Calorie counting, portion size checking, and ingredient noting when eating out on outings andholiday

A quick fix is sugar, empty calories, instant energy but no nutrition so damaging your diet and the danger of damage to your teeth if used on a regular basis. 

If you eat out a lot at fast food restaurants, or go to restaurants on holiday, find out the calorie counts of your favourite foods. For example, at some fast food outlets you can check the calories in advance, and quickly announce your choice of whichever low calorie option is your favourite. 

I was shocked to find out, years later, that all my favourite foods were high calorie. For example, I would come home from school and eat beans on toast for tea. When I went out to an Italian restaurant I would choose chicken in white sauce with roast potatoes. Followed by a dessert with cream or custard. I always had desserts, and often several high calorie choice from the trolley.

Yet, when I was trying to get into a new tight dress to impress an ex-boyfriend, I had the sense, the knowledge, to order fruit salad without cream and to ask for it without syrup or to leave syrup.

My other favourite foods used to be Indian meals. Biriani - all that rice. Creamy sauces of korma. Sauces are extra calories, often flour instead of protein.

Instead of focusing on these foods, thick about healthy options and healthy restaurants. If you want to increase your vegetable intake, be sure to order either vegetable main course, or vegetable sides. Think about the vegetables and fruit you like. Every time you go to a restaurant ask for fruit and vegetables. Some restaurants devise a menu and want you to follow it. Some are only too happy to make up special dishes. Or to alter their menus following customer demand.

I did an analysis of my current weight, age, activity level, and got the result that I should eat 1252 calories.

In Starbucks I am safest with mint tea or black coffee.

What about Burger king, McDonalds, Wetherspoons, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Five Guys

Useful websites

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-our-food/nutrition-calculator.html

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/calorie-checker/

https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/94/calorie-calculator

https://parade.com/1162945/kaitlin-vogel/low-calorie-starbucks-drinks/

Update March  31 2022

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-10669857/Chefs-lead-backlash-against-calorie-counts-menus.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed_article&ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed