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

Pho is a great meal when you tilt the bowl toward protein.

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

Pho with extra meat and half noodles

Lunch style

Load up on herbs, sprouts and lime

550calories45gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 31% of your calories and 43% of your protein for the day.

Bun thit nuong (grilled pork vermicelli)

Carb meal

Your carb meal

750calories35gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 42% of your calories and 33% of your protein for the day.

Grilled lemongrass chicken with 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: Fresh summer rolls over fried egg rolls, every time.

Skip these

Fried egg rolls, 3500 cal
Banh mi650 cal
Vietnamese iced coffee250 cal

Drinks: Beer is about 150 calories. Skip the sweet iced coffee with dinner.

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 vietnamese 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 Vietnamese Restaurant?

Pho with extra meat and half noodles: Load up on herbs, sprouts and lime. Around 550 calories and 45g of protein.

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

Fried egg rolls, 3 (500 calories), Banh mi (650 calories), Vietnamese iced coffee (250 calories).

What about drinks?

Beer is about 150 calories. Skip the sweet iced coffee with dinner.