What I'd Order at a Bar to Lose Weight

Happy hour is fine. It's the nachos at 9pm you didn't plan that do the damage.

John Schaefer, fat loss coach for 27 years · Updated October 2026

Type your goal weight and every order below shows how much of your calories and protein it covers. Same math I use with clients: goal weight x 12 for calories, goal weight x 0.7 for protein.

What do I order?

Tell me where you're eating and your goal weight. I'll tell you exactly what to get, with the calories and protein.

Want me to email you your numbers? Your calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal weight, plus this page so you have it at the table.

Answers are estimates from published nutrition data, not medical advice.

What I order

Dry rub wings

Lunch style

Celery and carrots, blue cheese on the side

650calories55gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 36% of your calories and 52% of your protein for the day.

Grilled chicken sandwich

Carb meal

Side salad, keep the bun if it's your carb meal

650calories45gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 36% of your calories and 43% of your protein for the day.

Bunless burger

Lunch style

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 60 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The move: Order your food before your first drink. Match every drink with a glass of water.

Skip these

Loaded nachos1,600 cal
Fried pickles700 cal
Basket of fries500 cal

Drinks: Vodka soda is about 100 calories. Light beer is about 100. A pint of IPA is 200 to 250.

Estimates for a typical restaurant portion in the US. Treat them as a close guide.

How I fit any restaurant into the day

Protein firstEat the protein, then the vegetables and fats, then the carbs. You're satisfied before the bread matters.

One carb meal a dayBread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fries. Keep the big carb hit to one meal. On a night out, that's dinner.

Zoom out to the weekFat loss runs on your weekly average. One dinner out is easy to absorb when the rest of the week is steady.

The Eating Out Playbook

Every restaurant you go to, already figured out.

60 chains and 25 kinds of restaurants, including every bar & pub spot. Search the place you're going, pick an order, and see how it fits your goal weight before you sit down. Works on your phone, $7 one time.

Get the Playbook Free: my numbers

Quick answers

What is the healthiest thing to order at a Bar?

Dry rub wings: Celery and carrots, blue cheese on the side. Around 650 calories and 55g of protein.

What should I skip at a Bar when I'm losing weight?

Loaded nachos (1,600 calories), Fried pickles (700 calories), Basket of fries (500 calories).

What about drinks?

Vodka soda is about 100 calories. Light beer is about 100. A pint of IPA is 200 to 250.