Have you been surprised by the nutrition of restaurant food?

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  • timeforachange2011
    timeforachange2011 Posts: 155
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    Yes! I got a chai latte at Caribou coffee and it had over 500 calories. The mocha my fiance got...over 900 calories!! I couldn't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    It is kind of astounding how they fit that many calories into food that when cooked at home is 30-40% fewer calories for even more food. It's some kind of restaurant houdini maneuver.

    Sodium content is astoundingly bad too.

    Definitely look things up in advance, but if you can't and you want to keep your total calories lower, go for grilled lean meats like fish or chicken and vegetable sides.
  • Crazy4Healthy
    Crazy4Healthy Posts: 626 Member
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    One of the things I loved about visiting NYC, everywhere you go they have the nutritional information listed with each food. I believe they passed a law there or something, but should be required everywhere. Makes it so much easier and just makes sense to me.

    Edit: Looks like it was mandated - http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/22/calories.menus/

    Also looks like it's going to be required for all (who knows when) - http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/22/calories.menus/
  • whitelaurel
    whitelaurel Posts: 162 Member
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    I went to Chipotle too the other night and got a steak burrito... I looked it up beforehand, so I didn't end up accidentally consuming the whole 880 calories of it (and 96% of my daily sodium intake.) I actually HATE eating out. Except for Red Robin and cheap Chinese buffets, which, hold me down and back, please.

    It's expensive and it's bad for you. Always. I went to Denny's once and I remember feeling faint when I realized that my three pancakes were like 1500 calories or something equally obscene.

    I have never understood why they put an ice cream scooper full of butter on your pancakes, toast, waffles, etc., when you go out. Do people actually EAT that????????????????!

    I hate it. I want to say, "I'm here for LUNCH, not for freaking. Three meals worth of calories in a tiny plate worth of food!"
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
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    OMG Burger King one thing of honey mustard dipping sauce from what I remember was like close to 90 calories!

    Stuff like that gets me too.

    Chick Fil A Polynesian Sauce has 100 calories ! No wonder why it tastes so amazing.

    I am generally not surprised by thinks at places like Chilli's or Applebee's but I am often surprised by places like Quizno's a veggie sub is over 700 calories, that's more then a Big Mac from Mcdonald's!

    My boyfriend worked at Applebees when we lived together and it was awful. I ate so much Spinach Dip I got so fat haha.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    Fortunately, when I began here, I went on line before attempting to visit any restaurant looking for healthy choices before going out to eat. It is truly an eye opener.The sodium content alone is astounding, even on the healthier choices. I very rarely eat out as a result, and when I do, I always pre choose my food before I go, and stick to it.
  • skarama
    skarama Posts: 31
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    Fortunately, when I began here, I went on line before attempting to visit any restaurant looking for healthy choices before going out to eat. It is truly an eye opener.The sodium content alone is astounding, even on the healthier choices. I very rarely eat out as a result, and when I do, I always pre choose my food before I go, and stick to it.

    That's actually very smart. I believe that in the US it's becoming a law for restaurants to clearly state nutritional facts for all their meals, or at least in some states, but up here in Canada it seems no one does it. Eating in restaurants + remaining healthy gets that much harder when you don't have a clue what's in your food, I really wish we'd catch up!
  • cblevitron
    cblevitron Posts: 243
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    The whole entire Outback menu is depressing.
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
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    Here's My philosophy on eating out. I eat out VERY Seldom (4-5 times a Year), so when I do eat out I use it as a treat/reward sometimes and I Splurge! What's the point of eating something out that I can basically make at home, I eat grilled chicken/turkey burgers/sauteed fish at home...when I go out I'm eating the FRIED Seafood Platter or Half Pound Beef Burger or Steak with Fries and the Best Dessert I can find. 99% of the restaurants in this country CAN NOT do healthy right, so why get disappointed when you get what they have to give? And for those of you that eat out 2/3/4+ times a week, don't fool yourself that you are healthy or eating healthy just because you may keep your weight down, it WILL come back to bite you in the butt!
  • faylenechung
    faylenechung Posts: 107 Member
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    Yeah, its crazy! That is why I try to look it up prior to going so I know what I am eating.
  • ncthomas09
    ncthomas09 Posts: 322 Member
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    So today I went to Chili's with some friends and got Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers, I was expecting it to be bad but got quite the shock when I looked it up later: Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken
    Calories-1680
    Fat-73
    Carbs-203
    Wow, thank goodness I only ate half, but now I need to convince myself to throw the rest away and be done with it! As I start trying to eat a healthy diet, I need to learn to look things up before I go out to eat!

