6 rules for any menu
Look first
Check the menu online before you go and decide while you're not hungry. Many chains list calories.
Order first
Order before everyone else so you're not swayed by their choices.
Protein first
Build the meal around chicken, fish, lean beef or prawns. Most restaurant meals are short on protein.
Add veg
Order a side salad or veg. It fills you up for very few calories.
Ask for changes
Sauce on the side, grilled not fried, salad instead of chips. Restaurants do this all the time.
Eat slowly
Enjoy it and stop when you're comfortably full. You don't have to clear the plate.
Plan for it rather than feeling guilty after. Keep your other meals that day lighter and high in protein, and get back to normal at your next meal. One night won't undo your progress.
Choose your spot
Calories are estimates. Most takeaways don't publish them, and portions vary.
Best choices
Often- Chicken satay skewers~300 kcal · 25g P
- Soup (hot & sour, chicken)~200 kcal
- Beef in black bean sauce~500 kcal · 25–30g P
- Szechuan chicken~500 kcal · 25–30g P
- Chicken chow mein~550 kcal · 25–30g P
- Boiled white rice~300 kcal
Good choices
Sometimes- Sweet & sour chicken~600 kcal · 25–30g P
- Chinese takeaway curry~700 kcal · 25–30g P
- Pad Thai~900 kcal · 30–40g P
Higher calorie
Now and then- Chicken balls, curry & chips~1,100 kcal · 40g P
- Sweet chilli crispy chicken (no rice)~800 kcal
- Spare ribs~700 kcal · 30–40g P
- Thai curry (no rice)~700 kcal · 25–30g P
- Spring rolls~500–600 kcal
Pick chicken, prawns or beef fillet over duck or anything battered or crispy. Black bean, oyster, Szechuan, garlic and chilli sauces are lighter than coconut curries, satay, sweet chilli and sweet & sour.
Best choices
Often- Tandoori chicken tikka~300 kcal · 30g P
- Poppadoms with chutney & raita~150 kcal
- Prawn jalfrezi~400 kcal · 20g P
- Lentil dahl~400 kcal · 8g P · 8g fibre
- Chicken madras~500 kcal · 25g P
Good choices
Sometimes- Chicken tikka masala~650 kcal · 25g P
- Chicken rogan josh~650 kcal · 25g P
- Chicken biryani~850 kcal · 40g P
- Plain or garlic naan~400 kcal
- Rice~450 kcal
Higher calorie
Now and then- Lamb biryani~1,200 kcal
- Lamb korma~1,000 kcal · 25g P
- Saag paneer (main)~1,000 kcal
- Peshwari naan~750 kcal
- Samosas~250–350 kcal each
The smart order
Chicken or prawns + a tomato-based sauce (jalfrezi, bhuna, madras, tandoori) + half the rice + half a naan.
The heavy order
Lamb + a rich creamy sauce (korma, butter chicken) + full rice + a Peshwari naan.
Pizza is tricky because the calories add up fast, but it's not off the menu. The same large pizza can be over 1,000 calories different depending on how you order it.
Lighter choices
Often- Extra thin & crispy base (large)~600 kcal
- Italian-style base (large)~800 kcal
- Reduced-fat cheesesaves ~70 kcal
- Toppings: chicken, tuna, ham, prawns, veg, pineapplelower
- Small dipsunder 50 kcal
- Diet drinks or water0 kcal
Watch out for
Now and then- Big garlic dip~700 kcal
- Cookies~700 kcal
- Dough balls~600–700 kcal
- Garlic pizza bread~600 kcal
- Chicken wings or strippers~500 kcal
- Pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, salami, bacon, chorizohigher
Smart order
Medium pizza on an Italian base with reduced-fat cheese and chicken or veg toppings, a small dip and a Coke Zero.
Heavy order
Large meat feast on a regular base with full cheese, dough balls, cookies and a big garlic dip.
The Domino's website shows the calories for every item, so you can build your order before you press buy.
