Restaurant Shame List
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Is there one here on MFP or anywhere else? I think we need one. I'm thinking a list of chain restaurants that should be publicly shamed (and their CEO's potentially Flogged) for their uncanny ability to take seemingly healthy foods and make them calorie laden, fat gorged dining enigmas from hell. If anyone else is interested, here's a few that I'd nominate for that list early on:
Chili's - By far the most hideous minefield of a menu. Almost all their meals are well over 1000 calories and many exceed 2000.
California Pizza Kitchen - I think there's like two meals below 1000 calories
Qdoba - I love Qdoba but seriously how do you turn a chicken burrito into an 1100 calorie entre
Thoughts? Do you disagree? Is this the lamest topic ever?
Totally agree that these are bad, but we all have our own choices, no one is forcing us. Chili's is the most terrible food for you and honestly if anyone gets them shutdown or to change their menu I will hunt you down and b!tch slap you. I f--king love Chili's (about once a month or every other month as a cheat). I realize it is stupid poorly cooked chain food, but it is GOOOOD. Is there any 4 better words on this planet than "bottomless chips and salsa"..... NOM NOM NOM.......0 -
As long as a restaurant makes some effort to post/list the calories and macros in their foods, they're A-OK in my book.
Chilis has a Margarita chicken dish that is VERY macro friendly, and tastes baller.
I agree and that is the only thing I get when i go to Chilis with water and a lemon inside.
Its up to you to decide what and how much you will put in your mouth.0 -
The amount of sodium in the average subway sandwich...
Isnt really terrible considering the volume and the amount of bread. I mean really it is processed lunchmeat too so...0 -
LOL re Hardees. I haven't eaten there in a decade, solely because my weakness is their curly fries (if those even still exist). Oh baby!The only places around here that I stay away from are Hardees and Five Guys. I'm in the mecca of bbq (my opinion anyway) and even the bbq joints can fix you up with something relatively healthy. Hardees was obviously built by a very jaded woman that wants to see all men dead by the age of 40.0 -
Well it looks like there is a gap in the market for a Healthy restaurant brand if anyone has got the skills, capital, and guts to go for it.
I was thinking the same thing. I've got the guts and the skills, but no capital. LOL :ohwell:
I read that McDonald's has a 'healthy' restaurant chain. Their pilot store (and only one so far) is in Palo Alto, CA. Lyfe? Something like that. I didn't go over their menu though to see if it's all BS.
I won't take long for tons of other places to jump on that bandwagon. It's a major demographic that is being missed.0 -
Ruby Tuesday. Because I ordered the Turkey Burger without the cheese and bacon and it was still 700 calories.
There is one non-chain that SHOULD be put on a shame list, but I never will because they rule and it is a treat to go there: Melt Bar and Grilled in Cleveland, OH.
They were on Man Vs. Food and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. They have EPIC grilled cheese sandwiches. And by EPIC, I mean mothertruckin' EPIC. Huge texas toast pieces that are buttered and toasted, tons of cheese, insane toppings and fillings...I had a sandwich there called The Dude Abides which is two pieces of garlic toast with two fist-size meatballs covered in provolone and parmesan cheese AND chopped up mozzarella sticks in between. Oh, and marinara sauce. It was a b*tch trying to figure the calorie count on that beast. I could only eat half and took the rest home for lunch the next day.
I compensated by eating only fruits and light snacks through out the day...I knew what I was walking into. Haha. Melt's food is so awful for you, but so worth the experience.0 -
Cheesecake Factory is the WORST! Portion sizes are out of control!
At one time 35 dishes over 1000 cals0 -
Well it looks like there is a gap in the market for a Healthy restaurant brand if anyone has got the skills, capital, and guts to go for it.
I was thinking the same thing. I've got the guts and the skills, but no capital. LOL :ohwell:
I read that McDonald's has a 'healthy' restaurant chain. Their pilot store (and only one so far) is in Palo Alto, CA. Lyfe? Something like that. I didn't go over their menu though to see if it's all BS.
I won't take long for tons of other places to jump on that bandwagon. It's a major demographic that is being missed.
I googled them, the menu is impressive, with low calorie and relatively low sodium...
http://lyfekitchen.com/about-us.aspx
However, I think they are former McDonald executives, I don't think McDonalds actually has a hand in it.0 -
Lucilles?? Sorry if its a repeat but their portions are made for giants and their apple butter with biscuts..to die for....literally.0
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Disagree...the people who CHOOSE to eat at these restaurants are get what they deserve...personal choice, personal responsibility0
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I went to Panchero's yesterday with my DD (had never eaten there before) and ordered a burrito. I looked up it up on the database and the spread was from 850 calories to over 1000 so I decided to eat half and brought the rest home. Same with the regular Snapple iced tea I ordered....drank half. Did fine and even stayed under my calorie goal. Its been said so many times but MODERATION is the key.0
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Cora's. I think this is only in Canada and not across the whole country, either. I love the food, especially the hazelnut chocolate (re Nutella) banana crepe, but the portions are probably 3x what they need to be. They like to add stuff to the fruit-only platters and yes, you can just scrape it off. The big one for me is there is no way to get nutritional info from any Cora's EVER.0
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As you should...;) wow...When eating out, as long as i can get a mixed greens or spinach salad with grilled chix breast(2) and dressing on the side (i don't eat it) the menu can have toxic sludge and I'd be ok with it. However, on cheat days... I'll eat anything! :bigsmile:0 -
hall of fame health friendly spots:
Pollo Loco: chicken breast meal with veggie side and salad 265 cals
Jack in the box: grilled chicken strips, chicken fajita pita, and even their chicken club sandwhich is decent.
Chipotle: double steak salad, hold the beans and rice and go for extra fajita veggies.
