Outback, Chilis, Olive Garden - HEALTHY???

LastSixtySix

What would you do if your good friends, who must socialize over a "dining experience" and who reject Mad Greens as delicious food, take time to consider what is healthy to them and present you with Outback, Chilis, or Olive Garden as healthy dining options?

This couple is from the south and just moved to Colorado near us a couple years ago. The man in this couple is slim and healthy but he works at it by keeping to a rigid food scheme throughout the week plus runs 5 miles a day. Then, from Friday evening through Sunday noon he eats whatever he wants. The woman in this couple has gained 30 lbs since moving here. She does not follow a healthy eating routine and, as a busy professional, home cooked meals mean prepackaged offerings fromt he grocery.

I'm thinking about showing them the printouts of the nutritional research I had to perform on the above restaurants in order to insure the #1 my husband gets as little sodium as possible in his selection and #2 that I maintain my quality nutrition. That is, I'll order a salad with NO DRESSING and I'll bring my own dressing in fact to add to it. I might even go into the kitchen and help the staff prepare our food!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I'm tempted, sorely tempted because I have an appointment with Onederland on Tuesday. 199.8 won't do it for me, I need to be fully at 199! :laugh:

What would you do?

-Debra

SLippi

I eat Ouback Filets with somewhat regularity. A good lean steak is good once in a while. They have other things also but for me I tend to need protein as I eat too many carbs already. The main problem with Outback is the bread is soooo good I tend to overeat it.

Don't know about Chilis but Olive Garden is tougher but since I love pasta I tend to make room for it in my week. They have other things like the soup/salad combos that people tend to like.

Most chains tend to have healthy options and I know Outback and OG do but eating out is never going to be as healthy as something you make yourself. Maybe invite them over for a dinner "dining experience" would be a good compromise.

wellbert

if you go to outback, just get a steak and tell them to not cook it in butter. Heps a lot.

Brennaohh

i go to chilis often, they have healthier options now and their overall portion sizes are smaller and more of a normal meal size (atleast the one near me).

I usually get the grilled chicken sandwich, guiltless grill option. Its a nice grilled chicken breast with fat free honey mustard, lettuce, and tomato on a whole wheat bun. Side of steamed broccoli with sprinkled cheese on top.

I find it perfectly filling/delicious and the whole thing is less then 700 cals according to the menu.

Also they have a chicken dish with black beans and i think rice and salsa, also pretty healthy if I remember correctly.

Just some ideas (:

Not too sure about Outback but if I go to a steakhouse I usually get a plain baked potato, butter on the side, with a salad, low fat dressing on the side, and a small sized steak. Then eat maybe half the steak, depending on size, and save the rest for later because cold steak is amazingg!

k8lyn_235

i just ate at outback last week and had my meal for under 500 cals. i got the pork tenderloin (was delicious!) with steamed veggies (no butter) and a plain baked potato. i even had a slice of bread!

you can eat healthy anywhere, you just have to be picky and request for special cooking (no butter/oil, dressing on the side, etc.)

PJilly

I'd do my homework, like you've done, to decide what I'd order, but I wouldn't share the printouts of the nutritional information with my friends.

LastSixtySix

Thanks for all the tips!

Husband is a carnivore so he had the pork, steamed veggies, and plain baked potato option. I'm a pesco-vegetarian so I had the dinner salad minus dressing and cheese (forgot to minus the croutons!) and the plain steamed green beans. However, next time I'm going back into the kitchen to help them steam those beans because I'm sure they tossed butter onto them.

In my purse I brought the salt-substitute and my aged Molena Balsamic Vinagrette with olive oil, and one Toufaya Whole Wheat Pita. I was minus -0.2 on the scale this morning. Woo hoo!!!

Few items, btw, on the Outback menu have less than 1,500mg of sodium and most verge on 2,000mg, which is the US daily recommended. Geez, I really hate commercial food chains. Hate them. Glad I'm back to my own fridge and kitchen!

-Debra