Worst "healthy" restaurant food

nightengale7
nightengale7 Posts: 563 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, so I just had a friend tell me they ate a salad for lunch that put them over their entire calorie allotment for the day and then I saw that Chili's new roasted corn guacamole appetizer is a whopping 1180 calories!:huh: It seems we are constantly being sabotaged by horrible bad-for-you food masquerading as "healthy" options on restaurant menus. So the question is:

What is the worst "healthy" item you have ordered at a restaurant?
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Replies

  • nightengale7
    nightengale7 Posts: 563 Member
    bump
  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
    More than 1/2 of the items on the subway menu are worse than a burger. Many people consider that a "Healthy option"
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Ok, so I just had a friend tell me they ate a salad for lunch that put them over their entire calorie allotment for the day and then I saw that Chili's new roasted corn guacamole appetizer is a whopping 1180 calories!:huh: It seems we are constantly being sabotaged by horrible bad-for-you food masquerading as "healthy" options on restaurant menus. So the question is:

    What is the worst "healthy" item you have ordered at a restaurant?

    Aren't appetizers meant to be shared? If the ingredients are anything like what's in the link, then it sounds *very* healthy to me:

    http://restaurant.betterrecipes.com/chilis-fire-grilled-corn-guacamole.html
  • nightengale7
    nightengale7 Posts: 563 Member
    Ok, so I just had a friend tell me they ate a salad for lunch that put them over their entire calorie allotment for the day and then I saw that Chili's new roasted corn guacamole appetizer is a whopping 1180 calories!:huh: It seems we are constantly being sabotaged by horrible bad-for-you food masquerading as "healthy" options on restaurant menus. So the question is:

    What is the worst "healthy" item you have ordered at a restaurant?

    Aren't appetizers meant to be shared? If the ingredients are anything like what's in the link, then it sounds *very* healthy to me:

    http://restaurant.betterrecipes.com/chilis-fire-grilled-corn-guacamole.html

    It is meant to be shared, but the calories are up there above the chicken nachos, which I find kinda crazy
  • CupcakeDefeater
    CupcakeDefeater Posts: 113 Member
    Advertised as a 'healthy option' tuna mayo and cucumber on a freshly baked baguette. (estro) came out as a HUGE baguette which i couldnt even finish! White bread (which wasn't specified) and a mere 3 bits of lonely cucumber and gallons of mayo!
    (you couldn't see the baguette before you bought it, they bring it to your table) racked up about 800 calories! could not believe it!
  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
    Ok, so I just had a friend tell me they ate a salad for lunch that put them over their entire calorie allotment for the day and then I saw that Chili's new roasted corn guacamole appetizer is a whopping 1180 calories!:huh: It seems we are constantly being sabotaged by horrible bad-for-you food masquerading as "healthy" options on restaurant menus. So the question is:

    What is the worst "healthy" item you have ordered at a restaurant?

    Aren't appetizers meant to be shared? If the ingredients are anything like what's in the link, then it sounds *very* healthy to me:

    http://restaurant.betterrecipes.com/chilis-fire-grilled-corn-guacamole.html

    It is meant to be shared, but the calories are up there above the chicken nachos, which I find kinda crazy

    But avocados are very high in calories and fat, so i think it should be expected that the calories will be high. But now you know!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Ok, so I just had a friend tell me they ate a salad for lunch that put them over their entire calorie allotment for the day and then I saw that Chili's new roasted corn guacamole appetizer is a whopping 1180 calories!:huh: It seems we are constantly being sabotaged by horrible bad-for-you food masquerading as "healthy" options on restaurant menus. So the question is:

    What is the worst "healthy" item you have ordered at a restaurant?

    Aren't appetizers meant to be shared? If the ingredients are anything like what's in the link, then it sounds *very* healthy to me:

    http://restaurant.betterrecipes.com/chilis-fire-grilled-corn-guacamole.html

    It is meant to be shared, but the calories are up there above the chicken nachos, which I find kinda crazy

    Well *one* avacado is like 276 calories, so four of them would mean 1100 calories. (which means most of the calories are the avacado) But they are *VERY* nutritious and beneficial to our health.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    I don't know about unhealthy, per say, but Panera's food is ungodly high in calories. Even the veggie sandwich tops out around 800 calories. Macro-wise it's probably loads better, but I was so deluded all these years thinking I was eating healthy there!
  • nightengale7
    nightengale7 Posts: 563 Member
    I don't know about unhealthy, per say, but Panera's food is ungodly high in calories. Even the veggie sandwich tops out around 800 calories. Macro-wise it's probably loads better, but I was so deluded all these years thinking I was eating healthy there!

    Panera is so good, though! LOL, I too was surprised by the amount of calories in the food there.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I don't know about unhealthy, per say, but Panera's food is ungodly high in calories. Even the veggie sandwich tops out around 800 calories. Macro-wise it's probably loads better, but I was so deluded all these years thinking I was eating healthy there!

