Worst "healthy" restaurant food

2

Replies

  • hellraisedfire
    hellraisedfire Posts: 403 Member
    I believe outback's aussie fries or whatever they're called made #1 on a list for worst restaurant food you could order.

    then I pretended I never read that and continue to order them...
  • CupcakeDefeater
    CupcakeDefeater Posts: 113 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.

    The biggest loser stuff all has the sandwiches that are healthy an the boards and also tell you about which dressing/auce to have
  • em3120
    em3120 Posts: 154 Member
    Before I joined MFP and started to log calories, one of my favorite things to get out was Panera's sierra turkey sandwich. Much to my horror, it's 950ish calories and high in fat! For a turkey sandwich! And I though I was making a healthy choice...
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Now I want nachos.


    I always want nachos.

    With guacamole.

    And sour cream.
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    There's a local chain here called Erik's Deli Cafe - I love them, my favorite sandwich there is an REO Speedwagon and it's basically a turkey, ham & cheese sandwich on sourdough. It's not super big yet has over 700 calories. So when I really want one, I get a half sandwich and a cup of their chicken vegetable soup which only has 100 calories.

    In general, I think the worst food masquerading as healthy food is usually salads. The salad dressings are usually the calorie bombs, but restaurants also love to add cheese, tortilla strips and other such goodies that turn a salad into a day's worth of calories!
  • linbert57
    linbert57 Posts: 154 Member
    I believe outback's aussie fries or whatever they're called made #1 on a list for worst restaurant food you could order.

    then I pretended I never read that and continue to order them...
  • linbert57
    linbert57 Posts: 154 Member
    lol
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
    Red Robin's veggie burger.
  • CupcakeDefeater
    CupcakeDefeater Posts: 113 Member
    bump
  • Jessie544
    Jessie544 Posts: 127 Member
    "Yeah, I think I'll get a salad, I had a pretty heavy lunch so better go lighter...... (waiter approaches) Ah, yes may I please have the Crispy Chicken salad, dinner size, with extra ranch dressing, and an extra breadstick with that please."

    Yep, lol.... but dang it's yummy.

    My husband and I will make some nice home made salads at home with some artificial crab, craisins, almonds, and other goodies, they're referred to as "bomb *kitten* salads" in our house... lol, but we know EXACTLY what's going in, and how much... and it's not drowned in dressing.
  • cleotherio
    cleotherio Posts: 712 Member
    Before I joined MFP and started to log calories, one of my favorite things to get out was Panera's sierra turkey sandwich. Much to my horror, it's 950ish calories and high in fat! For a turkey sandwich! And I though I was making a healthy choice...

    ^^that one shocked me. How do you hide nearly 1000 calories in a turkey sandwich???!??!!?
  • BonnieandClyde29
    BonnieandClyde29 Posts: 1,026 Member
    tropical smoothie cafe is ridiculous!!! mainly in sodium but they cals are sky high!!! it seemed like a healthy coice and i looked the the nutrtional value and about fell over!!!
  • inskydiamonds
    inskydiamonds Posts: 2,519 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

    That legitimately MIGHT be a healthier choice than they would have normally made.
    Subway is wonderful for the convenience while not getting the same horrible food as McDonalds or Burger King or something. It may not be excellent and I'm not defending it, but until there are fast convenience food places that really sell healthy food, I have a hard time faulting the many overweight people you see in Subway.
  • Queen_Adrock
    Queen_Adrock Posts: 130 Member
    I know that Cheesecake Factory is notorious for their calorie bombs.

    Yes! Before I knew anything about calorie counting and was terrible at estimating, I figured "Oh, one slice is probably 200 calories...split that with my date, and that's only 100 a piece. Not bad at all." Uhhh...yeah, wrong!
  • Skratchie
    Skratchie Posts: 131 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

    But if their usual lunch is a 1200 calorie burger plus fries, Subway IS the healthier choice!
  • magicherry
    magicherry Posts: 81 Member
    i'm glad panera puts calories on their pastry now. so easy to say no. works better than the flies buzzing around behind the counter.

    but notice how they give you free pastries or try to up-sell your order by offering you a 99 center pastry? *kitten* <shakes fist> all i want is a coffee! stop badgering me!!!
  • iryshjones
    iryshjones Posts: 79 Member
    Calories in Swiss Chalet Chicken Stir Fry with Rice
    Serving Size: 1 serving
    Amount Per Serving

    Calories 750.0
    Total Fat 30.0 g
    Saturated Fat 4.0 g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
    Monounsaturated Fat 23.0 g
    Cholesterol 70.0 mg
    Sodium 2,290.0 mg
    Potassium 0.0 mg
    Total Carbohydrate 89.0 g
    Dietary Fiber 6.0 g
    Sugars 17.0 g
    Protein 32.0 g

    The 30g of fat plus the sodium killed me - hello ... stir fry!
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Cobb salad.
  • I distrust restaurant salads in general, especially fast food ones. Even the stuff that doesn't seem remotely unhealthy (i.e. something with grilled chicken and fruit in it, with little to no dressing) can be ridiculously fatty and sodium packed. Jack in the Box and Taco Bell salads are the worst.
  • wmphimu
    wmphimu Posts: 77 Member
    Pei Wei used to make me think I was making good choices. I looked up the nutritional info before I went and ordered something that had around 500 calories. A large lunch, but not bad at all for a splurge. As I ate, I kept thinking "there's NO WAY this is 500 calories." I went back and checked it again when I got home. It was 500 calories PER SERVING. My lunch had 2 servings. Some of the other dishes had THREE SERVINGS. Who splits one lunch THREE WAYS?!? And can you imagine the look you would get if you walked in to Pei Wei and ordered 1 dish for you and two friends to share? Yikes.
  • CupcakeDefeater
    CupcakeDefeater Posts: 113 Member
    Bump
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Oh no.....Thats what I get when I go there (which is rare but still)! I will have to research their menu next time.
    Red Robin's veggie burger.
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    I think Jamba juice is a big offender. Though there are healthy options there, some of their drinks are almost 1000 calories for a large! I advise anyone who does there to get a fresh juice (they use real fruit and a juicer) or an all-fruit smoothie with no froyo or sorbet.

    http://calorielab.com/restaurants/jamba-juice/119

    (I used to work at a competitor in high school and gained weight drinking the drinks until I started doing all-fruit only and actually lost weight.)
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,467 Member
    It goes the other way too. MacDonalds (UK) grilled chicken salad is 140 calories. That's not a healthy meal size for the vast majority of adults. With bacon, it's 190 calories which is better but still not great. I think it's fine to have it on the menu for those who want it, but it's not really a healthy main meal.

    On the other hand, I don't think burgers are particularly unhealthy. They are basically just minced beef and bread. If they're bigger, they'll be higher calorie and also if you add high calorie/fat things (bacon, mayonnaise, cheese, etc.) they'll be higher calorie/fat. But I think they're unfairly maligned. It's not much different from eating a meat sandwich. And how often do most people have a burger anyway?
  • SuzMcH
    SuzMcH Posts: 343 Member
    I've not skimmed all the answers but Caesar salad is such a hidden calorie salad. Croutons, cheese and dressing. Just becuase they are served on a bed of lettuce does not = low calorie !!
  • caesar salad! always ask for the dressing on the side or without bacon
  • JDelphiki
    JDelphiki Posts: 47 Member
    You know, I never thought the Frisco Melt at Steak N Shake was healthy, but I had no idea it has more calories than a double quarter pounder at McDonald's...
  • Idka81
    Idka81 Posts: 42
    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!

    I was in the same exact frame of thought! I was aghast when I actually saw their menu with all the calories listed. Apparently, they are also some of the worst offenders for sodium, esp in their bread.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Anything from Panera's has more calorie than I can conceive of. I was shocked.

    Aladdin's - I love their food and am going there today for lunch - all their rollups (which are healthy) are 700+ calories. I split one with my husband or have their delicious low calorie soup.

    I almost died when I saw the calories in my son's meatball sub from Subway.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    That too bad for your friend, but yeah, I wouldn't have thought chips and guacamole was going to be low cal. I think all of us need to be educated about food. It's the only way.
    Avocados are healthy. Guacamole not so much (because of the chips, the sour cream etc...)
    And, as someone else mentioned, it was probably meant to be shared.

    oh, and as others have said: subway! Not health food!