How to Track Macros When Eating Out
There are seven different strategies you can use to track macros when eating out. They include the plate method, the pre-game method, the online research method, the app method, the KISS method, the portion-control method, and the opt-out method. The best strategy for you depends on your goals and your timeline. Explore each method for macro-tracking while dining in a restaurant, and then use the list of macro-friendly restaurants and tips for eating out to keep your nutritional plan on track.
Should You Track Macros When Eating Out?
If you follow any variation of the macro diet, you should ask yourself a few questions before visiting any restaurant. The answers will help you decide if or how you should monitor your macros in a restaurant.
What is my goal for the macro diet? Do you have a very specific target in mind for your diet? For example, are you training for a competition or a race? Do you have a hard date in which you want to meet certain body composition goals? If so, you’ll want to choose a restaurant strategy that maintains your diet at the restaurant.
What is my timeline for reaching my goal? You may have a laid-back goal for weight loss or fat loss, but if your deadline is approaching, you may to be more stringent when dining out. If, on the other hand, you simply want to maintain good health with a generally macro-balanced diet, you can go a bit easier on yourself when in a restaurant.
How often do I eat out? Perhaps you travel for work and dining out with colleagues is part of your job. Or maybe you don’t like to cook and find yourself in the fast-food drive-thru lane several times a week. If you eat out often and want to balance your macros, you’ll need to use a specific and solid plan for tracking your restaurant meals.
The answers to these questions will guide your selection for the best restaurant strategy for dining out in a restaurant.
7 Ways to Track Macros When Eating Out
In Macro Diet for Dummies, I devote an entire chapter to dining out and traveling. But these methods should work if you don’t have your book handy.
Each of these strategies works for a certain type of person or in a certain situation. You may use a particular strategy during one restaurant visit and then use a different strategy during your next trip. Familiarize yourself with each method so you are empowered with various tools when dining out.
The Pre-Game Method
If you don’t want to hassle with macros while dining, you can set yourself up for macro success before you arrive at the restaurant. This method works best if you are eating out at dinner time, but it can also be tailored for breakfast or lunch.
When you use the pre-game method, you anticipate a higher intake of carbs and fat at your restaurant meal and dial back those macros earlier in the day.
For instance, if you plan to eat dinner at an Italian restaurant, you might look forward to enjoying a creamy dish of pasta. So for breakfast and lunch, choose non-starchy vegetables and lean protein. For example, you might have an egg-white omelette with spinach for breakfast and a chicken breast with broccoli for lunch. That way your higher-than-normal intake of starchy carbs and fat at dinner-time doesn’t have a strong impact on your overall macro balance for the day.
The Online-Research Method
Depending on your restaurant of choice, you may be able to evaluate the menu in advance and choose your meal according to your goals. Use the list below to see which popular chain restaurants provide nutritional information online. Some even have online calculators you can use to tailor your meal to your exact needs.
In most cases, it takes just 5-10 minutes to figure out what your macros will be for your meal. Then you can adjust your other meals accordingly (using the pre-game method) to balance your macros for the day. Or if your meal doesn’t fall too far outside of your typical macros, simply allow yourself some leeway for the day and enjoy your restaurant meal without making other meal adjustments.
The Plate Method
The plate method is a great strategy for those who a starting a new macro diet or for those who follow a macro diet while traveling. It is a way of balancing macros without logging and tracking every nutrient you eat. It is also helpful when dining out.
To use the plate method, you simply divide your plate into thirds or quarters and fill each section according to your macro needs.
People who follow 40/30/30 macros often divide their plate into thirds, with one section dedicated to protein, and two sections dedicated to fruits and veggies. Fat is generally used for cooking and flavoring food so it doesn’t need its own section.
For a balanced macro approach, divide your plate into four sections as suggested by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Fill one section with lean protein, one section with grains, one section with vegetables, and one section with fruit.
This strategy works especially well for restaurants that offer a buffet or family-style eating where you have control over what you put on your plate.
The Personalized Request Method
Many restaurants are more than happy to honor special requests. So if you don’t see anything that fits your dietary needs on the menu, simply ask your waiter for what you want. You may be able to tweak an entree that is already on the menu or you might want to make a unique request. Just keep in mind that the restaurant may have limited ingredients and limited time to spend on your meal.
For example, if you are dining at a burger joint and you are trying to dial back your carbs, ask for your burger of choice without the bun. Or if you are trying to cut back on fat and you are dining at a traditional steakhouse, ask for steamed veggies instead of a loaded potato. You can also use the tips below to tailor your meal to meet your needs.
