OMG Applebees Ruben!!!
tracywintn
Posts: 79
First let me say I didn't think what I would be getting would be healthy or even low cal, but I had no idea a sandwich (no fries) was 980 cals, 54 grams of fat and over 5000 grams of sodium!!! I knew the butter on the bread would get me but since it didn't have cheese I thought it would come out about 500 cals! Good thing I rarely eat out---for this exact reason. Also really glad I only had a few of the fries (side order is 440 cals). WOW!
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Yeah. I can't go to Applebee's while dieting. There is just about nothing there that isn't truly bad. Like, even at McDonald's I can find something low cal... Applebee's? It's like they try to put as many in as possible.0
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Eating out will get you almost every time. I don't even trust the website nutrition facts because it has no control over how much butter the cook scoops out of the bowl with his spatula and plops onto the flat top to cook on. Everything else for places like Applebees is pretty much moderated since they buy their food precooked and flash frozen from Sysco Foods, but preparation gives the cook leeway to "improve" it. I bet it was yummy though, wasn't it? Why must bad stuff taste so good?0
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Most restaurant entrees are in the 800 - 1000 calorie range due to the massive portion sizes...Applebees is notorious though...0
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5000 grams of sodium. LOL! You could blow up a swimming pool with 5 kelos of sodium.0
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Yeah. I can't go to Applebee's while dieting. There is just about nothing there that isn't truly bad. Like, even at McDonald's I can find something low cal... Applebee's? It's like they try to put as many in as possible.
Not true. Their 'light' menu is actually pretty good... well, apart from the obsession with mushrooms (yuck) and artichokes (double yuck). But their meals are very satisfying for less than 550 calories... Ok, there's the sodium (it's never bothered me), but still. I like it.
To be fair, when you go to a restaurant and that they have a 'light' menu and clearly show what items are under 550 calories, be prepared that anything not on that menu will be close to double that.0 -
If you think Applebees is rough, try the Cheesecake Factory! Shrimp/pasta is 2,300 cals and completely jacked with fat!
You can't make that work IIFYM with a sledgehammer!
Best to all!0 -
If you think Applebees is rough, try the Cheesecake Factory! Shrimp/pasta is 2,300 cals and completely jacked with fat!
You can't make that work IIFYM with a sledgehammer!
Best to all!
Cheesecake Factory has the best light menu I've seen anywhere though (like 20 choices under 580 calories I think?). It's all about making good choices... at least they have options.0 -
I like to look at the menu before I go somewhere and compare my options. Sometimes I change my mind once I'm there, but at least I can make an informed decision.0
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I think Applebees has a pretty decent lighter menu...I can get a steak with shrimp (510 calories) AND a strawberry cheesecake dessert shooter (380 calories) and STILL be under most of the entrees minus fries.0
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To be fair, when you go to a restaurant and that they have a 'light' menu and clearly show what items are under 550 calories, be prepared that anything not on that menu will be close to double that.
I always pay attention to this. I don't order things on the "light" menu unless it's something that I genuinely want, but I use whatever calorie threshold the light menu is based on to come up with a rough estimate of what the rest of the stuff is likely to be.
If you eat out a lot, then you need to learn how to plan for it. If you don't go out often (I don't), you get a reasonable amount of exercise, and you stick to your calorie goal 9 times out of 10, then this probably isn't worth worrying about.0 -
The brownie bite is only like 350 calories at Applebee's too. It's TINY but oh so delicious :laugh:0
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My husband and I go out to eat once every week, either on a Friday or Saturday night. We always just pick a place randomly in the city and give it a try. We like to go out and enjoy a truly good dining experience from the wine to the app to the entree to a dessert.
The way I handle this is... I don't drink my calories but do have one glass of Moscato (bubbly white) when we go out. This is about the best calorie and sugar wise and is delicious. If you like it dry I would suggest a Prosseco. I always order a green salad with simply vinegar on the side. This way I am getting my veggies, I am filling myself up a bit and using vinegar only which is a natural fat burner and really makes the veggies pop! I always have a piece of bread or two with my salad... it's the only time I allow myself those kinds of carbs without feeling bad. We do order an app and try to go for a healthier option e.g., seared tuna, shrimp cocktail, etc... If we do end up ordering something that is drenched in cheese or extremely high in calories, I'll have one small bite and call it a day. My entree almost always consists of a lean protein with double the veggie vs. a veggie and a starch. If there are any sauces I ask for them on the side. I also ask for NO cheese, etc... Sometimes, depending upon the place and type of carb, I'll have the rice (brown/jasmine), or the pasta (home made/papadalle), but I never get mashed or french fries or anything like that. When my entree arrives, I ask for a "to go" box and split the portion on the spot before I even begin to eat it. That way I am not consuming much more than a standard 4 or 6 ounces. I always leave room for dessert... it is the one and only time in seven days that I allow myself a sweet indulgence.
Also - since I know we are eating out, I always make sure to save up my calories for the day.
Healthy options can be found on any menu at any eating establishment, just have to be able to ask for substitutions and stay away from the sauces, cheeses and all of the extras.
Last, if I am eating out, it's going to be at a top notch place with good quality food, I am not going to waste calories at a fast food or chain restaurant. That might help to avoid these places... save your money for a special treat at a fine dining establishment.
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The brownie bite is only like 350 calories at Applebee's too. It's TINY but oh so delicious :laugh:
Yup, the brownie bite is what I get if I have some calories left. I often get the Shrimp from the under 550 menu (which is only about 300 cals) and the Brownie bite.
I totally agree that Applebees has some great choices for lighter entrees. And I really wouldn't worry about whether it's over those calories or not - those items are pre-packaged to be that portion size and with those calories. I once asked for an entree without a certain item, and they couldn't do it since it's pre-mixed.
TGI Friday's "light' menu is the hardest one for me. Their "light" items are 750 or fewer calories. Really, you couldn't figure out how to make anything with fewer calories than that? LOL0 -
Applebee's is one of my favorite places to go while restricting calories. They have a great under 550 menu. The sirloin with shrimp is 510 calories with 49g protein. Plenty of food too.0
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If you think Applebees is rough, try the Cheesecake Factory! Shrimp/pasta is 2,300 cals and completely jacked with fat!
You can't make that work IIFYM with a sledgehammer!
Best to all!
Cheesecake Factory has the best light menu I've seen anywhere though (like 20 choices under 580 calories I think?). It's all about making good choices... at least they have options.
Cheesecake Factory is so weird with this. They have a bunch of things under 600 calories..... and everything else on the menu is like 1500+. Nothing in between. Even weirder is that some of the <600 stuff has almost identical descriptions to the >1500 stuff.0 -
Applebee's is one of my favorite places to go while restricting calories. They have a great under 550 menu. The sirloin with shrimp is 510 calories with 49g protein. Plenty of food too.
^ This. They have one of the better entree menu's for calorie restricted diets.0 -
Applebee's is one of the absolute worst restaurants for sodium overload. TGIFriday's and Outback Steakhouse are right up there as well.
Freaking ridiculous.0 -
The shrimp and steak and shrimp and chicken are my favorites at Applebee's.
I agree that Cheesecake Factory is weird, but so are the other places really. I remember going to Ruby Tuesday with 800 calories, and couldn't find anything at all around that... They had their light menu, but everything was 400 calories or something, then everything else was 1000+. It was frustrating. I ended up getting an extra side or something.0 -
If you think Applebees is rough, try the Cheesecake Factory! Shrimp/pasta is 2,300 cals and completely jacked with fat!
You can't make that work IIFYM with a sledgehammer!
Best to all!
Cheesecake Factory has the best light menu I've seen anywhere though (like 20 choices under 580 calories I think?). It's all about making good choices... at least they have options.
Cheesecake Factory is so weird with this. They have a bunch of things under 600 calories..... and everything else on the menu is like 1500+. Nothing in between. Even weirder is that some of the <600 stuff has almost identical descriptions to the >1500 stuff.
The cool thing about Cheesecake Factory (They were a client of mine at one point) is their kitchen is so incredibly oragnized and standardized that you can count on the calorie counts being consistant between restaurants. They, quite literally, have kitchen staff 24x7 doing prep work. Spices are pre portioned, by scale, for every recipe. Meat, pasta, rice...it's all weighed, by scale for each recipe.
That is how they offer consistant experiences across all their restaurants.0 -
Applebee's is one of the absolute worst restaurants for sodium overload. TGIFriday's and Outback Steakhouse are right up there as well.
Freaking ridiculous.
Pretty much every restaurant in the world is like this, especially chain restaurants. The sodium is there because it tastes good. For most people it's not a concern.0 -
If you think Applebees is rough, try the Cheesecake Factory! Shrimp/pasta is 2,300 cals and completely jacked with fat!
