What Would You Order?

With the recent discussion on the 90/10 Rule, Restaurant eating, and restaurants posting nutritional information I thought this post was timely.

Do you remember the last time you went out to eat for dinner? Or how about Happy Hour? Do you think you made good choices to avoid the unhealthiest items on the menu?

If you think ordering a salad is the healthiest option…beware! Be sure to read to the bottom.

Which is the better choice?

Red Robin Salad

A. Red Robin: Crispy Chicken Tender Salad, No Bread, 1/2 Honey Mustard Poppy Seed Dressing

OR

B. Red Robin: Asian Chicken Salad, No Bread

(A: 1, 022 calories) (B: 458 calories)

The Cheesecake Factory: Fried Macaroni and Cheese

A. The Cheesecake Factory: Fried Macaroni and Cheese

OR

B. The Cheesecake Factory: Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta

(A: 2,000 calories) (B: 850 calories)

A. Sushi: Shrimp Tempura Roll

OR

B. Sushi: Salmon Roll

(A: 508 calories) (B: 110 calories)

How did you do?

This article about restaurants and healthy eating was really interesting. The author points out that many chain restaurants can’t afford to buy healthy, whole foods from Farmer’s Markets and if they did use quality food they’d serve much smaller portions. Very eye-opening!

I also discovered this awesome website: Healthy Dining Finder. Type in your zip code and it gives you a list of nearby restaurants and the calorie counts of their healthiest foods. Awesome!

So what are some tricks I use to order smart in a restaurant?

1. Don’t add salt to anything in a restaurant. There’s already tons of salt in the dishes!

2. Skip the appetizers. They are usually fried, fattening and not healthy.

3. As soon as the food arrives, put half in a Doggy Bag for lunch the next day.

4. Split the entree with your partner.

5. Order soup and a salad with dressing on the side.

6. If the food is “creamy” or has gravy, skip it! Creamy = fattening.

7. Drink a lot of water.

8. Skip the bread basket. Especially if you’re ordering an appetizer. Choose one or the other.

9. Ask for food to be broiled, baked or grilled.

10. Substitute seasonal veggies for fries.

9. Things to avoid on a salad: croutons, cheese, bacon bits,  avocado, creamy dressings. They add calories faster than anything.

Unhealthiest Salads:

• Ruby Tuesday’s Carolina Chicken Salad is 1,007 calories.
• PF Chang’s Chicken Chopped Salad with Ginger Dressing:  940 calories
• TGI Friday’s Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad: 1360 calories
• California Pizza Kitchen Thai Crunch Salad: 2115 calories
• Baja Fresh Mango Chipotle Chicken Salad: 930 calories

QUESTION: Do you think you can read a menu and pick out the healthier options?