Have Restaurants Gone Mad???

dmpizza

I agree about portion sizes.
I remember 35 years ago when the McDonald's Quarter Pounder and small fires was considered a big meal. Now some "sliders" are that big.

Alee4nia

a) Some people are being rude, this is a support site, no? Be nice people, why are you attacking people who have had different experiences...even if you have something different to say don't need to put it in an offensive and aggressive demeanor.

b) Yes, it is the consumer's job to know what they are buying, but common sense also says too much is a bad thing...meaning why are industries adding not just a bit bigger sizes but huge sizes of food...with huge amounts of calories in them. That does mean that the industry is lacking some education regarding this matter. I am not talking about restaurants force feeding...I am talking about the bigger picture here...the food we eat is controlled by a few companies...they are the only people that get to make decisions on how food is grown, processed, etc...why? Many of the foods we eat also has been genetically altered...something that maybe be healthy actually may not be as our bodies do not know how to process them as they are the synthetic versions...just as we hold ourselves accountable we also have to hold big businesses accountable for not using common sense and just worrying about PROFIT.

c) My main point is that there are not enough healthier options available at restaurants. Yes, I do agree that there are not enough "real" restaurants...it really depends on where you live. The majority of my eating out is at these real restaurants and mostly I eat food from my ethnicity...which is all homecooked anyway....I do lots of homecooking myself...

d) My hope was that people had suggestions on low cal foods at restaurants. Many people did have good ideas and thank you for giving out those..I didn't know you could order directly from the cook...

HMonsterX

Part of trying to live healthier means making healthier decisions-it doesn't mean there aren't unhealthy options. We can choose a small burger instead of the massive one, we can order the half size lasagna instead of the full size-or we can take half home and eat the other half tomorrow.

Thank you so much for using one particular word..."Healthier".

That's the golden word. Not everything has to be healthy, just overall Healthier than the old "you".

If i was to go out for a meal, say a friend i haven't for years come over for a while, I'd get some good cardio and lifting in the day, skip breakfast, have a very light lunch, then I'd go balls to the wall that night! I'd have whatever i wanted to make it a great night out, and sod the calories!

...for that one night.

Next day, back to normal. It's all good

nixickle

I think some people are being quite defensive about my comments. My point was certainly not to offend! It was simply an observation that where we went to, in the two weeks we were there, we did not manage to eat in any 'real' restaurants; we could only find chains and anywhere that was more like a 'real' restaurant, we felt rushed; going back to one of my first comments, being rushed for a meal is not something I am used to! My hubby and I still go on dates and we like to go to a restaurant and spend 2-3 hours there! We did not feel we could do this in any of the places we ate in Oregon...yes I am very aware this is not the only place to visit in America! In the UK it is not uncommon to wait 30-40 mins for a starter in many restaurants, whereas our time in Oregon...we were never in a food place for longer than 40mins! (this was not necessarily a bad thing as I was pregnant at the time and receiving food quickly was quite beneficial ). I'm sure there were some fancy restaurants somewhere where we were staying, but we could not find them...hence why I was shocked! Just different in different places I guess so apologies again if I offended anyone! (no doubt someone will slate this message too )

rachemn

And this is an asinine response. The day it's hard to find a real restaurant you can say this stuff. But where did you live? Seriously. There are far more sit-down restaurants in the greater Phoenix area than fast food. joints. Same was true when I lived in New York and Michigan. New York City, LA, Chicago, Seattle, New Orleans and Miami (and many other US cities) are KNOWN for, among other things, incredible dining. Just because someone is too lazy to google restaurants in their area doesn't mean they don't exist.

All of the cities mentioned are pretty large cities. There are many places outside these big cities where only fast food is availabe without driving many miles. And I'm not talking chain restaurants, I'm talking fast food (McD, BK, Subway, etc.). My husband and I went to a rural location to geocache once and arrived very late and the ONLY thing open was McD. It was the first time I'd been to one in 15+ years but it was late and we were very hungry after a long drive. The next day we drove many miles in both directions (only one road through this "town") and never saw anything other than McD and Subway. Even going all the way back to the Interstate (well over an hour) only provided 4 more fast food joints and a Cracker Barrel.

I live in a small town on a very scenic tourist location (the north shore of lake Superior). We have no fast food despite high levels of tourist traffic. The closest is 30 miles away south of me there is a McDonald's and a Culvers, but there are over 20 awesome restaurants (some nationally known) and in the other direction (60 miles north) there is a subway and a DQ. LOL! However you will find some of the best restaurants in MN in this 100 mile stretch of shoreline!

bcattoes

And this is an asinine response. The day it's hard to find a real restaurant you can say this stuff. But where did you live? Seriously. There are far more sit-down restaurants in the greater Phoenix area than fast food. joints. Same was true when I lived in New York and Michigan. New York City, LA, Chicago, Seattle, New Orleans and Miami (and many other US cities) are KNOWN for, among other things, incredible dining. Just because someone is too lazy to google restaurants in their area doesn't mean they don't exist.

All of the cities mentioned are pretty large cities. There are many places outside these big cities where only fast food is availabe without driving many miles. And I'm not talking chain restaurants, I'm talking fast food (McD, BK, Subway, etc.). My husband and I went to a rural location to geocache once and arrived very late and the ONLY thing open was McD. It was the first time I'd been to one in 15+ years but it was late and we were very hungry after a long drive. The next day we drove many miles in both directions (only one road through this "town") and never saw anything other than McD and Subway. Even going all the way back to the Interstate (well over an hour) only provided 4 more fast food joints and a Cracker Barrel.

I'm sure that's true for some rural areas, but for many others, there are choices other than fast food or chains. I've lived in town so small you barely know they're there most of my life and always had "real" restaurants to choose from.

My point wasn't that all small towns or communities don't have restaurants. My point was that suggesting there were such places is not "asinine".

rml_16

I think some people are being quite defensive about my comments. My point was certainly not to offend! It was simply an observation that where we went to, in the two weeks we were there, we did not manage to eat in any 'real' restaurants; we could only find chains and anywhere that was more like a 'real' restaurant, we felt rushed; going back to one of my first comments, being rushed for a meal is not something I am used to! My hubby and I still go on dates and we like to go to a restaurant and spend 2-3 hours there! We did not feel we could do this in any of the places we ate in Oregon...yes I am very aware this is not the only place to visit in America! In the UK it is not uncommon to wait 30-40 mins for a starter in many restaurants, whereas our time in Oregon...we were never in a food place for longer than 40mins! (this was not necessarily a bad thing as I was pregnant at the time and receiving food quickly was quite beneficial ). I'm sure there were some fancy restaurants somewhere where we were staying, but we could not find them...hence why I was shocked! Just different in different places I guess so apologies again if I offended anyone! (no doubt someone will slate this message too )

I think the issue is you stated "small town America" (or something like that) and not "where we went."

America is a big place and you will have very different experiences depending on where you go. But to paint all small towns in the entire country with that brush is kind of small-minded.

nixickle

? I never once said small town America! All I said was my hubby and I were shocked there were no 'real restaurants'

HMonsterX

c) My main point is that there are not enough healthier options available at restaurants.

Simply because their research has proved it isn't as popular as "unhealthy" options. Therefore, they will make more profit from providing what most people want.

And yes, they are all about profit. They are businesses after all. Ethics vs profit is a whole different debate though

alcon79

? I never once said small town America! All I said was my hubby and I were shocked there were no 'real restaurants'

Your first post basically said that you were on vacation and you couldn't find a "real restaurant". That's a blanket statement since you didn't define where you were or other issues, and of course people are going to get defensive. It'd be like saying I visited Notting Hill and British people all have terrible teeth - obviously not true and you'd take offense.

On the calorie thing, I work in Bethesda, MD where it's law to post the calorie counts (only calories, not fat, sodium, etc.) next to every single food item in a coffee shop/restaurant, etc. The research has been showing that a) people may be shocked but don't change their order, especially once they're in line and b) after a while people don't even see the calorie counts because they're so used to them being written.

rml_16

I apologize. You didn't say "small town" (though I think someone did).

