How do I log food when I go out to eat?

Logging what you eat when you go out can often be more difficult than logging food when you're eating at home. However, there are several ways to make it easier. Here are a few strategies to try:

Search Fast Food Restaurants

Foodnoms has a growing directory of fast food restaurants in its food library. First try searching for the restaurant name with the "Branded" tab selected. You may find that Foodnoms has the nutrition facts for the menu items that you are looking for.

Use Ask AI

Ask AI is very useful for situations like when you are going out to eat. With Ask AI, you can simply input queries like "690 calorie salad with chicken and avocado" or "small slice of chocolate cake". You can also try asking for restaurant foods that aren't in the Foodnoms database, like "Waffle House All Star Special Plate".

Note, Ask AI generates its results using data that it is trained on. As such, it may generate results that are incorrect.

Looking Up Macros Online and Use Quick Entries

Less popular restaurant chains that aren't in the Foodnoms database may publish their nutrition information online. Try searching the web to see if they have a public nutrition guide on their website.

You can quickly log the calories, macros, and other nutrients that are important to you using the "Quick Entry" feature, which is accessible from the "+" button in the bottom toolbar of the "Log Food" screen.

Search Generic Foods for Local Restaurant Dishes

For restaurants that don't have a nutrition guide published online, you'll have to try your best identifying the components of the dish, either by sight or its menu description.

Search and log for each component of the dish with the "Generic" tab selected. You'll have to approximate serving sizes. Keep in mind that restaurants tend to add more oil, salt, and butter than you might think, so don't forget to log those in addition to the core components on your plate. If you have Foodnoms+, take advantage of the estimation feature to record how uncertain you are.