What I'd Order at Red Lobster to Lose Weight

I go wood-grilled or broiled, and every Cheddar Bay Biscuit is 160 calories, so I pick how many I want before the basket lands.

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 Red Lobster orders

Wood-Grilled Peppercorn Sirloin Steak & Shrimp

Lunch style

540calories53gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 30% of your calories and 50% of your protein for the day.

Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Salmon

Carb meal

Seafood first, sides last

840calories57gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 47% of your calories and 54% of your protein for the day.

Parmesan-Crusted Fresh Tilapia

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 Red Lobster: 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 Red Lobster

Crispy Calamari and Vegetables1,770 cal
Admiral's Feast1,420 cal

Numbers from Red Lobster's published nutrition data via fastfoodnutrition.org. 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 Red Lobster. 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 Red Lobster?

Wood-Grilled Peppercorn Sirloin Steak & Shrimp: . It comes to about 540 calories and 53g of protein.

How many calories should I eat at Red Lobster 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 wood-grilled peppercorn sirloin steak & shrimp is 30% of that day with 50% of the protein. Type your own goal weight on this page to see your numbers.

What should I avoid at Red Lobster if I'm trying to lose weight?

The ones that stack calories with little protein: Crispy Calamari and Vegetables (1,770 calories), Admiral's Feast (1,420 calories).

Can I eat Red Lobster 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 Red Lobster fits fine. I go wood-grilled or broiled, and every Cheddar Bay Biscuit is 160 calories, so I pick how many I want before the basket lands.