On the other hand, you did say this:

2 years ago, my husband and I had a holiday in America; we were so shocked by the portion sizes, we had to split all of our meals, and even then there was often plenty left over! I was also amazed when I ordered mango and orange smoothie to find it was filled with sugar!! I find mango so incredibly sweet anyway....why add sugar?? My husband and I were also quite shocked to see there were no 'real' restaurants, it was all fast food. Here in the UK, my hubby and I can go out for a meal and spend 2-3 hours in the restaurant, meaning we're taking our time over eating and enjoying each others company, unless the restaurant is booked up, there is no rush for us to eat.

which is kind of even more offensive. You went to one place in one state. You cannot judge an entire nation on that.

lunamare

I apologize. You didn't say "small town" (though I think someone did).

On the other hand, you did say this:

2 years ago, my husband and I had a holiday in America; we were so shocked by the portion sizes, we had to split all of our meals, and even then there was often plenty left over! I was also amazed when I ordered mango and orange smoothie to find it was filled with sugar!! I find mango so incredibly sweet anyway....why add sugar?? My husband and I were also quite shocked to see there were no 'real' restaurants, it was all fast food. Here in the UK, my hubby and I can go out for a meal and spend 2-3 hours in the restaurant, meaning we're taking our time over eating and enjoying each others company, unless the restaurant is booked up, there is no rush for us to eat.

which is kind of even more offensive. You went to one place in one state. You cannot judge an entire nation on that.

Honestly, I'm American and I find nothing about this comment offensive. Depending on where the OP went, she could be completely right. I live outside of Boston and we make an effort to go to smaller, non-chain restaurants and support the local economy. They're not easy to find in some cities. I know where to go in Boston for good food, but a visitor from another country might not and might get sucked into some of the "name" restaurants that herd you like cattle to make the most money in a night. I've been rushed out of so called "nice" restaurants in larger cities and been disgusted by it. I realize that these places need to make money, but when we're spending over $150 on dinner, I want to sit and enjoy it! The part about the portion sizes isn't a lie either. There's 5 pages of people discussing how crazy the portion sizes are at restaurants these days. My parents were brought up eating "normally" and neither of them has a weight issue. They could easily go to a restaurant and split a meal because the meals are large enough for 2 or 3 normal size meals.

lunamare

My husband and I were also quite shocked to see there were no 'real' restaurants, it was all fast food.

Mmmm not true at all.

I believe what the OP meant was that most of the restaurants that they found in the area that they visited were chain restaurants. Sue me, but I don't consider the Outback and Applebee's to be real restaurants either. TGIFriday's when it first opened used to actually COOK the food. Now everything is prepackaged and they just heat it up. It's like that at just about all of the chain restaurants so that they can "control quality". I say BULL. We went to Disney a few years ago and went out driving around looking for a place to eat. It was very difficult to find a non-chain restaurant. We did find a great tempanyaki bar though - but anyways - I can see where the OP may have had a hard time finding a restaurant like the ones she enjoys at home, where she knows where to go. If you were to come to my small town you'd probably go to the 99 or Chili's because they're easy to find. I prefer the little Mom and Pop places where the owner knows my name, BUT, I've lived here for over 15 years and know where to find them.

And seriously? We're all bashing the restaurant industry, stop bashing the OP just because she's from another country and did the same thing you're all doing.

elysecea

Trust me I know, I have worked at the Olive garden for years and ate alllllll the food for years. Once I decided that it was enough and I was tired of being a fat cow, I learned how to tweak some of the things we had there to suit my needs!! Nowadays, most restaurants have nutritional info available to you, at the actual restaurant or online! The sodium content is off the charts as well!!!!

