No matter how faithfully you keep track of your food intake when you're eating at home or brown-bagging it at work, you may find it difficult to count calories when you dine at a restaurant. Don't worry, however---there are a few simple methods you can use to monitor caloric intake whenever you eat out.
Step 1
Check the restaurant's website before you dine to see if a menu and nutritional information is posted. Although most fine dining establishments don't offer this information as their menus tend to change frequently, most major chain restaurants do make this information available. Chain restaurants in New York City that have15 or more establishments nationwide are required by law to display calorie content prominently on their menus and menu boards. Similar laws have also been enacted in Philadelphia and Seattle, as well as California.
Step 2
Carry a pocket calorie counter book. This will provide you with basic calorie counts for such dishes as a 12-oz. steak, a medium-sized baked potato or a tablespoon of butter. If you rely on this method of keeping track of your calories, your best bet is to stick to the simpler items on the menu, as you will need to be able to identify all ingredients and estimate their approximate amounts in order to add up the calories.
Step 3
Use a text messaging service such as Calorie Count Mobile to track your calories. Before you place your order, send a text message with the name of the food you're planning to eat, and receive a response with the calorie count information. You should be able to get results for specific items from most well-known chains. If you are eating in a non-chain dining establishment, however, you will need to request info for the individual ingredients in the dish you are ordering.
Step 4
Log in to a website such as the Daily Plate using your phone's browser (or from your laptop, should you be in the habit of carrying it with you) to pull up an extensive list of different foods and calorie counts. Access nutrition information such as carb count, fat grams, vitamins and minerals. Enter the foods you've consumed into an online food diary that can help you track your daily food consumption and monitor your progress toward the diet goals you've set.
Step 5
Download a calorie-counting application for your Droid, iPhone or Blackberry. A variety of applications are available for these phones that will allow you to track your calories, carbs, fat, protein, and other nutritional data, and even monitor your eating patterns. Calorie-counter apps include Lose It! for the iPhone, Calorie Counter for the Droid and Blackberry and Calorie Tracker for all three phones.
Things You'll Need
- Pocket-sized calorie counter book
- Cell phone with text messaging and web browsing capability
- iPhone, Droid or Blackberry with calorie-counter application
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