You can't make that work IIFYM with a sledgehammer!
Best to all!
Cheesecake Factory has the best light menu I've seen anywhere though (like 20 choices under 580 calories I think?). It's all about making good choices... at least they have options.
Cheesecake Factory is so weird with this. They have a bunch of things under 600 calories..... and everything else on the menu is like 1500+. Nothing in between. Even weirder is that some of the <600 stuff has almost identical descriptions to the >1500 stuff.
The cool thing about Cheesecake Factory (They were a client of mine at one point) is their kitchen is so incredibly oragnized and standardized that you can count on the calorie counts being consistant between restaurants. They, quite literally, have kitchen staff 24x7 doing prep work. Spices are pre portioned, by scale, for every recipe. Meat, pasta, rice...it's all weighed, by scale for each recipe.
That is how they offer consistant experiences across all their restaurants.
Really! That's good to know. Do you know if any other particular places do this (or don't do this)?0 -
Oh my goodness! I never would have guessed that either! When I eat out, I always try to preshop the menu but if the nutritional information isn't available I tend to stick to things I know like broiled fish or salads. This post was a GREAT reminder about why I can't make assumptions about restaurant foods.0
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If you think Applebees is rough, try the Cheesecake Factory! Shrimp/pasta is 2,300 cals and completely jacked with fat!
You can't make that work IIFYM with a sledgehammer!
Best to all!
went there 2 weeks ago.
had a macaroni n cheese burger.
it was a burger, with a large ball of fried mac n cheese on top.
glorious.0 -
980 calories of pure heaven!0
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Reubens are one of the most fattening sandwiches anywhere....pastrami, grilled, thousand island dressing, cheese.0
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If you think Applebees is rough, try the Cheesecake Factory! Shrimp/pasta is 2,300 cals and completely jacked with fat!
You can't make that work IIFYM with a sledgehammer!
Best to all!
Cheesecake Factory has the best light menu I've seen anywhere though (like 20 choices under 580 calories I think?). It's all about making good choices... at least they have options.
Cheesecake Factory is so weird with this. They have a bunch of things under 600 calories..... and everything else on the menu is like 1500+. Nothing in between. Even weirder is that some of the <600 stuff has almost identical descriptions to the >1500 stuff.
The cool thing about Cheesecake Factory (They were a client of mine at one point) is their kitchen is so incredibly oragnized and standardized that you can count on the calorie counts being consistant between restaurants. They, quite literally, have kitchen staff 24x7 doing prep work. Spices are pre portioned, by scale, for every recipe. Meat, pasta, rice...it's all weighed, by scale for each recipe.
That is how they offer consistant experiences across all their restaurants.
Really! That's good to know. Do you know if any other particular places do this (or don't do this)?
BJ's Brewery, Mortons, Chili's, & P.F. Changs are very good about it as well. Not as good as Cheescake Factory (no one is, it's really quite an impressive operation), but pretty good at measuring/prepping ingredients. A lot of nicer restaurants (think nicer local steakhouses) have they prep-cooks portion out spices and what not so their chefs don't have to do anything other than grab and pour.0 -
If you think Applebees is rough, try the Cheesecake Factory! Shrimp/pasta is 2,300 cals and completely jacked with fat!
You can't make that work IIFYM with a sledgehammer!
Best to all!
went there 2 weeks ago.
had a macaroni n cheese burger.
it was a burger, with a large ball of fried mac n cheese on top.
glorious.
This is going to sound weird...but try the Kobe Burger at Cheesecake factory. Trust me, you wont regret it. Cheapest thing on their menu and it's amazing. Bun, caramelized onions, and meat...thats all it is and all you need.0 -
What annoys me with cheesecake factory is that they don't give their nutrition info. I always have to look it up on random sites online, and who knows how accurate it is.0
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Applebee's is one of the absolute worst restaurants for sodium overload. TGIFriday's and Outback Steakhouse are right up there as well.
Freaking ridiculous.
Pretty much every restaurant in the world is like this, especially chain restaurants. The sodium is there because it tastes good. For most people it's not a concern.
We eat at plenty of restaurants that don't come anywhere near the amount of sodium found in the above mentioned places. The food tastes just as good. :flowerforyou:0 -
they closed a whole bunch of them in our area....not a fan of rubens to begin with.....\m/0
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