CMmrsfloyd

We live about 2 miles away from a really great bbq restaurant, and previously my favorite meal there was fried chicken tenders with homemade honey mustard dipping sauce, amazing baked mac&cheese, and fries. I was considering picking up food there for dinner tonight if only I could find nutritional info to decide how much to split my meal and what to substitute in place of the fries (I never finish them anyway plus I'm avoiding fries currently LOL) but they don't even HAVE nutritional info to find! The website doesn't have it, I called the phone number provided and they don't have it, the restaurant doesn't have any info to give out! Very frustrating! The MFP database has a couple of items listed but not the ones I'm interested in, plus I have no clue how the users came up with the info since the restaurant does not give it out. This is southern cooking with lots of fat which is why it's so delicious but also why I'm weary of trying to 'guess' at the values - I could easily be way off and not have a clue. So annoying. Makes me not even want to eat there if I don't know what I'm actually eating. I've gotten so used to being able to track every little thing here that the idea of eating from a place where I don't know what I'm getting makes me nervous! It makes me wonder, if they're not giving out the info then does that mean it's even worse than I think it is?

ETA: And this is not just a mom&pop place with like 1 location, it is a chain although not as huge as say Olive Garden.

New_Hope

The Cheesecake factory just released a new menu skinnylicous, with half the menu under 590 calories, and including some yummy options like a small burger and salad with low fat mayo, and even a veggie burger. My favorites are the shrimp soft taco's or the turkey avocado sandwich. I dont even eat the sides cuz they fill me up and I am satisfied. The other half of the menu has options all under 490 calories including items such as the greek salad, edamame and even flat bread pizza. Some restaurants are listening

I think this is wonderful and more restaurants should do it! Now I can go back to Cheesecake factory and eat healthy, which is really good news!

TexasNurseMom78

Ok, so I dd not read ALL the posts so maybe someone already mentioned this, but what abuot food prices. The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is some of the worst nutritional valued food, but you could feed a family of four for around $10. Can you say that about other places? the economy is terrible, unemployment is way up. So manypeople think that if they can feed their family for $10 at a fast food place or go to the store and spend $$$$ on fresh fruits and veggies and meats, which are they going to choose?

CMmrsfloyd

Ok, so I dd not read ALL the posts so maybe someone already mentioned this, but what abuot food prices. The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is some of the worst nutritional valued food, but you could feed a family of four for around $10. Can you say that about other places? the economy is terrible, unemployment is way up. So manypeople think that if they can feed their family for $10 at a fast food place or go to the store and spend $$$$ on fresh fruits and veggies and meats, which are they going to choose?

I wish food was priced according to how many calories are in it. You pick up an 800 calorie burger from McDonald's, it costs $8.00. Get a 200 calorie salad, only $2.00. A whole large tomato only $0.33 at the market. Nice big cucumbers for $0.34. Wouldn't that be wonderful for those of us trying to lose weight? Even the currently $1.00 mcchicken would then be over $3.00. It would be a great motivator. It would be neat if they could factor in other things too, like trans-fat costs more and protein/fiber/calcium brings the price down a bit, etc. Never gonna happen b/c it's just not the way things work out with supply/demand and various costs, but it would be so nice if it were possible.

bcattoes

Ok, so I dd not read ALL the posts so maybe someone already mentioned this, but what abuot food prices. The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is some of the worst nutritional valued food, but you could feed a family of four for around $10. Can you say that about other places? the economy is terrible, unemployment is way up. So manypeople think that if they can feed their family for $10 at a fast food place or go to the store and spend $$$$ on fresh fruits and veggies and meats, which are they going to choose?

I could feed a family of four for 2 days (at least) on $10 if I bought and prepared my own food.

Grokette

Ok, so I dd not read ALL the posts so maybe someone already mentioned this, but what abuot food prices. The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is some of the worst nutritional valued food, but you could feed a family of four for around $10. Can you say that about other places? the economy is terrible, unemployment is way up. So manypeople think that if they can feed their family for $10 at a fast food place or go to the store and spend $$$$ on fresh fruits and veggies and meats, which are they going to choose?

Like bcattoes said - one can go to the grocery store and spend $10.00 or less and have at least 2 days worth of meals with as little as $10.00 and have left overs for lunches the next day.

The problem is, people use the excuse of "I'm so busy" just not to cook because of the thing called instant gratification by going through the drive through.

If your unemployed, you have no excuse or reason to be eating out ANYWHERE and should be grocery shopping and cooking to get the most bang for your buck.

