What to Eat Before Drinking: 8 Takeout Orders That Actually Hold You

Three phones showing Pleit answering pre-night-out prompts, with picks like a Swiss Chalet Quarter Chicken Dinner, a Freshii Macro Balance Bowl and Boston Pizza's Boston's Lasagna

What to eat before drinking: a real meal with protein and carbs, eaten before you go out, not a handful of chips. Food in your stomach can lower your peak blood alcohol by about a third, per the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

This is for the “I’ll just eat at the bar” girlies who end up eating nothing at the bar. You’ll get why food matters, what kind of food works, and 8 orders to get delivered while you’re doing your makeup.

What is the best thing to eat before drinking?

The best thing to eat before drinking is a full meal with protein, carbs and a bit of fat, like a chicken dinner, a burrito bowl or pasta. It slows down how fast alcohol gets into your blood, so you’re not going from zero to chaos in two drinks.

The NIAAA says food can slow alcohol absorption and cut the peak level in your body by about one-third. It also says coffee doesn’t sober you up, and only time does.

Protein and fat stay in your stomach longer, and carbs give you steady energy for the night. That’s why a real dinner beats a snack.

Pleit makes this easy at 7pm when you’re half-dressed. Type “what to eat before going out” and you get three filling orders.

What should you order before a night out?

These 8 orders each have 35g of protein or more, with carbs to keep you going. Every number comes from the chain’s official Canadian nutrition guide, checked November 2026.

Order	Chain	Protein	Carbs	Calories
Quarter Chicken Dinner, White Meat	Swiss Chalet	63g	32g	540
Chicken Philly Wrap (Regular)	Osmow’s	48g	57g	810
Boston’s Lasagna	Boston Pizza	41g	107g	790
Macro Balance Bowl	Freshii	40g	87g	670
Papa Burger	A&W	40g	35g	580
Buddha’s Satay Bowl w/ Chicken	Freshii	37g	70g	580
Lemon Pepper Chicken Pita (Regular)	Pita Pit	37g	44g	700
Spicy Slow-Cooked Chicken Loaded Bowl	Tim Hortons	35g	39g	550

Bar chart of what to eat before drinking: 8 takeout orders ranked by protein, led by the Swiss Chalet Quarter Chicken Dinner with 63g of protein — Grams of protein per order, with carbs and calories underneath. Source: official Canadian nutrition guides, checked November 2026.

If you want to feel light

The Tim Hortons Spicy Slow-Cooked Chicken Loaded Bowl is 35g of protein in 550 calories. Filling, but you can still zip the dress.

If you’re going hard

Boston’s Lasagna from Boston Pizza has 41g of protein and 107g of carbs. That’s the one for a long night.

If you want the classic

A Swiss Chalet Quarter Chicken Dinner with white meat has 63g of protein in 540 calories. It’s the most protein on this list, and it travels well.

What should you avoid eating before drinking?

Skipping food entirely is the big one. An empty stomach means alcohol hits faster and harder.

Super salty snacks can make you thirstier, and lots of people find very greasy food sits badly once they start drinking. Water between drinks helps more than anything you eat.

And for the record, nothing you eat makes it safe to drive. If you’re not sure, our BAC calculator gives a rough estimate, but the real answer is to get a ride. Plan the morning too, with our guide to the best food to order for a hangover.

Hangover recovery starter pack moodboard collage with sunglasses, aspirin, Pedialyte, an everything bagel, satin pyjamas and water pouring into a glass — And for the morning after. Save it on Pinterest

How does Pleit help you eat before going out?

Type “pregame dinner, nothing heavy” or “carbs before the club,” and Pleit gives you three orders with protein and calories. It searches over 1,000 meals from official chain nutrition guides.

You can stack limits too, like a calorie cap plus a protein floor. Pleit doesn’t deliver, so you order on the app you already use.

Ask Pleit on the homepage what to eat before tonight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I eat before drinking alcohol?

A full meal with protein and carbs, like a chicken dinner, a burrito bowl or pasta. Food slows how fast alcohol is absorbed and can lower your peak blood alcohol by about a third.

Does eating before drinking help?

Yes. The NIAAA says food can slow alcohol absorption and reduce the peak level by about one-third, though it doesn’t stop you from getting drunk.

What is the best fast food before a night out?

A Swiss Chalet Quarter Chicken Dinner (63g protein, 540 calories) or a Freshii Macro Balance Bowl (40g protein, 87g carbs) are both solid picks.

Is it better to eat carbs or protein before drinking?

Both. Protein and fat stay in your stomach longer, and carbs give you steady energy, so a balanced meal works best.