The Portion Control Method
This method is best for someone who is using the macro diet for weight loss. The portion control method helps you to control calories while also addressing macronutrient balance. It is also a good method to know when dining in restaurants where portion sizes are known to be large.
To use this method, you should learn how to estimate portion sizes using your hand:
A single three-ounce serving of lean protein is about the size of the palm of your hand.
Your closed fist is equivalent to about one cup of vegetables
Your cupped hand is equivalent to about a half cup of starch (such as rice or pasta)
The tip of your thumb is equivalent to about one tablespoon of fat (such as cheese or butter).
Your thumbnail is equivalent to about one teaspoon of fat
Don’t be surprised if your plate comes with more than several servings of fat, starchy carbs, and protein. Simply ask for an extra plate and build your meal according to the portion sizes that work for you. Then take the remainder home for later.
The App Method
If your dining partners don’t mind you using your phone during the meal, you can track your meal at the table and eat accordingly. You’ll use your hand to estimate portion sizes (see above). Input each food into your tracking app to make sure you’re getting enough (but not too much) of each macro. Whatever you don’t eat can be saved for later.
Keep in mind that some apps have restaurant meals in their database. But sometimes the data is user-provided, meaning that it is some user’s estimation of what they think the macros are for a given meal. Other apps, however, have verified nutrient data that can come in handy when tracking macros in a restaurant.
The Opt-Out Method
This is the method that is recommended for people who don’t dine out often and have no pressing deadlines with regards to their macro diet. It’s easy—simply go to dinner, enjoy your meal, and don’t worry about the macros.
If this sounds too good to be true, don’t worry. It isn’t. Remember, any healthy eating plan should be sustainable and enjoyable. Otherwise you’re not likely to stick to it long enough to reach any goal or see any benefits. And unless there are medical contraindications, a single meal isn’t likely to make any significant difference to your overall health.
Most people can go to dinner and eat what they want without worrying about their macros. Enjoying good food with friends is important and healthy.
Macro-Friendly Restaurant Chains
The best macro-friendly restaurants provide detailed nutritional information online or in apps so you know exactly what your macro intake is with each meal. Macro-friendly restaurants also let you tailor your meal according to your nutritional preferences. For example, you might ask for dressing on the side if you ordered a salad and are watching your fat intake. Or you might be able to get an extra meat patty on your burger if you are trying to increase your protein intake.
For a list of fast food restaurants that are macro-friendly, along with healthy meals at each venue, check out my article on the Best Fast-Food Choices on a Macro Diet.
For casual chain restaurants, these are just some of the restaurants that offer online nutritional information and/or nutritional calculators. If you don’t see your favorite spot listed here, Google it and you may find what you need online.
Macro-Friendly Tips for Dining Out
Whether you choose to track your nutrients when you eat out or not, there are a few ways to optimize your macro-balance when in a restaurant. Depending on the meal, you can make your meal healthier with these tips:
At breakfast, build your meal around protein. For example, choose eggs over sugary selections (like pancakes or waffles with whipped cream) to get a meal that is more macro-balanced.
At lunch, choose an open-faced sandwich when you are trying to dial back your carb intake. If you’re watching calories or fat, get dressing on the side or request half the dressing mixed in when ordering a salad. Also, choose stock-based soups rather than creamy soups to keep calories in control.
At dinner, choose a lean protein and then pick sides that align with your nutritional goals. You can also use these suggestions for different types of fare:
At sushi restaurants, opt for sushi or sashimi instead of tempura-fried dishes
At Tex-Mex restaurants, skip the chips and salsa to keep carbs under control. Fajitas are a great choice, as are soft chicken tacos, or (unfried) bean-based selections.
At Italian restaurants, choose tomato-based sauces rather than creamy sauces to reduce the fat. Fill up on veggies or salad before diving into a bowl of pasta.
At a steakhouse, fill up on protein and dial back on the bread and potatoes. Ask for a side of veggies instead of the loaded baked potato.
Lastly, remember that the macro diet is meant to be a long-term, sustainable eating plan. You may choose to be more stringent with your macros to reach certain short-term goals. During those periods of time, you can use the strategies listed here to track macros when eating out. But in most situations, you can enjoy your restaurant meal without worrying about macros.
And don’t forget to pick up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies to learn more simple tips and easy macro diet hacks and recipes.