It's just an excuse.

CMmrsfloyd

Ok, so I dd not read ALL the posts so maybe someone already mentioned this, but what abuot food prices. The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is some of the worst nutritional valued food, but you could feed a family of four for around $10. Can you say that about other places? the economy is terrible, unemployment is way up. So manypeople think that if they can feed their family for $10 at a fast food place or go to the store and spend $$$$ on fresh fruits and veggies and meats, which are they going to choose?

I could feed a family of four for 2 days (at least) on $10 if I bought and prepared my own food.

You can make 4 people 3 meals a day for 2 days for $10 ($0.42/meal/person)? Or are you saying if you *had* to you could all eat so little that it would only cost $10? I am pretty frugal but I don't know that I could adequately feed my family of 4 if I only had $0.42/person to spend on a regular basis. That would be just over $35/week. I really believe that's hard to do on healthy food *unless* you are growing a fair share at home. I'm not saying it's impossible I'm just saying IDK that I could accomplish it just by trying to shop frugally at the stores available in my area.

charityateet

My job is to sell food to restaurants - I have tried to get my customers to offer smaller portions and healthier options. I live in a pretty small town with only 2 chain restaurants (BK and Subway) so the rest are hometown diners. For the most part, I have had a lot of negativity from owners, kitchen staff and waitstaff when bringing up the subject of healthier meals or lower calorie options.

Thing is....mostly they are afraid if they put out a plate of food with the 4ounce of meat - cup of vegis and 1/2 cup pasta or rice - their customers would laugh themselves out the door.

I was at one place recently and these two fairly fit women were at the salad bar, and I said to myself "way to make a healthy option" after they were finished loading their plates, I looked at what was on them - and they each had to weight about 3 lbs each. If not more. Loaded with all the mayo salads, filled to the top with homemade bread and bacon pieces, covered in ranch dressing. I believe that if you would have filled their plates for them - with just lettuce and beans and carrots and baby corn (etc) with a side of lowfat viniagrette......well, let's say that's just not what they were going for when they ordered the "healthy salad bar"

Part of the thing with the food cost - for some of you who are complaining about it - food is very expensive, and the more you serve, the more you have to charge for it......16ounce ribeye (just the meat alone) costs the account $6. add on vegis - another .75 starch .75 and bread .25 you have a 7.75 meal that they have to charge at least $21 for overhead and expenses.

Scan the menu before you arrive if at all possible. Don't be afraid to order something not on the menu or to modify your selection (dressing on the side, no cheese or butter) most of the time they are more than happy to accomidate you. My restaurants want repeat customers.....they want you leaving happy and satisfied and excited to come back.

Hoppymom

Recently my husband was in the hospital for rib and shoulder pain and due to his history of heart disease, High BP, diabeties and obesity he was given a healthy diet. I went down to the cafeteria and tried to eat healthy as I had just begun losing about ten days prior to this. There was so much bad food I was stunned. Lots of bars and cookies and pies and cakes. Lots of salty options and fatty casseroles. The salad bar was loaded with macaroni and potato salads and iceburg lettuce. where were the steamed veggies, the lean meats, the fresh veggies? This hospital is one of the top 50 heart centers in America. Seems to me that they are trying to get more patients by way of their own cafeteria. :huh:

bcattoes

Ok, so I dd not read ALL the posts so maybe someone already mentioned this, but what abuot food prices. The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is some of the worst nutritional valued food, but you could feed a family of four for around $10. Can you say that about other places? the economy is terrible, unemployment is way up. So manypeople think that if they can feed their family for $10 at a fast food place or go to the store and spend $$$$ on fresh fruits and veggies and meats, which are they going to choose?

I could feed a family of four for 2 days (at least) on $10 if I bought and prepared my own food.

You can make 4 people 3 meals a day for 2 days for $10 ($0.42/meal/person)? Or are you saying if you *had* to you could all eat so little that it would only cost $10? I am pretty frugal but I don't know that I could adequately feed my family of 4 if I only had $0.42/person to spend on a regular basis. That would be just over $35/week. I really believe that's hard to do on healthy food *unless* you are growing a fair share at home. I'm not saying it's impossible I'm just saying IDK that I could accomplish it just by trying to shop frugally at the stores available in my area.

