Calorie Friendly Popular Queensland Restaurants

At equ HQ we’re all about enjoying life and the delicious food and drinks that come with it, but we totally understand that when you’re on a body and mind transformation journey you don’t want to compromise all your hard work and get off-track.

So we asked our nutritionist Caillin Bursill to recommend her calorie and macro-friendly picks from some of Queensland’s most popular eateries… 

Hellenika

This modern Greek eatery is one of Brisbane’s hottest. With both a gorgeous indoor section and an alfresco, pool-side section in the restaurant – you won’t be short of Instagram pic inspo! And of course, the food is fresh, simple and absolutely delicious.

Here’s Caillin’s recommended calorie and macro-friendly order for if you’re sharing among 3 people. It works out to 1000 calories per serve.

• Fasolakia Ladera – warm green beans with tomato, dill and parsley (low calorie and filling).
• Horiatiki Salata – Greek salad.
• Saganaki – grilled kefalograviera cheese & lemon (be mindful with your portions here but it’s delicious, so ENJOY!).
• Kalamari – grilled calamari (there is a flash-fried option but best to opt for grilled).
• Souvlakia – Wagyu beef fillet skewers with capsicum.
• Krithariki – Orzo pasta with spanner crab.

View their full menu here.

Harry’s Steak Bistro

This gem located in the Gold Coast’s Burleigh Heads is the spot to go for, you guessed it, a good steak! They also source their organic fruit and vegetables from local farmers as much as possible, and their cuts of meat also come from top Aussie farms.
Caillin’s menu tips and picks are:

• Try not to get distracted by starters, they’re of course super yummy but generally quite calorie dense. If you do want to treat yourself to one, aim for the lean seafood options: prawns, calamari, oysters.
• Rump steak is the lowest fat content steak option, therefore a lower calorie choice if you want to adhere to your intake goals .
• Meanwhile Wagyu, whilst absolutely delicious, is extremely high in calories so be mindful of this when ordering. For example, 100 grams of a Marble Score 9 Wagyu steak is 627 calories.
• A tasty and calorie-friendly main meal option is the Rump + Seasonal Greeks + buttery mash + gravy. This comes to 900 calories. 
• TIP: If you can ask for your steak dry grilled you’ll save on calorie from oil used to cook the meat. 
• Another FYI. Eye fillet steak is higher in calories (approx. 950 calories) but generally a smaller sized cut so remember that when making your selection.  

View their full menu here.

Cardomom Pod

This one is for our vegetarian friends out there! Nestled in Broadbeach, Gold Coast this fully vego cafe offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options packed with fresh and whole food ingredients – think Acai bowls, burgers, nourish bowls and more!

“Whole foods are great of course, however, they can be very calorie dense,” says Caillin. 

The below are her top menu picks if you’re trying to maintain your daily calorie and macro goals:

• Nourish Bowl with halloumi or tempeh – 850 cals

• Pod Special Acai Bowl – 650 cals

• Snickers Acai – 750 cals

You can view the full menu here. 

Kurrawa Surf Club

This Gold Coast surf club is stocked with all your favourite pub classics and boasts a stunning beach view. A great spot to enjoy lunch or dinner with a group of your friends.

So what are the calorie-smart orders?

• Pizza! Yep, that’s right. Caillin says a good rule of thumb to go by is that a slice of pizza is generally around the 200 calorie mark, a little less for those with less toppings (Margherita) and more for the ones with heavier meat toppings (such as Kurrawa’s Fire Starter pizza in this instance).
• Grilled seafood is always a good choice. You’re looking at 800 cals including a side of baked potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
• Don’t be fooled by the Caesar salad! This can be just as calorie-dense as larger/heavier meals. 
• Rump Steak and chips is a good go-to meal at approximately 850 cals.
• Seafood risotto is around 800 cals. Go light on the side of bread!

View the full menu here.

Project Tokyo

This modern-Japanese jaunt in Mermaid Waters has plenty of calorie and macro-friendly options on their menu. Plus, they’re also BYO so you can take along your own tipple for dinner – just be sure to track whatever you enjoy in your diary if you’re tracking your daily intake goals.

These are Caillin’s order recommendations:

• Start with Edamame. They’re 100 cals per serve (with sea salt or chilli seasoning).
• Sashimi is always a good choice. It’s lean and low in calories. However, just be aware that salmon is a touch higher in fat and calories compared with the kingfish on this menu.
• You’re looking at 200 cals per sushi roll. 
• Each gyoza is approximately 80 cals each.
• Tempura, while it tastes light, is of course deep-fried in batter and oil which naturally makes it higher in calories. 
• If you’re after some chargrilled meat and/or seafood, go for the chicken or the salmon. Wagyu and pork on the other hand are very high in calories. 
• Everyone knows how good kewpie mayo is but be mindful of how much you’re slathering onto your sushi as it can actually be a massive calorie contributor to your meal.

View the full menu here.