    Hmm, totally out of topic, but I have been hearing a lot of people buzzing about chipotle. What is it, exactly? Lol, Sometimes i feel like I live under a rock or something.

    Chipotle is like subway meets burrito. You can go in and build your own tacos and burritos...I don't care for them personally.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    I used to eat out ALL THE FREAKING time. No wonder I was over 200 lbs.

    Seriously. It blows my mind what I was doing to my body before I got on a healthy regimin.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    Always look up a restaurant's nutritional info before going. I go by this: If the place doesn't have nutritional info, either don't go or overestimate.

    I overestimate, too. I work in a small town with lots of mom & pop places to eat, none of which have printed nutritional info. I should take my lunch, but I only do that a day or two per week. The other days I log what I think I ate and hope for the best.
  • vmekash
    vmekash Posts: 422 Member
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    I love the chain rest's that have a section on their menu called "Low Calorie Fair" or something similar. Then under the title for that section it will say, everything here is under 700 calories. Not HORRIBLE for a chain rest., but then you have to realize that everything outside that section is OVER 700. Yikes!
  • TrekGuru
    TrekGuru Posts: 6
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    YES I have been suprised. Try looking up Applebee's stuff and check out the sodium. One of thier under 550 items had over 3000 mg of sodium that is THREE GRAMS!!!! bring your own lowfat dressing and eat a salad that has NO Meat. Most food chains have a factory where they make thier salad dressings, pre season the meat, make thier sides, and add a LOT of sodium and calories and FAT to each dish. They make it the cheap way not the healthy way. :-) We have the best salads at home because we do not have to ask to HOLD anything. I am getting to the point that I am going to make my own salad dressing. My meal will be good at home until I have to add the salad dressing (I use half a serving and still get alot of bad stuff) Good Luck eating out and stay away from sandwich shops....shudder.....you really don't want to know the bad news on nutrition there. :-)
  • kfoley1215
    kfoley1215 Posts: 2
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    I work at Ruby Tuesday. You know those garlic cheese biscuits everyone loves so much? 115 calories a PIECE. Oh, and we recently started selling a delicious pumpkin cheese cake... at 785 calories per slice!

    Ugh. :(
  • a_vettestingray
    a_vettestingray Posts: 654 Member
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    All the time, but honestly the thing that surprised me more is that some SALADS have more cals / fat then a stake & potato. How the hell does something that should be ‘healthy’ end up being some of the worst choice to make?

    Oooh this one irritates me! A couple of years ago, I went to Red Robin with the hubs and the MIL. I decided to be "healthy" (this was before I was on MFP) and get a salad while everyone else got burgers and fries. While we were waiting on our food, I was browsing the Nutritional Info pamphlet on the table. I want to know how my stinkin' salad had more calories than everyone's burgers! I should have went with a burger :grumble: !
  • BehindBlueEyes988
    BehindBlueEyes988 Posts: 433
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    Everything from Subway. Drives me nuts they claim they are healthy and great for you. But the sodium content of even a six inch is through the roof, nothing but preservatives, and their bread has over 50 separate ingredients. I simply just can't eat there anymore. If I'm going to be bad as such, it'll be something yummier, like Panera!
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    The whole entire Outback menu is depressing.

    No, if you choose wisely. The have a section in their menu where you can "customize," your choices. Victoria steak (about 6 oz), and vegetables for less than 600 calories. I think that it also includes a small salad. Check it out next time.
  • angiechimpanzee
    angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
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    I've been shocked negatively as well as positively. Restaurant food is sometimes freaking sickening with the nutritional information. Often the calorie counts for ONE DISH are more than I eat in an entire day.

    But pleasantly, I saw that the sushi place I go to is only 310 calories and 700mg sodium for 8 california rolls (but maybe that's california rolls everywhere?) Also, at Red Lobster you can get simple stuff like maine lobster tail, crab legs, or shrimp skewers for only 60-100 calories each and very little fat but lots of protein.

    But typically when I go to restaurants now, if I know its something 1000+ calories & tons of sodium & fat & whatnot, I only eat half and save half for another day.

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