out to eat?

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Mick8666
Mick8666 Posts: 13
in Food and Nutrition
My dilemma on going out to eat is to find places with a good low calorie menu. Anyone know of chains with a good menu that isnt just salad. Details would be great.

I have mostly chains near me in central NJ. But if you are in my area and know of places im open to suggestions.
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  • TeriaShae
    TeriaShae Posts: 144 Member
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    I can usually find something healthy at just about every restaurant!
    If you have a question about a restaurant in particularly you can add me as a friend and then message me!

    Here's a few of my favorites:
    1. Wendy's - Absolutely LOVE their chili, very nutritious as well!
    2. McDonad's - Not too many healthy options here but love the McWraps, with no sauce!
    3. Cracker Barrel - TONS of healthy options here! Veggie soup, pecan crusted fish, baked catfish, grilled chicken, and then a ton of healthy sides here a well like green beans, corn, turnip greens, fruit, carrots, etc.
    4. DQ - Love this place for dessert, excellent fruit smoothies with only 170 calories!
    5. Texas Roadhouse - They have excellent shrimp and even the steak kabobs!
    6. Orange Leaf - My absolute favorite place if I want something sweet, it's pretty much almost ALL healthy!
    7. Panera Bread - Excellent soups like broccoli and cheese! Love the chicken noodle on a hot day.
    8. Taco Bell - They have an amazing chicken fresco taco that is all healthy and only 180 calories I believe! So you could have three of those and make it a meal!
    9. Arby's - They have a turkey sandwich which is wonderful and healthy!
    10. Burger King - They have a new veggie burger which taste just like beef to me at only 320 calories!
  • Arydria
    Arydria Posts: 179 Member
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    Longhorn Steakhouse... their under 500 menu is delicious!!
    Bravo! (Italian) also has some good choices.

    Both are nice places to go if you want to go out for dinner and skip the fast food.
  • Mick8666
    Mick8666 Posts: 13
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    I did not know DQ had 170 calorie smoothies, I am shocked with that 1!

    I probably should have been more specific, I dont really eat fast food, I meant dine-in. But that list def helps me if I am ever in a jam for sure and I appreciate that.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    If you're going for a sit down meal, why concern yourself with cals and just order the food you want?

    I had pretty solid meals at mistral and elements both in Princeton
  • Mick8666
    Mick8666 Posts: 13
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    If you're going for a sit down meal, why concern yourself with cals and just order the food you want?

    I had pretty solid meals at mistral and elements both in Princeton

    If I had my way, my calorie of my food would be way to much.
  • toronto_j
    toronto_j Posts: 206 Member
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    I don't know anything about NJ but grilled fish/seafood are always a good bet. Keep the sides if you want but if it's potato or something else that's heavy, ask for vegetables or salad. A small steak or baked chicken (without a heavy or creamy sauce) are fine too.
  • Mick8666
    Mick8666 Posts: 13
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    I don't know anything about NJ but grilled fish/seafood are always a good bet. Keep the sides if you want but if it's potato or something else that's heavy, ask for vegetables or salad. A small steak or baked chicken (without a heavy or creamy sauce) are fine too.

    yea I can get that anywhere, I am looking for anything that stood out to someone in the past. Not a generic low calorie meal
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Ruby Tuesdays and Cheesecake Factory both have lots of healthy/lower calorie choices. Cheesecake Factory has the Skinnylicious menu.
  • wanttolose40lbs
    wanttolose40lbs Posts: 239 Member
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    Any restaurant you go into, you can ask what low calorie options they have besides salad. If they don't have one don't eat there again.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Cheddars has lots of good fish and a great light menu. I don't know how widespread it is (but it is a chain)

    I agree with those who say you should be able to find better options in most places :-) I've learned a lot about this over the past several months in fact. I was tired of feeling like I had to practically starve for breakfast & lunch in order to go out to dinner and have a "regular" (700-1,000 or so calorie) meal with friends.

    Mexican - I usually get spinach enchiladas from the a la carte menu with red sauce (not queso) and totally avoid the chips/salsa or just have a FEW

    Sushi - I will opt for sashimi or a plainer roll...nothing fried, no cream cheese, no mayo-based sauce, etc. Sure those types of sushi are delicious and I do eat them occasionally, but for example the other night we unexpectedly went out for sushi w/ friends but I'd already had pizza and a cookie that day, so I got a roll that was JUST tuna & avocado with the sushi rice...and edamame (no salt)

    Chinese - I go for the meats that are not fried or something veggie. Sauce on the side when possible. Eat a small portion of rice (typically about 10% of what is served)

    If I get a burger or chicken sandwich (like Chick-Fil-A for example) I don't order fries at all. I usually don't get any type of side, though. That's usually because I am too cheap to get fruit, veggies, or a side salad...to me that stuff is crazy overpriced in fast food restaurants, and my fridge at home is packed with it anyway, I'd rather just eat something else later that day.

    Places like Chipotle (where I plan to have dinner tonight) I get a burrito bowl and choose 1-2 options between salsa, cheese, and sour cream.

    If I go to a buffet, which is extremely rare, I'll fill up ONE of the big plates with salad on half, small serving of fish/meat, and then a couple TBSP of whatever else I'd like to try. Then a tiny dessert plate with 1 sweet thing, if it looks too good to resist. No trips back to the buffet after that.

    Seriously though, I say all of this but there are times that I break these "rules" and eat whatever I'd like. Just not all of the time :-)
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Ruby Tuesdays and Cheesecake Factory both have lots of healthy/lower calorie choices. Cheesecake Factory has the Skinnylicious menu.

    I don't have CF in my area so I hadn't noticed that menu yet (cool!) ...but on the rare occasion I'm there, I love the Vietnamese tacos from the small plates menu. It is very cheap and plenty for a meal IMO (for one person). I looked it up and the calories weren't too crazy, either.
  • Mick8666
    Mick8666 Posts: 13
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    Ruby Tuesdays and Cheesecake Factory both have lots of healthy/lower calorie choices. Cheesecake Factory has the Skinnylicious menu.

    just looked at the cf menu, not bad. had no idea they had that

    and seltzer thank you also, I am going for sushi tonight. i love sushi
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    Chile''s ironically has one of the better under 500 calorie menus out there IMHO...I say ironically because they're also notoriously high calorie for many of their regular entrees as compared to similar entrees elsewhere.

    Also, you could opt to only eat about half of a regular entree...I have a great deal of difficulty eating more than that these days and my wife and I usually split an entree...exceptions would be on my long ride days...then I can eat all the foods and I'm a bottomless pit.
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
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    Ruby Tuesdays, Applebee's and Longhorn Steakhouse all have pretty good lo cal choices. Many chains have nutritional information you can access online. When I am plannig to go out I will usually look up the menu online and decide what I am going to get before I go.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    My favorite non-fast food Chain Restaurants where I can find something to eat without stressing about calories: Applebees, Red Lobster, Bahama Breeze, The Outback
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I'm in NJ too...

    Applebee's - great under 550 calories menu
    Cheesecake factory - huge under 500 calories menu (or 550, or 600... I forgot)
    Chili has a 250 calories steak with broccoli (not impressed by the rest of their low calorie menu though... it used to be better)
  • fificrazy
    fificrazy Posts: 234
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    If you're going for a sit down meal, why concern yourself with cals and just order the food you want?

    If I had my way, my calorie of my food would be way to much.

    My basic guidelines for eating out at restaurants (without a special health conscious section, which a lot do offer now fortunately)
    If you know you're going out, try to make your meals mostly plant based before hand. Fruits for breakfast, salad for lunch...
    Then when get your food, ask for a box right away so you can split it in half so you'll be less tempted.

    But a standard meat/veggies kind of dish (be it a steak and potatoes and a burger and cooked veggies on the side) really won't make a big difference to your diet. They offer lots nutritionally- and I think that should be the first factor you look for in searching for something healthy; "calories" really aren't synonymous with "health"... But, having said that, most breakfast-for-dinner options would probably be off the table, as would the appetizers, large "triple-grilled-cheese-topped-with-bacon-and-onion-rings" sandwiches, and creamy pasta type dishes. At home they're easy to work into your diet, but at restaurants I feel like they just have a way with tripling the amount of oils, sodium, and sugars in their meals.

    Oh, and always start with your veggies first! Better to get full off them and then leave whatever's left of your entree!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Ruby Tuesdays and Cheesecake Factory both have lots of healthy/lower calorie choices. Cheesecake Factory has the Skinnylicious menu.

    just looked at the cf menu, not bad. had no idea they had that

    and seltzer thank you also, I am going for sushi tonight. i love sushi

    Yay...I hope you enjoyed!!
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
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    I like getting steaks when I eat out. I can get a decent sized cut of meat (at least 6-8 oz) for 400-600 calories, then I choose lighter sides such as roasted veggies. Then I blow my day on beer to wash it down, but that's another story...:drinker:

    If there is a Famous Dave's near you, the Texas Beef Brisket is wonderful, and, if you get the collard greens and firecracker green beans (and give your corn muffin away), you can have a filling meal for about 900 calories or so.
  • motivatethismom
    motivatethismom Posts: 42 Member
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    Is there anything healthy to get at a Mexican restaurant? I've already been told NO CHIPS that's going to be hard enough but I go there often for lunch.

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