I assumed the $10 was for 4 people for one meal. But if you are eating all 3 meals at McD for $10 then I will revise my statement: I can feed 4 people dinner (1 complete filling meal) for 2 days on $10.

Beans! They are cheap, versatile and nutritious. Beans and rice, bean burritoes, Bean soup and salad, bean chili, etc. (actually a big pot of beans and rice or chili could probably feed 4 people 3 meals a day for $10)

Eggs! also cheap and nutritious. Omelets are tasty, healthy meal. Or egg sandwiches.

There are other meals, but any of those mentioned would be more food per person for the money than the tiny sandwiches on the $1 menu.

joseph9

The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is some of the worst nutritional valued food, but you could feed a family of four for around $10. Can you say that about other places? the economy is terrible, unemployment is way up. So manypeople think that if they can feed their family for $10 at a fast food place or go to the store and spend $$$$ on fresh fruits and veggies and meats, which are they going to choose?

I know where you're coming from and I kind of agree, but just to play devil's advocate, if the family of four each get a McChicken, hold the mayo, and a side salad, hold the dressing, that's not a particularly unhealthy meal. (The main problem is sodium). Also, you can actually cook for a family of four fairly cheaply using old standbys like frozen chicken, whole cabbage, rice, beans, etc., but it's a lot more work.

The main problem with McDonalds is that science cannot make a salad as delicious as McDonald's fries ("arglargl McDonald's fries") without coming in at least twice the calories of said fries.

But yes, it would be nice if Subway salads weren't more expensive than the five dollar subs, etc.

bcattoes

I know where you're coming from and I kind of agree, but just to play devil's advocate, if the family of four each get a McChicken, hold the mayo, and a side salad, hold the dressing, that's not a particularly unhealthy meal. (The main problem is sodium). Also, you can actually cook for a family of four fairly cheaply using old standbys like frozen chicken, whole cabbage, rice, beans, etc., but it's a lot more work.

I think this hits the nail on the head. It's not that eating fast food is cheaper. It's that it's easier.

Also fast food salads are usually covered in nitrates, so from a strictly calorie standpoint they may not be so bad, but they are not healthy. Nitrates are very hard on your pancreas.

elysecea

I had to eat at Olive Garden for work the other day. I went online ahead of time and researched the calories in each of the dishes. I went in already knowing what I was going to order; that way I didn't even have to look at the menu and see all of the temptations. I ordered water (0 calories, obviously), a bowl of Zuppa Toscana soup (170 calories-and I told the waitress to bring me ONE BOWL, no more), and the Venetian Apricot Chicken with broccoli and asparagus (290 calories for a lunch portion). I left satisfied and not one bit hungry for 460 calories. So it CAN be done.

I have noticed that Olive Garden is now offering whole wheat pasta for their "create your own pasta" dish. That and some marinara sauce would not be that many calories. The danger for me at Olive Garden is the breadsticks (150 calories a pop!). When they came to the table, I just passed them right on down the line. It all comes down to choices.

I did see a post by someone the other day who was going out to lunch for work. She posted the menu from the place they were going...holy cow! It was awful. Nothing under 600 calories except a bowl of soup. So some restaurants are worse than others. I just avoid those restaurants whenever possible. When it's unavoidable, you just do what you have to, even if it means eating a hefty, low-calorie snack beforehand so you don't eat as much at the restaurant.

I work there!! I once went 2 whole years without touching those breadsticks! They do have a lot of healthier choices there then they used to!!! Kudos to you that you passed them up!! All of my fellow co-workers are constantly snacking on them with some alfredo on the side, definitely seeing what the nutritional value is of the food there helps me ALOT. When co workers order stuff I remind them how bad it is....mean I know...but dont complain about wanting to lose weight when you are gonna turn around and eat crap LOL!!! Do you also know that olive garden has a special chair called the "larry chair" for guests that cant fit in the seat?