    Panera thinks very highly of their food, judging by their prices. You would think the sandwich wrappers and serving trays were lined with pure gold.
  • Erin_goBrahScience
    Erin_goBrahScience Posts: 1,215 Member
    I can tell you that as a former employee of Macaroni Grill, they were horrible offenders. There was a push online years ago for them to put better options on the menu. Every couple of months there is somone who reveals the "worst offenders" in regards to unhealthy food.

    I know that Cheesecake Factory is notorious for their calorie bombs.

    And I am a guilty offender of eating things that are bad for me. It honestly is comon sense. I know what is good and what is bad. I might lie to myself, but in the end it's on me.
  • GiantsGetDevoured
    GiantsGetDevoured Posts: 33
    More than 1/2 of the items on the subway menu are worse than a burger. Many people consider that a "Healthy option"

    6 inches with as many vegetables as you want,without cheese and dressing
    Is way healthier than a burger.
    They're only bad if you get fittings with cheese or saturate it in mayo.
    Come on now!
  • Erin_goBrahScience
    Erin_goBrahScience Posts: 1,215 Member
    I don't know about unhealthy, per say, but Panera's food is ungodly high in calories. Even the veggie sandwich tops out around 800 calories. Macro-wise it's probably loads better, but I was so deluded all these years thinking I was eating healthy there!

    This was a shocker for me too. My favorite thing of theirs is the mediterranian veggie sandwich and it's higher in calories due to the bread. i usually just get half a sandwich, fruit and a cup of veggie soup.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Any salad that contains deep-fried ingredients is going to be high in calories. The word "salad" does not mean low-cal.
  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
    More than 1/2 of the items on the subway menu are worse than a burger. Many people consider that a "Healthy option"

    6 inches with as many vegetables as you want,without cheese and dressing
    Is way healthier than a burger.
    They're only bad if you get fittings with cheese or saturate it in mayo.
    Come on now!
    You cmon now. I eat subway, and I agree they offer choices that are way healther than a burger.

    I also see way to many overweight people order a 6" Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt (570 Calories with tons of saturated fats and carbs) A bag of chips, and a diet coke. Then they think they legitimately made a healthy choice by eating subway
  • nightengale7
    nightengale7 Posts: 563 Member
    bump
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    The portions of restaurant food alone should give away the fact that you're not getting a deal, calorie-wise. Eat enough spinach with Lite Italian dressing and grilled chicken breasts, and you'll still gain weight, folks.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Now I want nachos.
  • cindye0825
    cindye0825 Posts: 3
    how about chinese food?
  • craftdragon
    craftdragon Posts: 1
    some times the calories and fat aren't bad, but there is 2 day's worth of salt in it.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I don't really give a **** where people eat, but for those saying Subway is pristine... wait till you log the sodium of that bread. Yikes.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Now I want nachos.


    I always want nachos.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Now I want nachos.


    I always want nachos.

    With guacamole.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    The ingredients themselves sound fine...and anything with avocado is going to be pretty high i calories...although avocados are very good for you. One thing you have to remember about restaurant food though...a "serving" is really more like 2 or 3 servings on average.

    I could easily see splitting something like that between two people and it being a very reasonable lunch and within my caloric goals. Splitting between three people would make for a nice heart healthy snack.
  • CupcakeDefeater
    CupcakeDefeater Posts: 113 Member
    SUBWAY does however have a salad option, you can have a bowel of all the salad bits you want, chicken/whatever if you want it and dont need to have a dressing or you could have a lite dressing but ask them to just put a little on.

    There is a healthy option for you RIGHT there! the most weight i have ever lost in my life was when i worked at subway as all i ate was salad.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    I'm currently eating Taco Bell tacos. *nom nom nom*
  • BeckZombie
    BeckZombie Posts: 138 Member
    About 80% of Applebee's menu is awful. Their salads are sooo high in calories. I mean, they have the Weight Watchers section and all that, but a lot of their menu items are over 1000 calories. Eeek!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Now I want nachos.


    I always want nachos.

    With guacamole.

    For real. I freaking love nachos and guacamole.
  • CupcakeDefeater
    CupcakeDefeater Posts: 113 Member
    Weirdly, on healthy option is the Chicken and Bacon salad from mcdonalds. 190 cal 2g sat fat 7g carb and 1.2g salt
  • Emma_Problema
    Emma_Problema Posts: 422 Member
    More than 1/2 of the items on the subway menu are worse than a burger. Many people consider that a "Healthy option"

    6 inches with as many vegetables as you want,without cheese and dressing
    Is way healthier than a burger.
    They're only bad if you get fittings with cheese or saturate it in mayo.
    Come on now!
    You cmon now. I eat subway, and I agree they offer choices that are way healther than a burger.

    I also see way to many overweight people order a 6" Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt (570 Calories with tons of saturated fats and carbs) A bag of chips, and a diet coke. Then they think they legitimately made a healthy choice by eating subway

    There's actually a term for that. It's called the "health halo". Brian Wansink (my heroooooo) did a good amount of research on it.

    See link here if you're actually curious: http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/health-halos.html

    There's a fairly healthy option at almost every restaurant. The problem is that advertising- anyone see the disgusting amount of propping up Subway that Biggest Loser does? It's gross!- gives the impression that these places serve healthy food and that by eating there you'll lose weight. And people lack the education to see through the bull.

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