Eating out / Spanish & Tapas

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

Tapas is perfect if you order protein plates first and let the bread follow the conversation.

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

Gambas al ajillo plus pulpo a la gallega

Lunch style

Two protein plates to share

600calories45gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 33% of your calories and 43% of your protein for the day.

Seafood paella, one portion

Carb meal

Your carb meal, protein plates first

900calories45gprotein

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

Jamon, grilled chorizo and a green salad

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 in rounds. Round one is all protein. Then decide what round two needs to be.

Skip these

Patatas bravas550 cal
Bread with every plate500 cal
Pitcher of sangria, your share500 cal

Drinks: A glass of tempranillo is about 125 calories.

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 spanish & tapas 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 Tapas Restaurant?

Gambas al ajillo plus pulpo a la gallega: Two protein plates to share. Around 600 calories and 45g of protein.

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

Patatas bravas (550 calories), Bread with every plate (500 calories), Pitcher of sangria, your share (500 calories).

What about drinks?

A glass of tempranillo is about 125 calories.