Restaurants - Are You Kidding Me?!?!

SeasideOasis

I really don't understand what the issue is with restaurants. Why the %$#* are the salads typically just as expensive, if not more, than a a meat or 'bad for you' dish. Please see exhibit A below:

http://www.winkinglizard.com/media/menus/2011-2nd-half-menus/all-locations.pdf

CAJUN CHICKEN
SPINACH SALAD
Charbroiled chicken breast seasoned
with our own Cajun spices, on a bed of spinach
and mozzarella cheese, garnished with
chopped egg, bacon, tomatoes, olives
and mushrooms. $8.49 :grumble:

BACON CHEESEBURGER (Burgers include fries, or a comparable side dish, and all the trimmings on the burger)
American cheese topped with strips of
Applewood bacon. $7.99 :explode:

Wait, wait, wait - It gets better.

You know how typically seafood is more expensive -

GRILLED SALMON DINNER
Wild caught Alaskan grilled salmon. Consider basting
with one of our signature sauces as an alternative.
$8.99 :mad:

How is a salad with CHICKEN only $.50 cents cheaper than a full SALMON DINNER?!?!? I mean, I get the salmon with grilled veggies and keep it healthy (why not for only $.50 cents more), but what the heck is wrong with America?!?! No wonder half the country is fat/obese/overweight/Etc!!

Listen up restaurants, get your &*@$ head in the game before I go postal :noway: and cry .

scunningham2012

Amen! It's like McDonald's that has salads for $4.99 and hamburgers for $1.99...xD

Zichu

Well I can't tell how real the burgers are at McDonalds, but I am pretty sure they are just fake crap, so they are going to be cheaper. They can last a hell of a lot longer than a salad does.

You wouldn't buy a shopping trolley full of veggies, make a ton of salads, and sell them for the same price as a hamburger. You are most likely not going to be able to sell all of the salads before the expiry date arrives which then you would have to throw away and buy a whole lot more.

Well you can tell that the Burgers aren't real or just packed full of cheap crap if you saw Super Size Me lol.

MooMooooo

Salads are more labour intensive.

Unknown

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lchovet

That Salad probably has as many calories as the burger. Cheese, eggs, bacon, and proably drenched with dressing nothing healthy about it.

h0llist3r

In England we have a portuguese restaurant called nandos and the calories generally aren't too horific but for a salad it can be a bit excessive especially when you're trying to keep the cost and the calories down. also they put on the menu to order sides with your dinner so it all quickly adds up on both counts but one meal at nandos with a soft drink would cost like $20


http://www.nandos.co.uk/themenu click on nutrition for the calories

butterfli7o

Yes, don't be fooled...I've done some research and it is ridiculous how many calories are in some of those salads...better to get grilled chicken, fish, or steak with a side of veggies most of the time...as long as they're not drenched in butter!

zewolf77

Beef, Poultry, Dairy, Corn (used to make sweeteners), and various other things have lots of federal subsidies to offset costs and keep consumer prices low.


Healthy vegetable farmers that produce good foods like Carrots, Spinach, various types of Lettuce, Cabbage, the Squash family, etc... they have... well... they have to foot the entire bill..


See the disconnect?

bodiva88

What moo said. Much of what you are paying for at a restaurant is the expense of the restaurant. Rent, electric, labor. The food is just a small part of the cost of a meal. Salads take a lot of prep and take up a lot of space in the kitchen. Also, salad fixins tend to be less shelf stable than more robust veggies or protein. So there's more spoilage that has to be factored in.

Rhea30

I really don't understand what the issue is with restaurants. Why the %$#* are the salads typically just as expensive, if not more, than a a meat or 'bad for you' dish. Please see exhibit A below:

http://www.winkinglizard.com/media/menus/2011-2nd-half-menus/all-locations.pdf

CAJUN CHICKEN
SPINACH SALAD
Charbroiled chicken breast seasoned
with our own Cajun spices, on a bed of spinach
and mozzarella cheese, garnished with
chopped egg, bacon, tomatoes, olives
and mushrooms. $8.49 :grumble:

BACON CHEESEBURGER (Burgers include fries, or a comparable side dish, and all the trimmings on the burger)
American cheese topped with strips of
Applewood bacon. $7.99 :explode:

Wait, wait, wait - It gets better.

You know how typically seafood is more expensive -

GRILLED SALMON DINNER
Wild caught Alaskan grilled salmon. Consider basting
with one of our signature sauces as an alternative.
$8.99 :mad:

How is a salad with CHICKEN only $.50 cents cheaper than a full SALMON DINNER?!?!? I mean, I get the salmon with grilled veggies and keep it healthy (why not for only $.50 cents more), but what the heck is wrong with America?!?! No wonder half the country is fat/obese/overweight/Etc!!

Listen up restaurants, get your &*@$ head in the game before I go postal :noway: and cry .

It could be they are not ordered as much as the other dishes so that would raise their price on the dish.

jonward85

Also, typically restaurants pay more for the items that go into your salads. They don't keep as long as burgers so they end up throwing things away raising the cost.

