Oh my god! Chili's calories *faint*

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yirara
yirara Posts: 9,515 Member
in Food and Nutrition
We're meeting friends tonight at Chili's (no idea why they always chose fastfood outlets) and I just looked at the nutritional values of their food. OMG! How can it not be a crime to serve something like that? An appetizer with 1900kcal and 135 grams of fat and more salt than I eat in three days? O.o A salad containing nearly as much calories as I eat on a whole day!

Actually, it's great that they link to the nutritional info, but most things are not available in my local branch. *sigh* So I guess I should chose somewhat wisely and look through the whole thing.
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  • Anxieux
    Anxieux Posts: 275 Member
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    When did chilis convert to a fast food restaurant? :O
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,515 Member
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    Whatever it is, it's not fine dining.

    been thinking about it: I guess it's something cultural. Where I come from, there are fastfood restaurants, dining rooms (not posh but good quality, simple food) and good restaurants. Everything that serves burgers and the unhealthy kind of food Chili's is serving is considered to be a fastfood restaurant, where fastfood refers not to fast serving but rather to poor nutritional value or quality of produce. Something like Chilis doesn't really exist in my home country, nor in any of the other countries I've lived in before, but would be called fastfood there.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    We're meeting friends tonight at Chili's (no idea why they always chose fastfood outlets) and I just looked at the nutritional values of their food. OMG! How can it not be a crime to serve something like that? An appetizer with 1900kcal and 135 grams of fat and more salt than I eat in three days? O.o A salad containing nearly as much calories as I eat on a whole day!

    Actually, it's great that they link to the nutritional info, but most things are not available in my local branch. *sigh* So I guess I should chose somewhat wisely and look through the whole thing.

    You are right about the salads. Most of the time, you can ask them to leave off three or four of the items and take the dressing on the side.
    The salt will not wreck your diet. I have to watch out for the cheese they dump on stuff and for anything fried.
  • hortensehildegarde
    hortensehildegarde Posts: 592 Member
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    yeah if you leave off dressing, croutons, meat and cheese the salad should be pretty safe.

    And in US fast food typically = has a drive thru, but I can understand the concept behind calling chilis a "fastfood" restaurant as it serves much the same type of food as a fast food place but is a restaurant. Makes sense to me.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,515 Member
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    I think I might take a simple sirloin steak or the margarita chicken with a side of black beans and tomato/onion salad. That's more than within my allowance as long as they only barbecue it and don't panfry it.

    I might be a clichee, but what's the thing with putting cheese (and often it's not even real cheese) over everything? I'd think that if the produce is good it's best eaten pure. But that's how I've been brought up.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,515 Member
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    Their nutritional information (the one on my local website) is off anyway. They list the Margarita Chicken without sides with 110 kcal @ 39 grams protein. Just sumning fat, prot and carbs together, this thing should have 266 kcal. Which in return calculates back to about 160 grams chicken or quite a bit less plus whatever they put over it.

    The steak numbers sound about right, however, not for an 8oz steak but for a substantially smaller one.

    LOL @ buckshot!
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    next time you go there, choose fajitas and ask for corn tortillas or just skip the tortillas altogether and have a "salad" . you will still feel satisfied and it will be yummy but lower cal. we do this occasionally. ask for extra lettuce too.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,515 Member
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    Well, we're going there tonight. Then I'll ask my friends what they think about going out to somewhere more healthy. But then again, if I see that one person eats out there twice a week and goes for a big starter and the most caloric-heavy burger there I guess the answer will be 'no' . Best I could do is probably to steer the groups towards eating out at Nandos, considering there are many South Africans in the group who like to eat there.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Typically, if it's not in the 'lighter menu' (and Chili's has one), you can expect food to be 1000+ calories. Or just check their nutrition information before you go... You can get a cup of soup and the petite sirloin with broccoli for less than 450 calories (although I still have my doubts that their petite sirloin and broccoli is really the 250 calories they claim).
  • dazwan
    dazwan Posts: 81 Member
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    Couldn't you just share your portions with someone else? If a salad is 1000cal then surely you can split it with someone else and still have a sizeable portion.

    Its a shame in the West meals in restaurants we all get individual plates and food isn't presented like it is in Chinese restaurants, it doesn't matter what you order it all gets dumped in the middle of the table on a lazy-susan and you all just dig in and take what you fancy and put it in your little rice bowl (not sure if its done the same in the states, but in the UK most decent Chinese restaurants bring out your food this way unless you ask for individual portions). This way you just order a range of dishes and everyone gets to try a bit. If you run out of food, just order more!
  • Wookinpanub
    Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
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    I want my baby back, baby back, baby back ribs!!!

    I'd go with their sirloin.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,515 Member
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    I would love to organize the next coming together in a Lebanese restaurant: lots of cold meze like tabouleh, fatoush salad, hummus, labne, etc.. on the table, and then everyone can dig in. Not sure though if I can convince the guys...
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    Whatever it is, it's not fine dining.

    No *kitten*, but it's certainly not fast food. Do they have a drive-thru? Do you order at a counter and wait for your food, and it comes up relatively quickly? Not at any Chili's I've been to.

    I don't know about y'all, but I don't go to Chili's (or any restaurant like that) for the healthy meal options. I go because it tastes good. I'm going to go over my calories, but it's no big deal if I don't do it all the time.

    Keep under your weekly goal instead of your daily goal and you'll be just fine. Live a little.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Because I DON'T particularly like the food taste at any of these fern bars I always choose a small steak and vegetables, or a fish/chicken and vegetables. Any sauces on the side. Or, if that particular fern bar has a "diet" menu, I stick to that.
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
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    You can eat just about anywhere, as long as you plan ahead!
  • Forever99lbs
    Forever99lbs Posts: 57 Member
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    I haven't had chili's for 5-6 months :(
    Craving paradise pie and cajun chicken burger
  • michellesz
    michellesz Posts: 428 Member
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    I would opt for the lighter portions menu as well such as Grilled Chicken Salad (cal. 430) and maybe ask for olive oil and vinegar in place of the dressing it is served with ~depends on how strict you want to be, classic sirloin or probably the Lighter Choice Salmon (cal. 540) - Lightly seasoned seared Atlantic salmon. Served with rice & steamed broccoli.

    Whatever you choose, you might want to start hydrating in advance and get water with lemon with the meal. At least you know you are making the best choice that you can in the situation otherwise just close your eyes & pick something-lol. Enjoy your time with your friends.
  • lmr0528
    lmr0528 Posts: 427 Member
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    When I go there and am actually paying attention to my calories, I usually go with a caesar salad. I think it's around 600-700 ish calories.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    How big are the portions? I'm English so I've never heard of Chilli's. Maybe you could share with someone. I've only been to the US once and I remember the portions were massive.

    Otherwise your idea of suggesting somewhere else is good. We went to a Turkish place last year, and that was pretty healthy, just chicken and veg on a skewer with salad and some Turkish bread. I went to a Maroccan place recently that was healthy too...a small portion of couscous with some sort of chicken dish.
  • thepandapost
    thepandapost Posts: 117 Member
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    Typically, if it's not in the 'lighter menu' (and Chili's has one), you can expect food to be 1000+ calories. Or just check their nutrition information before you go... You can get a cup of soup and the petite sirloin with broccoli for less than 450 calories (although I still have my doubts that their petite sirloin and broccoli is really the 250 calories they claim).

    Exactly, this holds true for A LOT of restaurants. And that meal mentioned, is basically what I get when I go there. Not sure if Chili's does this but anywhere with veggies make sure to say "steamed only, no butter" - irks when my veggies are swimming in a butta bath :explode:

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