Outback - Outrage!

mmrose00
mmrose00 Posts: 253 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
So, I am away from home for a few days for work, and have no choice but to eat at local restaurants for EVERY meal. Tonight I went to Outback Steakhouse, and thought I made a good food choice by sticking with the grilled chicken on the barbie and green beans meal. I couldn't check the nutritional value from my phone but figured, I should be ok.. After all how bad can grilled chicken and green beans be ????

Just got back to the hotel to put in my meal that I was SO confident about, I even left half of my chicken breast because I realized that the portion was larger then what I would have prepared at home.. OK here is the count for the grilled chicken..444 calories, 21g of Fat, 1159.6 mg of SODIUM!!!! :noway: So if that wasn't enough, the green beans ..oh the "steamed" green beans, I realized when it was brought to the table that it was cooked with butter, but I did not realize it was this crazy...228.8 cal, 11.4g Fat, 396g of Sodium!!!! Needless to say, I was appalled! I realize that eating out is a challenge, but didn't realize I should also bring along with me a mental list of questions regarding preparation... That's all for now.. I just had to vent! It was certainly a hard lesson learned. How do you chose the meals you eat out at a restaurant??:huh:

Replies

  • ebh1024
    ebh1024 Posts: 186
    OMG that is outrageous!!!!:frown: I would not have imagined either. It truly is a shame that you think you are making good healthy choices and in reality they are not. :explode: That is just crazy! I have done things like that before and it just makes me cringe. Total shock. But don't worry, just start fresh tomorrow! :flowerforyou:
  • BamaRose0107
    BamaRose0107 Posts: 635
    I know how you feel! I realized a long time ago to specify I did not want my food cooked in butter. Most restaurants do use butter and alot of it if you don't tell them otherwise. But now you know for next time.:flowerforyou:
  • MyHoneyBunsRShowing
    MyHoneyBunsRShowing Posts: 6 Member
    The best way to handle that problem would be to plan ahead. If you know you are going to eat at outback steakhouse then enter your meal ahead of time into your account. If you're not familiar with the menu then go online. A lot of restaraunts show their menu online and you can choose the meal, enter it into your daily food diary and see if you truly are choosing the right meal. It always works for me and has kept me from making bad desicions! :drinker:
  • junipuni
    junipuni Posts: 264 Member
    I learned my lesson a while back when I stopped at Quiznos for a sandwich. I had logged sandwiches from Subway and Blimpie's so I felt confident going to Quiznos without pre-planning. I was totally wrong. Their sandwiches are WAY unhealthy (in general and in comparison.) I hate that getting grilled chicken and a side of veggies ended up being not such a great choice - what the heck??? That makes it so hard.

    I agree with PP - plan ahead. I look at the menus online and find out nutrition information and log it into MFP before going. It shouldn't be that hard but obviously things that should be good for you can end up not being such a great choice. But, isn't it great how appalled you were? I love when I feel that way now because it reminds myself that I really do care about myself and what I put into my body and I didn't used to.
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 9,964 Member
    I love their cheesy fries tho!!!! I think they are worth all the calories and fat grams...so yummmy!!!!
  • learning2bfit
    learning2bfit Posts: 61 Member
    O man that is messed up...all that sodium, I know Outback is out of the question for me....whoa...but u still made it under your calorie goal...and we start all over again tomorrow!

    stay motivated...
  • emilymrgn
    emilymrgn Posts: 5 Member
    It took me two or three times of eating the Torte Di Chocolate at Olive Garden (no sugar added!) to actually look up the calories. 800! And 51 grams of fat. I hate going out to eat now.
  • olivianjohnsmom
    olivianjohnsmom Posts: 20 Member
    Yep! does not surprise me at all!! I worked as a sous chef in college and learned that most chefs cook with butter, salt and oil!! LOTS of it!! They don't measure anything!! They just "lump" it on and in...everything!! I always tell the server that i have food "restrictions".... and ask if the chef would mind preparing my food to order. With all the food allergies these days most chefs will accomidate you to avoid any major issues. Outback is a chain so dressings, sauces, soups, and some entrees are pre-made but grilled meats, sauted or gilled vegtables should be made to order. Ask for your meat to be grilled with no butter, seasoning salt (Outback has their own salt blend) or oil. Ask for a plain green salad, no dressing or light dressing on the side...only use half of what they give you.. they always give double the serving size! (Watch serving sizes...they are usually double!! I ask for a "to go" container with my dinner and immediately "half" everything and then eat it for lunch or dinner the next day...harder to do when you travel but it still gets it off your plate and into that closed box!) or grilled vegtables...again no salt, oil or butter. I always order a plain baked potato with sour cream on the side...I do not ask for butter...cause it is always real butter...full fat! The potato will more than likely be rolled in butter and salt then wrapped in foil...so, add a TBS of butter to your count to cover. I use no more than two tablespoons of the sour cream...it will also be full fat. Ask them NOT to bring any bread or a dessert menu!! Good luck ...eating out makes counting very tricky.
  • mmrose00
    mmrose00 Posts: 253 Member
    Well, the thing is I tried to look up some of the local restaurants in the area before we decided on a restaurant just to have some options, but some of the local restaurants did not have nutrition info posted on their sites :noway: . Outback was not an option when we left the hotel, but happened to be the place we decided on. :ohwell:

    As for now on if I will plan ahead and if I get caught out there I WILL ask how a meal is prepared and I'm sure that will help a great deal! I certainly learned my lesson, and it has made me wiser!

    Cheers to you all :drinker: and continued success on your journeys!!
  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
    We went to the Outback a few weekends ago. It was the first time in about 3 years, so I looked up the info beforehand.
    :noway:
    Oh my!
    Almost all the steak dinners are over 1000 calories!
    Amazing.
  • mmrose00
    mmrose00 Posts: 253 Member
    Yep! does not surprise me at all!! I worked as a sous chef in college and learned that most chefs cook with butter, salt and oil!! LOTS of it!! They don't measure anything!! They just "lump" it on and in...everything!! I always tell the server that i have food "restrictions".... and ask if the chef would mind preparing my food to order. With all the food allergies these days most chefs will accomidate you to avoid any major issues. Outback is a chain so dressings, sauces, soups, and some entrees are pre-made but grilled meats, sauted or gilled vegtables should be made to order. Ask for your meat to be grilled with no butter, seasoning salt (Outback has their own salt blend) or oil. Ask for a plain green salad, no dressing or light dressing on the side...only use half of what they give you.. they always give double the serving size! (Watch serving sizes...they are usually double!! I ask for a "to go" container with my dinner and immediately "half" everything and then eat it for lunch or dinner the next day...harder to do when you travel but it still gets it off your plate and into that closed box!) or grilled vegtables...again no salt, oil or butter. I always order a plain baked potato with sour cream on the side...I do not ask for butter...cause it is always real butter...full fat! The potato will more than likely be rolled in butter and salt then wrapped in foil...so, add a TBS of butter to your count to cover. I use no more than two tablespoons of the sour cream...it will also be full fat. Ask them NOT to bring any bread or a dessert menu!! Good luck ...eating out makes counting very tricky.

    OIL & BUTTER????? :noway: My mother use to always say "Watch what you eat when you go out to restaurants because you never know what they put in the food to taste good".. I guess Mom is always right huh.. LOL

    Oil & Butter.. still shocked!!! I am beginning to dislike eating out. :cry:
  • MyHoneyBunsRShowing
    MyHoneyBunsRShowing Posts: 6 Member
    If you can't see a restaurants menu online then go to dottisweightlosszone.com and scroll down to the amercian restaraunts link. They have tons of local and chain restaraunts!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories