We are about to head to the USA for a trip and wondering how on earth to cope with the portion sizes. Any suggestions?

Ask for a to go box be brought with your meal. Box half of it and eat whet you can of the rest.

Hi, OzCaz. I'm from the U.S. but live in Canberra!

A few options:

- Just order appetizers or sides (that's what I normally do). At breakfast, I typically order a meat side only, like bacon or sausage. Not great in terms of fat, but it is protein.

- Don't order anything and eat a small portion of your partner's main course.

- Order from the children's menu if they let you. If you are comfortable with it, you could tell them you've had the surgery as an explanation--it's much more common in the U.S.

- Some restaurants will allow you to order half-portions at a reduced price. The portion will still be too large, but you wouldn't be wasting as much money as with a full portion.

- Eat something high-protein and bariatric friendly before you go out to eat and just have tea while your partner eats lunch or dinner. (I've done this as well. The servers won't love it, but it's your right!)

All great ideas! Many thanks. Getting a “to go” box isn’t really an option when you are staying in a hotel and have to eat out - nowhere to reheat usually.

10 minutes ago, OzCaz said:

All great ideas! Many thanks. Getting a “to go” box isn’t really an option when you are staying in a hotel and have to eat out - nowhere to reheat usually.

Most hotels here have a small microwave and mini fridge in the room. If you don’t have one already maybe you should get a card from the bp store here identifying you as a wls patient. I have never had a problem getting restaurants to honor them and give me child prices at buffet and/ or order from the kids menu.

Share, order starters, take your leftovers home. Not hard really

Yeah share the meal with your hubby

7 hours ago, OzCaz said:

All great ideas! Many thanks. Getting a “to go” box isn’t really an option when you are staying in a hotel and have to eat out - nowhere to reheat usually.

I live in the US and that isn't usually true. Most hotels (not all) have a mini fridge and a microwave in the room. Of course, depends on the hotel... but I look for mini fridge and microwaves for every place I travel to in the US. I find the mini fridge to be essential when I travel, whether it be because I am traveling with kids or because I need my protein shakes to be refrigerated so they are cold when I drink them.

My family loves to go out to eat, so I've had to develop several strategies that I employ (depending on the restaurant and who I'm with):

1. Offer to share a meal
2. Order an appetizer (this can be troublesome because they can often be fried or covered in cheese)
3. Order a kids meal (most restaurants will allow this, BUT it's also a risk because a lot of restaurants have unhealthy kids meals like chicken nuggets, french fries, mac&cheese)
4. Order a side dish (You can usually find relatively healthy side dishes, they won't be high-protein, but it may be the best alternative depending on type of restaurant)
5. Ask for or bring your own "to go" containers.
6. Lastly, and this was my newest revelation: some restaurants allow people to "add on" protein/meat to an existing meal. EX: my husband ordered a regular meal and we "added on" 4 grilled shrimp. This was PERFECT for me. I had the shrimp and ordered a side of broccoli. Best meal EVER!

1 hour ago, S@ssen@ch said:

1. Lastly, and this was my newest revelation: some restaurants allow people to "add on" protein/meat to an existing meal. EX: my husband ordered a regular meal and we "added on" 4 grilled shrimp. This was PERFECT for me. I had the shrimp and ordered a side of broccoli. Best meal EVER!

Fantastic tip! This coming week I'm going on a day trip down the coast with a friend and we'll be eating out for lunch at a nice restaurant. If they offer that option I'm going to do that!

If you make your own food, then handling portions is the same as anywhere else in the world.

If you are referring to dine-in restaurants, patients in the US usually get a 'card' stating that they need smaller portions (heard about this from a friend who was sleeved over there). Perhaps you should ask your doctor for something similar before you leave to the states. You can also simply ask for a 'half portion' of whatever you are ordering and most places in the states will accommodate. Appetizers will be your friend.

If you're talking about fast food, ordering small sides instead of meals would be a good start. I have heard that Wendy's chili (small) is an excellent staple if you're on the go and don't have time to make food for yourself.

Enjoy your trip in the states. I just got back earlier this month and loved it (am a native, though)!

Order from the kids' menu or senior menu or lunch size portions. Ask for half of your order in a to-go box for a second meal later. Just eat what you can and leave the rest.

Check the restaurants website ahead of time. Most chain restaurants have menus online and as do a lot of local places. Some have "healthy" choice options that are smaller portions. Planning ahead should help along with all the great recommendations given already.

Here in Texas, I order off of the children's menu when possible for the smaller portion, but (believe it or not) the children's menu is normally filled with even less healthy options than the regular menu! So far, I have not run into any issues with restaurants accommodating my needs and I almost always take a box to go. (I do not have the bariatric patient ID card).