CMmrsfloyd

I had to eat at Olive Garden for work the other day. I went online ahead of time and researched the calories in each of the dishes. I went in already knowing what I was going to order; that way I didn't even have to look at the menu and see all of the temptations. I ordered water (0 calories, obviously), a bowl of Zuppa Toscana soup (170 calories-and I told the waitress to bring me ONE BOWL, no more), and the Venetian Apricot Chicken with broccoli and asparagus (290 calories for a lunch portion). I left satisfied and not one bit hungry for 460 calories. So it CAN be done.

I have noticed that Olive Garden is now offering whole wheat pasta for their "create your own pasta" dish. That and some marinara sauce would not be that many calories. The danger for me at Olive Garden is the breadsticks (150 calories a pop!). When they came to the table, I just passed them right on down the line. It all comes down to choices.

I did see a post by someone the other day who was going out to lunch for work. She posted the menu from the place they were going...holy cow! It was awful. Nothing under 600 calories except a bowl of soup. So some restaurants are worse than others. I just avoid those restaurants whenever possible. When it's unavoidable, you just do what you have to, even if it means eating a hefty, low-calorie snack beforehand so you don't eat as much at the restaurant.

I work there!! I once went 2 whole years without touching those breadsticks! They do have a lot of healthier choices there then they used to!!! Kudos to you that you passed them up!! All of my fellow co-workers are constantly snacking on them with some alfredo on the side, definitely seeing what the nutritional value is of the food there helps me ALOT. When co workers order stuff I remind them how bad it is....mean I know...but dont complain about wanting to lose weight when you are gonna turn around and eat crap LOL!!! Do you also know that olive garden has a special chair called the "larry chair" for guests that cant fit in the seat?

I don't think I have the willpower to work at Olive Garden - the breadsticks dipped in alfredo is just divine!

jedi9393

I live in Dallas, far north dallas to be exact and I can tell you that you are hard pressed to find a real restaurant here. I dont count, the chain restaurants as real food either. I am from up north and you really have to drive far to find some ethnic dive or drive to the "hood" to go there. No one wants to drive in Dallas. Traffic is bad and its a pain. At least not for some out of the way restaurant. They will rush you out the door and everything. I use to live in a small texas town called Anna and it has one grocery store and 5 fast food places!! population around 7,000. So yeah depending on where you go and what's your experience you can be hard up to find something healthy. I dont know why people get defensive over someone elses experience. How can you correct someones opinion? You cannot! It's hers. Jesus you would have think she spit on the American flag or something. I've never been to Oregon so how the heck do I know what they have there? Or where she went or what she saw? Christ sakes. Does she have to give coordinates so we all can verify she is telling the truth? LOLZ...

Me and my hubby rarely go out to eat. I like to have control over how my food is cooked and etc, but I can understand the parent who wants to stop at some fast food place and grab cheap food off the dollar menu. Its quick, cheap and lets be honest, who has a kid that really wants to eat beans and eggs for 2 days. Most people dont. Bad food tastes good.

Grokette

The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is some of the worst nutritional valued food, but you could feed a family of four for around $10. Can you say that about other places? the economy is terrible, unemployment is way up. So manypeople think that if they can feed their family for $10 at a fast food place or go to the store and spend $$$$ on fresh fruits and veggies and meats, which are they going to choose?

I know where you're coming from and I kind of agree, but just to play devil's advocate, if the family of four each get a McChicken, hold the mayo, and a side salad, hold the dressing, that's not a particularly unhealthy meal. (The main problem is sodium). Also, you can actually cook for a family of four fairly cheaply using old standbys like frozen chicken, whole cabbage, rice, beans, etc., but it's a lot more work.

The main problem with McDonalds is that science cannot make a salad as delicious as McDonald's fries ("arglargl McDonald's fries") without coming in at least twice the calories of said fries.

But yes, it would be nice if Subway salads weren't more expensive than the five dollar subs, etc.

I must be one of very few that don't like Mc Donald's fries..............the smell alone has always turned my stomach. In fact, I don't like potatoes much at all. YUCK