Best Restaurants for Dieters?

alias1001
alias1001 Posts: 634 Member
in Chit-Chat
Eating out can be a nightmare, but it is routine that my family often follows a couple times a week.

Where do you find to be diet-friendly? I'm not going to presume that they're actually "healthy" but it's better than eating salads ALL the time.

For me, the standbys are Panera--a cafe that serves some great sandwich and soups--and recently IHOP. Yes, IHOP. They have a "Simple and Fit" menu that doesn't suck--omelets, turkey bacon, waffles with fruit on top.
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Replies

  • TorridCutie
    TorridCutie Posts: 85
    For fancy dining, I like Seasons 52. Everything in the menu is under 480 calories and it is very delicious.

    For casual fare, I like Panera and Corner Bakery. Also, I love the Moroccan Chicken Salad at California Pizza Kitchen. It fits into my diet when I order the small, which is still huge, so I like going to CPK as well.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Be careful about Panera. I love the place but it does have high calorie items. Applebees have a few tasty low calorie entrees.


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  • brandimacleod
    brandimacleod Posts: 368 Member
    I am a fan of El Pollo Loco for fast food. Chicken, tortillas and salad put together into tacos with salsa. Yum!
  • Msvalsworld
    Msvalsworld Posts: 53 Member
    I have to try Panera. thanks
  • MaryEffingPoppins
    MaryEffingPoppins Posts: 371 Member
    Be careful because IHOP has a spinach and tomato omelette that exceeds 1,100 calories!!!
  • IAmTheAwesomest
    IAmTheAwesomest Posts: 61
    applebees, ruby tuesdays, and outback
  • Jessicaruby
    Jessicaruby Posts: 881 Member
    alot of restaurants now have a low calorie option menu. famous daves has a 600 and under calorie menu. applebees has this as well and they both offer very good and tasty items to choose from. i usually go to red lobster if i need to go out to eat. Crab meat is very low calorie. if u go somewhere that does not offer these options choose grilled chicken or fish, lots of veggies maybe even a veggie soup.
  • alias1001
    alias1001 Posts: 634 Member
    Be careful because IHOP has a spinach and tomato omelette that exceeds 1,100 calories!!!

    That's the one with hollandaise! The one on the special menu is 330 calories. Amazing if they try restaurants can cut out so much of the junk (assuming the total is accurate).
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    bump
  • JoLeeFA
    JoLeeFA Posts: 211 Member
    applebees has great under 550 items, Chillis also has some items.

    I think these are local delis but Sweet Peppers & McAllisters have good light items

    At almost any place you can ask for grilled chicken, or a small steak (6 oz) pair with some steamed veggies. I have found that resturants will usually allow you have things a bit different than the menu.
  • gods_gal
    gods_gal Posts: 305
    I ate at Chili's today. They have a nutritional menu there and online that you can use to see what is in their food. I also found this a while back that has several restaurants:
    http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/weight-watchers-points.html
  • pacmanjack
    pacmanjack Posts: 866 Member
    The Ninety-Nine restaurant chain (popular in New England, not sure where else), has all of its menu items' calorie content on its website, and much of it is in the mfp database. I take my kids there, and can usually look up calorie counts with my phone using the mfp app. Their grilled balsamic chicken breast is very tasty and a good, healthy choice that won't mess up your daily calories... just pass on the fries... I usually ask really nicely if they'll sub a side-salad for the potato and veggie that comes with it, and even though they're not "supposed to", they usually do.
  • sunnyrunner23
    sunnyrunner23 Posts: 182 Member
    I love going out to eat! Bump!
  • MaryEffingPoppins
    MaryEffingPoppins Posts: 371 Member
    I don't trust the "low calorie" menus. They can very well still be cooking it in butter, oil etc... I'm safer eating at home. Lol
  • karo224
    karo224 Posts: 292
    i love chipolte....the burrito bowl is a good choice if you add the right ingrediants and you can get 2 meals out of it!
  • JoLeeFA
    JoLeeFA Posts: 211 Member
    I don't trust the "low calorie" menus. They can very well still be cooking it in butter, oil etc... I'm safer eating at home. Lol

    totally agree.. when home isn't an option, don't be afraid to ask how food esp meat is being cooked!
  • kdfrands
    kdfrands Posts: 2
    I have been eating at Native Foods. It's a vegan restaurant. Their Scorpion "Burger" is 500 cal. They are still a small chain but I am going to start a project of figuring out some of their calorie content.
  • hedwighigh
    hedwighigh Posts: 299
    Restaurant used to make me really anxious but now I just have my family or friends tell me where we're going several hours to a day beforehand then I just go to the restaurant's website and search their menu and nutrition facts. Most restaurants have at least a menu on the internet and I've only had to deal with a few restaurants without nutrition facts.

    If they don't have their nutrition facts then I use their menu and make an estimate on their calories and such.
    If they don't have a menu, I guess by the type of food they serve about what they might have and guess again.

    I really like to go ahead and have the meal logged in before I go so I don't have to be typing in the mfp app the whole time I'm deciding on food. It also takes me forever to decide anyway. If there is no way of guessing or the place has really unhealthy stuff then I just eat semi-well and be careful the rest of the day.

    Usually my family and friends are pretty cool about choosing places that are semi-easy for me to eat at though.

    So in general, the best restaurants for dieters (or me at least) are those with online menus/nutrition facts.
  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
    NOT chilis!
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,247 Member
    Panera is definitely #1...they have some high cal stuff but they also have low cal stuff and even if you get a half salad it's huge and delicious.

    Applebee's
    Famous Daves
    IHOP

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