What I'd Order at a Peruvian Restaurant to Lose Weight

Peruvian food is built for fat loss. Ceviche, grilled meats, rotisserie chicken. It's all protein forward.

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

Classic ceviche

Lunch style

Keep the corn and sweet potato to a few bites

350calories32gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 19% of your calories and 30% of your protein for the day.

Lomo saltado

Carb meal

Your carb meal: it comes with fries and rice, so pick one and eat the beef first

900calories45gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 50% of your calories and 43% of your protein for the day.

Pollo a la brasa, quarter white

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: Start with ceviche or anticuchos for the table. Protein first changes how much of everything else you want.

Skip these

Arroz chaufa (fried rice)950 cal
Salchipapas1,000 cal
Pisco sour250 cal

Drinks: Pisco sours go down fast. Have one, then switch to water or a soda water with lime.

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 peruvian 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 Peruvian Restaurant?

Classic ceviche: Keep the corn and sweet potato to a few bites. Around 350 calories and 32g of protein.

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

Arroz chaufa (fried rice) (950 calories), Salchipapas (1,000 calories), Pisco sour (250 calories).

What about drinks?

Pisco sours go down fast. Have one, then switch to water or a soda water with lime.