Free tools for eating out

Pick a chain, add menu items and set quantities. The calculator totals calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and sodium, and shows each as a percentage of the US Daily Values. When items have verified prices, it also shows the meal cost and value measures such as protein per dollar. You can mix items from different chains in one meal.

• Totals for calories, protein, carbs, fat and sodium
• Daily value percentages based on a 2,000 calorie diet
• Cost and value measures when prices are verified

Enter your sex, age, weight in kilograms, height in centimeters, activity level and number of meals per day. The planner estimates your resting energy needs with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, multiplies by an activity factor and splits the daily total across your meals. The result is a general estimate you can use as a starting point.

Start with the planner to get a rough daily calorie number and a per-meal budget. Then build your restaurant order in the calculator and compare its total with that budget. If the meal runs over, try swaps: a smaller size, a grilled protein, a lighter side or a zero-calorie drink. Watch how each change moves the totals.

The tools are useful for anyone who eats out and wants to make informed choices. People tracking calories can plan meals in advance. People focused on protein can compare high protein options. Anyone watching sodium can see how quickly a restaurant meal adds up. Families can total a shared order before they arrive.

The calculator uses the nutrition facts on our brand pages, which come from official US restaurant sources with a last-checked date. A few brands are labeled as estimates. Prices are included only when an official source confirms them for a named store. Daily values use the US reference of 2,000 calories and 2,300 mg of sodium.

Results are estimates. Restaurants change recipes and portions, and customizations change the totals. The planner's formula is a general one and may be off for athletes, older adults and people with medical conditions. Use the tools for planning and comparison, and speak to a doctor or registered dietitian for personal advice.

Nothing you enter in either tool is sent to our servers. Your inputs stay in the open page and are cleared when you reload or close it.

Say the planner estimates about 2,100 calories a day for you, split across three meals, so around 700 calories per meal. You are getting lunch at a chicken chain. In the calculator you add a sandwich and a medium fries and see the total is close to 840 calories. Swapping the fried sandwich for a grilled one, or the fries for a lighter side, brings the meal under your budget with a few clicks.

Add everything you plan to eat and drink, including sauces, sides and beverages, since these often add more than expected. Match quantities to what you will actually order. If you customize an item heavily, remember the calculator uses the standard recipe. For the planner, choose the activity level that matches a normal week rather than your most active one.

If you already know your daily calorie target, go straight to the nutrition calculator and build your meal. If you have no idea how many calories you need, start with the calorie budget planner to get a general estimate and a per-meal budget, then use the calculator. If your focus is cost rather than calories, use the calculator with chains that have verified prices, and check the community page for recent prices in your city.

Totals are only as accurate as the menu data behind them. Verified brands match official sources as of the last-checked date. Brands labeled as estimates are approximate. Customizations, extra sauces and regional recipes change the real numbers. Use results to compare options and plan, not as exact measurements.