Part 2: I agree these salads are CRAZY CALORIES. And ironically it's not always from the dressing. It's not uncommon to see a salad with 800 calories here in my area, but i can get a double stacker from BK and come in lower than that.

42kgirl

Because the food cost is higher. Duh. The hubs is a chef so I know this for a fact.

Rhea30

That Salad probably has as many calories as the burger. Cheese, eggs, bacon, and proably drenched with dressing nothing healthy about it.

That is true but it may have more nutrients in it then the cheese burger and also a good fiber content.

VanessaGS

LMFAO so true.

Faintgreeneyes

One, because fresh produce can sometimes be more expensive then buying frozen meat and fish in bulk. Two, they need someone to make the salads for you. So due to the labor it takes, coupled with the cost because you can't keep lettuce for more than a couple of days- unlike fish and meat it makes the price go up.

The thing(s) that make salad un-healthy are = salad dressing, toppings like cheese, croutons, etc. So if you go to a place and order a salad, just ask for the dressing on the side and portion it out as needed, and keep the cheese and croutons off. Also, it is cheaper usually to order a side salad and get a side order of grilled chicken to go on it, then to order the huge salad.

There are ways to make things cheaper=don't hate on restaurants because they need to make a living.

Jgasmic

Wait a second, where are these restaurants where you can get a salmon dinner for under ten dollars?!? That would be at least $18 here, and the salad would be 9 or 10 before adding chicken (that would cost you 3 or 4 dollars more.) I need to move to the middle of nowhere. :grumble:

moochachip

I'd rather pay 1-2 dollars more for something healthy then get a cheap, horrible meal. Salads aren't always the best go to option however, especially with dressings usually found at restaurants.

iuew

i can't count the number of times i've seen someone choose the salad at the restaurant, and it's so massive and covered with toppings and dressing that they could have eaten a couple big macs instead and been better off. same thing at subway. "yeah, i'll have the footlong bacon with extra bacon and salami, extra southwest sauce."

stfuriada

Restaurants are not around to feed you healthy meals.

They're around to make money.

MakeItWork_75

At Zaxby's for a side salad (lettuce, tomato, and cucumber) it's $2.99 but a side order of french fries is $1.29. Hmmm. You tell me which side item most people will choose?

PunkyRachel

Yep, "healthy" foods are usually more. Plus we have all these venting machines and junk food everywhere you look. People wonder why America is so fat!

nakabi

In England we have a portuguese restaurant called nandos and the calories generally aren't too horific but for a salad it can be a bit excessive especially when you're trying to keep the cost and the calories down. also they put on the menu to order sides with your dinner so it all quickly adds up on both counts but one meal at nandos with a soft drink would cost like $20


http://www.nandos.co.uk/themenu click on nutrition for the calories

mmmmmmmmm I love me some Nandos!!!! awesome periperi chicken!!!

jonward85

At Zaxby's for a side salad (lettuce, tomato, and cucumber) it's $2.99 but a side order of french fries is $1.29. Hmmm. You tell me which side item most people will choose?

Yes, but you can order fries in larger quantities. You can store the fries (if frozen) for a very long time compared to fresh lettuce and such. Also, tomatoes are one of the more pricey items at a restaurant.

artbkward

You didn't have to throw the Winking Lizard under the bus, it's not like they're the only ones that do this. I love that place, I always get the buffalo chicken sandwich with steamed veggies- one of the lowest cal things on the menu.

Also, go to the store and buy all those ingredients and see how much it costs. It's not out of line.

patchesgizmo

the main reason is because the salad items expire faster and need replacing therefore they cost more to keep on the menu.

artbkward

Wait a second, where are these restaurants where you can get a salmon dinner for under ten dollars?!? That would be at least $18 here, and the salad would be 9 or 10 before adding chicken (that would cost you 3 or 4 dollars more.) I need to move to the middle of nowhere. :grumble:

This particular restaurant is either in Cleveland, Ohio or Columbus, Ohio. Hardly the middle of nowhere.

deenie169

I wonder if this has something to do with the perishable nature of most salad items. I imagine that most items in a "bad for you" meal are processed and/ or frozen. Lots of the salad items are also susceptible to damage in transit, too, so it's more costly for the supplier to ship & handle the items.
Also, supply/ demand economics figures in: if you buy lots of a given product (hamburger, fries, etc.), the supplier may offer a volume discount, whereas the products bought in smaller quantities (tomatoes, avocados, etc.) are not given a bulk discount.

It can be frustrating to pay a little more for something that's leaner and gives you more nutrition, BUT it's worth it when I feel that I've spent the money to take good care of myself. I hope that you find some small comfort in paying the "premium" for a better life and giving your body the kind of fuel it can really use!

FrugalMomsRock75

Restaurant salads are usually not actually "healthy" alternatives... some have even more calories, fat, and sodium than eating a big fat burger! It's a little insane...

MissTattoo

Applebees salads are pretty high in calories! It's the dressing!

42kgirl

Restaurants are not around to feed you healthy meals.

They're around to make money.

Yes, we want to make money, but we also care about quality food not processed crap. We are big believers in farm to table. It costs more than McDonald's, but is so worth it.