Eating out / Brunch & Diner

What I'd Order at Brunch to Lose Weight

Brunch can be a big protein meal or a pancake coma. You pick.

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

Steak and eggs

Lunch style

Tomatoes instead of hash browns

750calories60gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 42% of your calories and 57% of your protein for the day.

Eggs benedict

Carb meal

Your carb meal, add a side of chicken sausage

850calories45gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 47% of your calories and 43% of your protein for the day.

Three egg omelet

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: Add a protein side to anything. Turkey sausage or grilled chicken turns a light meal into a real one.

Skip these

Stack of pancakes, before syrup900 cal
Hash browns400 cal
Two mimosas300 cal

Drinks: Bloody Mary is about 150 calories. Mimosas are about 150 each.

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 brunch & diner 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 Brunch?

Steak and eggs: Tomatoes instead of hash browns. Around 750 calories and 60g of protein.

What should I skip at Brunch when I'm losing weight?

Stack of pancakes, before syrup (900 calories), Hash browns (400 calories), Two mimosas (300 calories).

What about drinks?

Bloody Mary is about 150 calories. Mimosas are about 150 each.