, strength training, traditional workouts, weight-loss workouts, and workouts tailored for home exercise. Your workouts are customized for tailored results. There's even a visual progress tracker that keeps you motivated.
The thing that ties it all together to make this app such a powerful tool for success is direct personalized access to your TransPHORMation advisor. Get direct support for any questions at any point in your journey. You're also getting encouragement, support, and knowledge that can help you to see incredible progress from daily livestreams from registered dietitians and NASM-certified nutrition specialists. You can also join your fellow macro counters in competitions with opportunities to win up to $50,000.
Pros
Makes planning a custom meal plan so easy. You're tapped into the largest food database in the world. Just scan food to get information on practically anything!
Incredible selection of cutting-edge, relevant workouts for every type of fitness goal.
You can message advisors directly.
Live Streams are packed with helpful information.
You can customize your experience every step of the way.
I love the community aspect of the optional competitions.
Cons
While I love the weekly assessment, I'd love it if it went a little deeper because it's so valuable.
7. Fatsecret: A Simple Calorie Tracking App
FatSecret is a calorie counting and diet tracking app that allows users to log their food intake, track their exercise, set weight goals, and connect with a supportive community. It is myfitnesspal free alternative to MyFitnessPal.
Pros
Extensive food database
Free to use with no subscription required
User-friendly interface
Community support for motivation
Cons
Limited features compared to premium alternatives
Ads in the free version
The interface could be more modern
8. MyNetDiary: A Calorie Counting Powerhouse
MyNetDiary is a comprehensive app that helps you manage your diet and weight loss goals. This MyFitnessPal alternative offers calorie tracking, meal planning, exercise tracking, and personalized coaching to support your health journey.
Pros
Extensive food database with barcode scanning
Personalized coaching to keep you accountable
Integrates with fitness devices and apps
Cons
Some advanced features require a premium subscription
Relatively higher price point compared to similar apps
Related Reading
• Carnivore Macros for Weight Loss
• Weight Watchers vs Calorie Counting
• Macros for Mediterranean Diet
• How to Stick to a Calorie Deficit
• Losing Weight and Gaining Muscle
• How to Track Alcohol Macros
• Macros for 1200 Calorie Diet
• Intermittent Fasting and Macros
• Macros for Pcos Weight Loss
• Paleo Macros
Download DietAI Today for 80% Off!
Nutrition can be broken down into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients, or macros, are the nutrients your body needs in greater amounts. They provide the calories (energy) your body uses to function. There are three main types of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Each macro plays a different role in your health and body. For example, carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source, while protein is crucial for building, repairing, and maintaining tissues, including muscles. Fats support several body systems, including hormone regulation and cell structure. Micronutrients, or micros, are vitamins and minerals. These are essential for good health but are needed in smaller amounts. For example, foods rich in calcium and vitamin D support strong bones, while antioxidant compounds help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Both macros and micros are essential for optimal health. Tracking macros can help you reach specific health and fitness goals, such as losing fat, gaining muscle, or improving athletic performance. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
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