Best choices
Often- Sweet chilli grilled chicken wrap320 kcal · 24g P
- 6 chicken nuggets260 kcal · 15g P
- Small fries237 kcal
- Melon or cucumber sticks12–17 kcal
- Coke Zero or water0 kcal
Good choices
Sometimes- Chicken Legend with BBQ484 kcal · 27g P
- Big Mac493 kcal · 26g P
- Bacon & egg McMuffin376 kcal · 24g P
- 3 Chicken Selects (no dip)359 kcal · 25g P
- Milk122 kcal · 8g P
- Orange juice103 kcal
Higher calorie
Now and then- Double Quarter Pounder with cheese739 kcal · 53g P
- Double sausage & egg McMuffin550 kcal · 35g P
- Large milkshake468 kcal
- Large fries444 kcal
- McFlurry~260 kcal
Best choices
Often- Grilled chicken sandwich340 kcal · 38g P
- 3 chicken tenders280 kcal · 35g P
- Breaded chicken sandwich423 kcal · 34g P
- Ice cream cone100 kcal
- Water, Diet Coke, Coke Zero0 kcal
Good choices
Sometimes- Chicken wrap432 kcal · 34g P
- Mighty Mac480 kcal · 28g P
- Regular fries370 kcal
- 99 ice cream190 kcal
Higher calorie
Now and then- Super Breakfast~1,300 kcal
- Chicken snack box~990 kcal
- 7oz burger822 kcal · 63g P
- Garlic cheesy fries690 kcal
~680 kcal · 76g P
2 grilled chicken sandwiches and water.
~810 kcal · 45g P
Grilled chicken sandwich, regular fries, ice cream cone and water.
~1,130 kcal · 68g P
Mighty Mac, regular fries, 3 chicken tenders and water.
Best choices
Often- Brown bread or wrap + plain chicken or turkey + salad + light sauce~350 kcal · 25g P
- 500ml protein milk~270 kcal · 27g P
- Protein bar~220 kcal · 20g P
- Apple or fruit pot~50–70 kcal
Good choices
Sometimes- Chicken fillet roll with taco mayo~800 kcal · 25g P
- Pre-made sandwich: pick the highest protein, lowest fatvaries
Higher calorie
Now and then- Breakfast roll~800 kcal · 30g P
- Chicken wings (350g)~750 kcal · 50g P
- 2 ham & cheese jambons~640 kcal
- Potato wedges (200g)~370 kcal
- Large sausage roll~330 kcal
Pick a sandwich with more than 20g protein and less than 20g fat, a zero-calorie or protein drink, and fruit or a protein snack.
| Sandwich | Calories | Protein | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triple sandwich | 400 | 23g | 12.5g |
| Chicken salad | 400 | 22g | 17g |
| Ham & cheese | 350 | 18.5g | 16g |
| Tuna sweetcorn | 300 | 14.5g | 12.5g |
~550 kcal · 43g P
Triple sandwich (400 kcal, 23g protein), a zero-calorie drink and a protein pudding.
~850 kcal · 76g P
Triple sandwich, a Protein Gold drink and a protein pudding.
~1,050 kcal · 74g P
Chicken tomato pasta, a Protein Gold drink and a Power Pot.
~420 kcal · 10g fibre
Onion bhaji wrap (360 kcal, 6g fibre), fruit and a zero-calorie drink. Swap the wrap for the Moroccan hummus salad for 17g fibre.
Good snacks and drinks
Often- Water or zero-calorie soda0 kcal
- Fruit~60 kcal
- Lower-calorie crunchy snack~100 kcal
- Protein pudding150 kcal · 20g P
- Protein Gold drink300 kcal · 33g P
Easy to overdo
Now and then- Chicken wrap~500 kcal
- Crisps (50g)~260 kcal
- Smoothie or juice~150 kcal
Best choices
Often- Zero-alcohol spirit & slimline tonic8 kcal
- Spirit & diet mixer~70 kcal
- Heineken 0.0 (330ml)~70 kcal
- Hard seltzer (250ml)80 kcal
- Champagne (150ml)100 kcal
- Light beer (330ml)~100 kcal
Good choices
Sometimes- Mojito~150 kcal
- Whiskey sour~160 kcal
- Glass of wine (187ml)~170 kcal
- Pint of stout~205 kcal
- Can of lager (500ml)~220 kcal
Highest calorie
Now and then- Craft beer (330ml, ~7%)~250 kcal
- Espresso martini250–300 kcal
- Piña colada~300 kcal
- White Russian~350 kcal
See the full alcohol guide below: guidelines, calories for popular brands and how to plan a night out.
