Eating out with high cholesterol? Scan the menu
Photograph a restaurant menu and Heart Tracker shows which dishes suit your heart, with estimated calories, saturated fat and fibre, and tips on how to order better.
Try the menu scanner
Heart Tracker's menu scanner tells you what to order when you eat out with high cholesterol. Take a photo of the menu and each dish is rated good for your heart, fine now and then, or best to limit, with estimated calories, saturated fat and fibre and a tip such as "ask for the sauce on the side". You don't have to skip the restaurant to stick to your plan.
What can you eat at a restaurant with high cholesterol?
Restaurant food is usually higher in saturated fat than food cooked at home: more butter, cream, cheese and frying, and bigger portions. That doesn't mean you have to stay in. Grilled fish or chicken, tomato-based sauces, bean and lentil dishes, salads with the dressing on the side and vegetable sides are usually good choices. Creamy sauces, pastry, fried food, cheese-heavy dishes and fatty or processed meat are the ones to limit.
The problem is that menus rarely give you the numbers. The menu scanner estimates them for you.
How the menu scanner works
- Tap "Eating out?" on Home and photograph the menu, or a page of it.
- Heart Tracker reads every dish on your iPhone and rates it using the same heart rules as the "Can I eat this?" food scanner.
- See each dish as green, amber or red (good for your heart, fine now and then, best to limit), with estimated calories, saturated fat and fibre and the reason for the rating.
- Get a tip to order better: sauce on the side, swap chips for a salad, choose grilled instead of fried.
- Log what you order so your day's saturated fat stays accurate.
On iPhones with Apple Intelligence the ratings and tips understand dish descriptions better. Everyone else gets the same screen with ratings from Heart Tracker's built-in heart rules.
Heart-healthier choices by cuisine
| Cuisine | Usually a good choice | Usually one to limit |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | Tomato or seafood pasta, minestrone, grilled fish | Carbonara, cream sauces, extra cheese, garlic bread with butter |
| Indian | Dal, chana masala, tandoori chicken, plain rice or chapati | Korma, butter chicken, ghee-heavy dishes, pakora |
| Chinese | Steamed dishes, stir-fried vegetables, tofu, steamed rice | Battered and deep-fried dishes, fried rice, crispy duck |
| Mexican | Bean burrito bowl, fajitas with salsa, grilled chicken | Cheese-heavy nachos, sour cream, chorizo, fried shells |
| Pub or diner | Grilled chicken or fish, jacket potato with beans, salads | Pies, burgers with cheese and bacon, fish and chips, creamy soups |
For more ideas, read our guide to eating out and social events with high cholesterol.
Restaurant meals in your diary
Heart Tracker's food search includes restaurant and fast-food items, and you can say what you ate or snap a photo of your plate. If you can't find the exact dish, "Log it roughly" lets you log an estimate in seconds, so one meal out doesn't break your streak.
Frequently asked questions
What should I order at a restaurant if I have high cholesterol?
Choose grilled, baked or steamed fish and chicken, tomato-based sauces, bean and lentil dishes and plenty of vegetables. Ask for dressings and sauces on the side, swap chips for salad or vegetables, and limit creamy, cheesy, fried and pastry dishes.
How accurate are the menu nutrition estimates?
They're estimates, because restaurants cook differently and portion sizes vary. They're designed to help you compare dishes on the same menu, not to give exact numbers. Where a chain publishes nutrition data, searching the food database gives you the official figures.
Does the menu scanner need an internet connection?
The menu is read on your iPhone. Ratings come from Heart Tracker's heart rules, or from Apple Intelligence on supported iPhones, which runs on your device unless you allow Private Cloud Compute.
Is the menu scanner free?
Yes. It's included in Heart Tracker 2.2 for iPhone and iPad at no cost.
Is fast food OK with high cholesterol?
Now and then, if you choose carefully. Grilled chicken, salads, wraps and smaller portions are better choices than cheeseburgers, fried chicken and fries. Scan the menu or check our food guides to compare.
Related
Eat out without the guesswork
Scan the menu, see which dishes suit your heart and order with confidence. Free on iPhone.
Download on theApp StoreFree download • iPhone and iPad • iOS 26.0 or later • No account needed
