Healthy food at TGIFridays?

sarahcscott3
sarahcscott3 Posts: 31 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Greetings, MFP-ers!

I am heading to TGIFridays for dinner with some girlfriends tomorrow night. I looked at their nutrition facts and I'm pretty sure NOTHING is healthy on their menu. Any tips or favorite dishes that won't put me at an extra 1000 calories for the day?

Thanks for your help and feedback in advance!

Replies

  • verleinmck
    verleinmck Posts: 5
    I don't know if the menu at your TGIF's is the same as my countries, but I see they have veggie fajitas. "Veggie Fajita -
    A medley of tomato, sliced mushroom and green beans, marinated in soy, garlic, lime & pineapple juice, with sautéed onions and a mix of red & green peppers. " That sounds like the healthiest option there. There is also: "Spicy Diablo Pasta Penne pasta tossed in a spicy tomato chili sauce with seasonal vegetables and Parmesan cheese." and "Chicken Noodle Salad Garlic chicken,salad leaves, crispy noodles, spring onions, red chilies, diced tomatoes, red peppers and cucumber in a Thai dressing. With toasted sesame seeds, chili flakes and cilantro. " This is the Irish menu, so you might not have these options.
  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
    Dragonfire chicken is my go to meal there when I have limited calories and heading out.
    I also like the parmesan crusted chicken with the tomato/mozerella salad.

    You can also try workingout before hand to give yourself more calories.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I believe they have grilled chicken and broccoli or something.
  • sarahcscott3
    sarahcscott3 Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks for replies! I think I am going to try the Sizzling Steak & Spinach - about 500 calories.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
    Depends how you define "healthy" honestly. Yes tons of the menu items are over 1000 calories, but it not necessarily "bad" food. I usually get the parmesan crusted chicken. Never fries if I get something else, always broccoli. Just cause I love steamed broccoli.
  • SuperVixen2B
    SuperVixen2B Posts: 218 Member
    The napkins.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    A glass of water
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    A warning: I don't know what your dietary needs are, but check their allergen menu if you don't eat shellfish, fish, MSG, etc. Pretty much all of their appetizers contain fish/shellfish, including their pretzels (wtf).
  • pineapple_jojo
    pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
    https://www.tgifridays.com/nutrition.pdf

    Here you go - hope you have a nice meal out!

    Edit - that's for the US menu, apparently they don't publish nutritional info for the UK - shame on you TGI Friday!!
  • sarahcscott3
    sarahcscott3 Posts: 31 Member
    A warning: I don't know what your dietary needs are, but check their allergen menu if you don't eat shellfish, fish, MSG, etc. Pretty much all of their appetizers contain fish/shellfish, including their pretzels (wtf).

    WTF indeed! Luckily I'm not allergic to much, but that's crazy!
  • sarahcscott3
    sarahcscott3 Posts: 31 Member
    https://www.tgifridays.com/nutrition.pdf

    Here you go - hope you have a nice meal out!

    Edit - that's for the US menu, apparently they don't publish nutritional info for the UK - shame on you TGI Friday!!

    Some of those facts are scary! And the sodium levels are insane on most everything. No wonder the US has such bad heart / high blood pressure issues.
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  • billiebarry13
    billiebarry13 Posts: 5 Member
    i always eat the 6oz sirloin no butter (310 cal) with a side of brocoli (50 cal) and half the side of tomatoe and mozarella salad (which is 110 cals for the whole side)
  • Jemellc
    Jemellc Posts: 308 Member
    I had this really good... big chicken salad... too much cheese though :sad:
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    My wife and I usually split the cajin chicken and shrimp pasta, it's really not so bad if you split it. Ask your server to box half of it and bring the other half on a plate. They'll definitely do that for you.

    Spinach flat bread is also pretty good on the calories.
  • George_Baileys_Ghost
    George_Baileys_Ghost Posts: 1,524 Member
    Hot dogs, sausages, pickles, bananas.....

    (Just trying to stay within the day's milieu...)
  • americangirlok
    americangirlok Posts: 228 Member
    I ate there last Saturday for lunch and w/ dessert it was less than 1000 calories! But that wedge salad is deceptive! My sis ordered it, it was a quarter head of lettuce w/ some bacon and nuts (no blue cheese on hers) but the website says it's 550!
  • americangirlok
    americangirlok Posts: 228 Member
    Vodka tonic

    This is my go to cocktail - w/ a lime twist!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Depends how you define "healthy" honestly. Yes tons of the menu items are over 1000 calories, but it not necessarily "bad" food. I usually get the parmesan crusted chicken. Never fries if I get something else, always broccoli. Just cause I love steamed broccoli.

    ^Exactly. Defining food as "healthy" based on how many calories they have (or don't) is wrong.
  • sportyredhead01
    sportyredhead01 Posts: 482 Member
    No worries.

    Anytime I've eaten there it hasn't stayed in my system very long...if you know what I mean.:noway:
  • sarahcscott3
    sarahcscott3 Posts: 31 Member
    Vodka tonic

    This is my go to cocktail - w/ a lime twist!

    ^ What she said. I'll have what she's having.
  • sarahcscott3
    sarahcscott3 Posts: 31 Member
    No worries.

    Anytime I've eaten there it hasn't stayed in my system very long...if you know what I mean.:noway:


    Eeeeeekkkk! Nothing like a case of the hot@ss to jump-start your diet!
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    Healthy is such a subjective term...

    Going by calories, there are some decent choices at TGIF. I usually like to go for a cut of meat. I think there are even some items on the menu marked "under ___ calories" or something. Or maybe that is Applebees. Anyway, I'm sure there is something you can afford in your calorie budget.

    But I usually prefer to go out to eat on my higher calorie days so I don't have to worry about it as much.

    On a separate note, every time I go there, I make sure to get their coffee. It's some of the best coffee I've had!
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    https://www.tgifridays.com/nutrition.pdf

    Here you go - hope you have a nice meal out!

    Edit - that's for the US menu, apparently they don't publish nutritional info for the UK - shame on you TGI Friday!!

    Some of those facts are scary! And the sodium levels are insane on most everything. No wonder the US has such bad heart / high blood pressure issues.

    Sodium always gets picked on. The topics of heart health and blood pressure are fairly complex and sodium is only one small part of the equation.

    Nutrition facts can sometimes appear scary, especially at restaurants, but just make good choices and fit things in to meet your goals, and you'll be fine.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    For future reference, most chain restaurants have nutrition information readily available on their websites. :smile:
  • sarahcscott3
    sarahcscott3 Posts: 31 Member
    For future reference, most chain restaurants have nutrition information readily available on their websites. :smile:

    Thanks. I am aware, and am familiar with the ways of the interwebz. Just wanted to get people's recommendations on something that would taste GOOD and not be awful for me. I don't go to TGIF often, so wanted some recommendations.
  • carrie_lou
    carrie_lou Posts: 44
    I'm glad this post was out there because I am going there tonight and don't have a lot of calories to work with either so it has helped :drinker: Vodka and Tonic it is....JK

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