Calories for over 130 eating out places

Members often ask me 'how do I deal with eating out – what should I enter in the app?'

We've got nutrition data for over 130 popular eating out chains and coffee shops in the UK. To see the full list in the app, tap the blue menu button at the top of your diary and select 'Eating Out'.

Choose the type of eating out establishment then find your favourite. Alternatively, type the name of the place in the search bar at the top of your diary.

If you can't find the restaurant you're eating at in our database, we suggest finding a similar meal from another restaurant – it's not perfect, but it will give you an idea of what's in your meal choice and it's better to enter something in your diary than leave it blank.

Nutritionist's picks

I've selected 5 eating out establishments from the top 10 most popular amongst our members, and noted some options to help you stay on track with your goals.

McDonalds

I'm sure for most people, a visit to the golden arches will only end in a burger and fries. But if you have been dragged there by the kids or a friend, and don't want to throw caution to the wind completely – here are my top picks from totally angelic to a bit more relaxed.

• Keeping it low: Grilled chicken salad (118 kcals) – a super saintly choice if you want to keep the calories right down. Nothing but salad and grilled chicken!
• Middle of the road: The BBQ and Bacon Grilled Chicken Wrap (344 kcals) – the wraps tend to be a bit more salad-rich and come with the option of grilled or crispy chicken, so they offer a healthier choice than many of the burgers.
• More relaxed: 6 chicken nuggets and small fries (498 kcals) – or if a burger is a non-negotiable – cheeseburger and small fries (535 kcals). It's possible to enjoy your nuggets/burger and chips, it's just a case of opting for a smaller portion to keep the calories down.

Domino's

When ordering in from Domino's, there's not much you can do but have pizza! However, you can make healthier choices by thinking about the size, base and toppings of your pizza. Here are some options for when you need to watch the calories.

• Keeping it low: Cheeky Little Pizza Pepperoni Passion with reduced fat mozzarella to share (320 kcals per person) – these individual pizzas are great if you want a little but not a lot. If you share it between two and serve it with a big side salad, you'll have yourself a filling but low-calorie meal.
• Middle of the road: Cheeky Little Pizza Vegi Supreme with reduced fat mozzarella (541 kcals) – if only pizza will do, opt for one of the small individual sized ones and choose the veggie packed one as an added bonus.
• More relaxed: 3 slices of medium Chicken Feast pizza with thin and crispy crust and 2 buffalo chicken wings (583 kcals) – the thinner pizza base helps to keep the calories down and opting for chicken is a lower fat choice than some of the more processed meats. Pairing a few slices with chicken wings helps bump up the protein so you're likely to be fuller and more satisfied at the end of your meal.

Toby Carvery

Chances are you'll be going straight for the roast option at a Toby Carvery. As it's a serve yourself situation in the main, this is where portion control really comes into play. Tip! It's OK to ask for a half serving from the meat server too.

• Keeping it low: ½ portion of roast turkey, ½ portion of mashed potato, kale, leek & cabbage medley, peas, carrots, swede and gravy (482 kcals) – it's all about filling up on veg and keeping the meat and potato portions down when trying to keep the calories low. You'll still have a plate full and be satisfied after a tasty meal.
• Middle of the road: ½ portion roast turkey, ½ portion gammon, ½ portion roast potatoes, kale, leek & cabbage medley, carrots, cauliflower cheese and gravy (796 kcals) – it would be easy to go a bit portion crazy at a Toby Carvery, so asking for half portions of things like meat and potatoes helps with this. Then loading up with tasty veg helps to fill the plate.
• More relaxed: Portion roast beef, portion of roast potatoes, small Yorkshire pudding, kale, leek & cabbage medley, peas, carrots and gravy (905 kcals) – you can enjoy a roast with all the trimmings without needing to have two portions of meat or two types of potato. Stick to one of each and load up on the veg to keep the portions down.

Wetherspoons

There's so much choice at a Wetherspoons it can be a little overwhelming. But it's also great, because you really can have almost anything you want. Design your own meal or choose one of the healthier choices to keep the calories down. Some options from me are:

• Keeping it low: Jacket potato with 5 bean chilli (520 kcals) – this is a great high fibre choice, that won't break the calorie bank.
• Middle of the road: 8oz sirloin steak with Mediterranean salad (656 kcals) – enjoy a tasty steak dinner, but skip the chips and opt for the salad option instead. Extra veggies, and let's be honest, it's all about the steak anyway!
• More relaxed: Beef lasagne (780 kcals) – if you fancy a wholesome pub meal, a lasagne should do the trick. It comes with a little side salad for extra veggies and isn't too bad at all at 780 kcals.

Subway

There's more to Subway than subs! So have a look at the options and see if a salad or wrap would be a good option instead. It's all build your own at Subway, so an excellent opportunity to pack in the salad and go easy on sauces and cheese toppings! Some options for you below.

• Keeping it low: Roast chicken salad (294 kcals) – to include double chicken, all the salad, shredded mozzarella & cheddar, lite mayo and crispy onion seasoning. With this build your own salad you can enjoy lots of flavours and textures, and really pack in the vegetables, all for under 300 calories.
• Middle of the road: Tuna salad wrap (392 kcals) – build your own wrap and pack it with all the salad and a little lite mayonnaise for a fresh and filling lunch.
• More relaxed: 6-inch meatball sub (515 kcals) – opt for the 9-grain wheat bread for the most fibre. Skip the cheese and add some lettuce, tomatoes and olives for extra flavour and texture instead.

How to track when eating out

Remember that knowledge is power. Just because you are eating a meal you haven't prepared yourself, doesn't mean you can't try and stay on track with your diary. Keep logging so that you have a good idea of where you're at.

Here are my top tips for tracking as accurately as you can.

1. Search the Eating Out section – in the app, tap the blue menu button in the diary > 'Eating Out'. As shown above, we have the data for a wide range of eating out places, so scan through to see if the place you visited, or are going to, is listed.
2. Find something similar – if you can't find the establishment you visited in our Eating Out section, look for a similar dish from another restaurant or a takeaway option. For example, if you had a pizza but your restaurant isn't in the database, add a pizza with similar toppings from another restaurant as an estimate instead. Better to add something than nothing!
3. Use a 'luxury' supermarket ready meal – if you can't find a comparable dish in the Eating Out section, search for a supermarket ready meal as an estimate. Choose a 'best' or 'finest' version as these are the most indulgent recipes. You may need to increase the portion size as restaurant or takeaway servings are often bigger than ready meals, so maybe add 1.5 portions to err on the side of caution.

Useful tips

Being prepared can be the difference between going off track and sticking to your targets. Here are my top tips for planning in advance when eating out of home.

1. Use the 'Easier Days' setting – in the app, tap the blue menu button in your diary > 'Diary Preferences' > 'Easier Days'. Select a day of the week to have more calories on – your target for the other days of the week will reduce to compensate.
2. Look ahead at menu options – find the menu for where you're going to online and see what choices they have. You can then search our Eating Out section to check the nutritional content of the dishes you might like. Decide in advance which healthier option you will be ordering to avoid having to make a choice on the spot. Having a pre-determined decision is a great strategy as it removes the pressure of a situation where it's easy to be swayed in the moment by your emotions, other people or hunger!
3. Plan in some extra activity – while it's true that you 'can't outrun a bad diet', being more active on the day/days before your eating occasions can certainly help to burn a few extra calories and could make you feel less inclined to overindulge. So plan in an extra walk or exercise class in the lead up to your eating out occasion to help offset the calories a little.