| 5 drinks of… | Calories |
|---|---|
| Spirit & diet mixer | ~350 kcal |
| Wine | ~850 kcal |
| Pints of lager | ~1,150 kcal |
| Piña coladas | ~1,500 kcal |
Alcohol guide
A social life and results can go together. You don't have to stop drinking, but it helps to know what's in your glass and to have a plan.
Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, almost as much as fat, before you count any sugar in the drink or mixer. While it's in your system, your body puts burning alcohol first, ahead of fat. Drinking also lowers your willpower around food and makes for poor sleep and recovery.
Less than 11 standard drinks a week for women and 17 for men, spread over the week, with 2–3 alcohol-free days. No more than 6 standard drinks in one go. There's no completely safe level, but staying under these lowers the risk to your health.
One standard drink is
- A half pint of beer or cider
- A small (100ml) glass of wine
- A pub measure of spirits (35.5ml)
A pint is 2 standard drinks. A 175ml glass of wine is nearly 2. A bottle of wine is about 7.
Irish measures are bigger
Calorie lists often use UK 25ml spirit measures. An Irish pub single is 35.5ml, so add about 40% to any spirit figure you see online.
Calories in popular drinks
| Drink | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Guinness | Pint | ~199 |
| Carlsberg / Amstel | Pint | ~176–182 |
| Heineken, Coors and similar lagers | Pint | ~180–200 |
| Fosters / Birra Moretti | Pint | ~205–210 |
| Stella Artois / Grolsch | Pint | ~227 |
| Peroni | Pint | ~239 |
| Craft IPA (e.g. Punk IPA) | Pint | ~272 |
| Cider (4.5%) | Pint | ~216 |
| Bottled lager (Corona, Budweiser, Heineken) | 330ml | ~135–140 |
| Bud Light / skinny lager | 330ml | ~80–90 |
| Alcohol-free beer | 330ml | ~35–100 |
| Hard seltzer | 330ml | ~93 |
| Red or white wine | 175ml glass | ~115–135 |
| Prosecco / Champagne | 125ml flute | ~85–90 |
| Vodka, gin, rum, whiskey | Irish single (35.5ml) | ~70–95 |
| Baileys | 50ml | ~175 |
Figures from brand websites. Check the label or your tracking app, as servings and recipes vary.
Plan your night
Miss out completely
Not good for anyone. Life is for living.
Starve, over-exercise, feel guilty
Skipping meals to "save" calories usually ends in a bigger blowout.
Plan it and enjoy it
Decide what you'll drink, make good choices, train, and have fun.
- Decide in advance. How many drinks, and what? Making a plan helps, even if the night changes.
- Fit it into your day. Tracking? Log the drinks first and work backwards. Keep meals that day high in protein and veg, and go lighter on carbs and fats. Using hand portions? Drop a cupped hand of carbs or a thumb of fat per drink.
- Move a bit more. Get a walk in that day.
- Pick lighter drinks. Spirits with diet mixers, light beer or seltzers. Treat cocktails and creamy drinks like dessert: have one if you want it.
- Alternate with water. One alcoholic drink, then one water. You'll drink less and feel better tomorrow.
- Pace yourself. Your body clears about one UK unit an hour. Sip, don't race, and eat a proper meal.
Play the pace game
Before you go out, pick a level from 1 to 5 and stay there:
- Relaxed, no real change
- Warm and chatty, still fully in control
- Merry: judgement starting to slip
- Balance, speech and reactions noticeably off
- Drunk: poor choices, rough tomorrow
Ask yourself: "At what level can I still make good choices without needing to make up for it tomorrow?"
Drink plenty of water. An electrolyte drink or coconut water helps. Get protein, fruit and veg into your first meal, go for a walk, and get straight back to your normal routine. One night out never undoes your progress. A whole weekend of "I'll start again Monday" can.