Panda: skip the fried rice and chowmein, instead go Veggies with healthier sides... I get full under 500 cals from there
I can't think of anymore0 -
I agree... Another really bad one is TGI Fridays!
Top on my list!
I had no idea it was that bad! I'm in the UK and we eat there maybe four times a year. I always order 'Wicked Chicken', which is chicken breast, with a hot, spicey rice, pico de gallo, corn on the cob and some kind of sauce, maybe 30ml of it. I asked them about calories and they had no idea so I've routinely put it in at 1300 and hoped that took care of it. Does anybody know that dish?0 -
This would be correct....looks like they're hoping to go nationwide. It would be nice to see that, because it should also inspire more of the same types of placesWell it looks like there is a gap in the market for a Healthy restaurant brand if anyone has got the skills, capital, and guts to go for it.
I was thinking the same thing. I've got the guts and the skills, but no capital. LOL :ohwell:
I read that McDonald's has a 'healthy' restaurant chain. Their pilot store (and only one so far) is in Palo Alto, CA. Lyfe? Something like that. I didn't go over their menu though to see if it's all BS.
I won't take long for tons of other places to jump on that bandwagon. It's a major demographic that is being missed.
I googled them, the menu is impressive, with low calorie and relatively low sodium...
http://lyfekitchen.com/about-us.aspx
However, I think they are former McDonald executives, I don't think McDonalds actually has a hand in it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/07/lyfe-kitchen-chicagobased_n_819682.html0 -
I live in Cleveland and Melt is absurd. I will never get the hype! It's basically grilled cheese variations, making them how you would at home if you had no care at all about your health. Thick texas toast, a stick of butter, a lbs of cheese, then various other "fatty" items. People flip for the place, and I just find it gross. Don't get me wrong, I love grilled cheese, but not like that
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This is shaping up to look more like a Restaurant Awesome List than a Restaurant Shame List.
The reason these restaurants are so successful is b/c they make food that people want to buy. If they started serving lots of healthy food w/o as much butter and salt they'd be out of business in a week. The restaurants are simply a reflection of the average American's preferred tastes!
It's pointless to try and eat healthy at these restaurants. So I find it best to just eat very low calorie all day long (or just fast) and then pig out at the restaurant. If I'm going to cheesecake factory, then I'll usually run 5-6 miles in addition to eating very little food up until dinner.
That's my style too. It let's me enjoy deliciousness.0 -
The horrendous nutritional value of restaurant food is why I never eat out! I prefer to cook at home and bring lunches to work. :noway:0
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Cheesecake Factory is the WORST! Portion sizes are out of control!
Yes but they do have a healthier menu now. I always ge the 590 calorie burger they offer. Its the right size and super yummy!0 -
I agree. Chili's is the worst, but so dang good! McDonalds is ghastly too.0
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Cheesecake Factory is the WORST! Portion sizes are out of control!
they have a skinnylicious menu now. way smaller portions and everything is under 550 cal.0 -
Love it! If I could change just ONE thing I'd like to see every fast food restaurant offer carrot sticks as an option to fries. What would that cost? Nothing. They'd make a killing and we'd have a better option.0
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As long as a restaurant makes some effort to post/list the calories and macros in their foods, they're A-OK in my book.
Chilis has a Margarita chicken dish that is VERY macro friendly, and tastes baller.
^ This. Went last night and pulled all the info on the way to the restaurant. 6 oz sirloin, and a side of steamed brocolli came in just under 400 calories. As long as the info is available I can find *something*. I usually try to avoid the places that refuse to provide nutritional info.0 -
and FAMOUS DAVE'S!!! There isn't anything remotely healthy on that menu.0
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You can go to Qdoba and get a naked chicken burrito and keep cheese off it, and it will run you about 400 calories, watch what you eat and don't overindulge.
I get the naked chicken burrito at Qdoba (without cheese) and it's still about 685 calories. I guess if you didn't get rice, it would be closer to 400 calories.0 -
CPK & Cheesecake Factory have under 550 cal meals on their menu... their getting better. I think they realize if they kill us all off there will be no one to dine at their resturants0
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true that, wait....dat. true dat.0
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People, if you are smart you can still eat healthy no matter where you go. My husband and I went to Applebees two weekends ago and there was a section on the menu for 550 calories or under, we were both thinking it was impossible with the stuff they had listed. We both ordered steak and it came with red potatoes, broccoli and a stuff mushroom with spinach dip. The portions were not oversized they were measured correctly and the meal was also cheaper. Also the spinach dip didn't have the usual amount of cheeses in it, it was mostly spinach. Like one poster said, they don't make you order those fatty foods, it is all about self control.0
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Don't get me wrong guys, I agree, no one forces me to eat at any of those places. My point was more how some of these places take something that on the surface you'd think was a fairly healthy dinner and turn it into something that is out of control and really screws up your day. For example a grilled chicken breast that somehow is 560 calories (by itself before you add the side dishes) and has 22 grams of fat (12 saturated). I mean seriously, you have to try to make a chicken breast that screwed up.
So I'm not saying a shame list in terms of boycotting or whatever (I pretty much avoid those restaurants except when I know I'm prepared calorie wise or want to splurge) but rather just point out how careful you need to be when you do decide to eat at them. Like someone else mentioned, download the nutritional information before you go in and know what you're going to get.
Maybe not so much a shame list as a warning list? Just to let people know which restaurant you went to and what the misrepresented "light item" is. I know I don't always get the chance to check out the nutrition info at someplaces, when it's a last minute thing at work and the place is chosen as we walk out the door, but if it's someplace that I have a memory of a post that said "hey if you go to place X don't be fooled by salad Y, it's high in these..." then I can make a different choice... Just a thought0
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