Eating out / Brunch & Diner / First Watch

What I'd Order at First Watch to Lose Weight

Eggs first, then whatever carb you chose, and I keep pancakes and syrup for the dinner carb meal or skip them.

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

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.

My First Watch orders

Frittata Rustica

Lunch style

No ciabatta crisp, no dressed greens

570calories38gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 32% of your calories and 36% of your protein for the day.

Classic Benedict

Carb meal

No dressed greens

590calories41gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 33% of your calories and 39% of your protein for the day.

The Works Omelet

Lunch style

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 59 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The rule at First Watch: the lunch style order is built on protein, fat and fiber. The carb meal is the one you have when this is your dinner, or the one meal of the day you're spending your carbs on.

Skip these at First Watch

Barbacoa Chilaquiles Breakfast Bowl1,290 cal
Chocolate Chip Pancakes (2, no syrup)1,190 cal

Numbers from First Watch's published nutrition data via fw-nutrition-info.s3.amazonaws.com. Menus change, so check before you order.

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 First Watch. 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 best high protein order at First Watch?

Frittata Rustica: No ciabatta crisp, no dressed greens. It comes to about 570 calories and 38g of protein.

How many calories should I eat at First Watch to lose weight?

It depends on your goal weight. I use goal weight x 12 for daily calories, so a 150 lb goal is 1,800 calories a day and a lunch around 500 to 800 of them. The frittata rustica is 32% of that day with 36% of the protein. Type your own goal weight on this page to see your numbers.

What should I avoid at First Watch if I'm trying to lose weight?

The ones that stack calories with little protein: Barbacoa Chilaquiles Breakfast Bowl (1,290 calories), Chocolate Chip Pancakes (2, no syrup) (1,190 calories).

Can I eat First Watch and still lose fat?

Yes. I've never told a client to stop eating out. Build the order around protein, keep the carbs for one meal a day, and First Watch fits fine. Eggs first, then whatever carb you chose, and I keep pancakes and syrup for the dinner carb meal or skip them.