good choices at chain restaurants

1. McDonald's has some decent options. The salads are very healthy if you don't drown them in dressing and the dollar menu has some decent options. The smaller sandwiches are still very filling and most of them are 300-500 calories. They also offer fruit now.
2. I always order naked burritos off the kids menu at Qdoba. It's cheaper and a much more reasonably sized portion than the rest of the menu. The smothered burritos are pretty good too, depending on what you put in them. The smother sauces are low in calories, except for the chipotle cream.
3. Subway can be very good, just watch out for the sauces and add plenty of veggies. The vinaigrette, sweet onion and mustards are all pretty healthy, though. They offer a light mayo, but I've never tried it because I don't really like mayo in the first place.

There seem to be a bunch of new 'healthy' choices popping up since New Years Day. Applebee's has a new 'Pub Menu' that I'd like to try. I also think Chili's has some new lower calorie choices.

Cracker Barrel has a kids menu with several very good options and it says right at the top "FOR ALL AGES" so they don't side eye you about ordering from it. I usually get the kids grilled strips (they are small but delicious) and baked sweet potato. It comes w/ a biscuit and small drink. I usually eat 1/2 the biscuit & opt for diet soda or hot cocoa (which is basically Swiss Miss - but the plus side of that is lower calories than "good" hot chocolate at a coffee shop).

Really, the fast food options I like best are nuggets or chili from Wendy's, egg sub w/ all the veggies at Subway, or a naked burrito bowl (usually w/ steak) at Chipotle & similar places...I usually don't get salsa, cheese, or guac...just meat, lettuce, beans, rice & sour cream.

About once a month or so, I'll have a double hamburger from Steak N Shake, Culver's or Freddy's Custard. I don't get any desserts or sides, just the big ol' delicious burger...my husband is pescetarian & we don't cook/eat meat in our home so once in awhile I absolutely love a big meaty burger and I'd rather have those than some of the other typical chains like McDonalds or BK.

As for sit-down restaurants, I usually choose a local and/or non-chain option. Partly because I'm not that into the chains, but also because I love dining out for sushi, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Greek, etc.

Also, the Mexican restaurants in my area are plentiful & fantastic. I sometimes get a more authentic option like chile relleno or huevos con chorizo...worth every badly estimated calorie. Other times I go for something they offer at my favorite Mexican place, it's a thin layer of rice & queso covered with a huge mound of steamed cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, onion & squash, and strips of fajita beef or chicken. I usually don't eat chips at all and leave behind a bit of the rice and doing this near weekly for the past couple of years I've been on MFP, it has never caused a problem for me. Meanwhile when I go to a chain and get fajitas or an appetizer quesadilla as my meal, I see a huge jump on the scale that lasts for days...I guess they use even more salt? I dunno.

I usually go for the chicken. Fajitas, quesadillas, grilled chicken sandwiches, etc. When we do fast food, I prefer places like Wendy's or Subway - they just feel fresher to me.

Famous Dave's has a Low Calorie menu, the Salmon w/ Grilled pineapple is amazing!

I'm actually in the process of checking out the chain restaurants websites where you can see all the nutritional information. Write the information down for a few items so when you go to order your prepared. Better yet add them to your foods and make logging your meal a breeze.

Although the websites are probably fairly accurate they may very depending on who's making your food. As in they may be adding more sauce or cheese than the chain intended.

I occasionally go to chain restaurants that have full menues; very infrequently to limited menu ones and never to fast food joints. So, decent chain restaurants will always prepare food to specifications because they want return diners.

Chipotle: I get bowls with 1/2 normal amount of brown rice, beans, veggies (Skip cheese, sour cream) If you have room for calories, go for guac!

Panera: Lots of great options, Calorie counts are right on their menus now! Awesome.

Cheesecake Factory: Skinnylicious menu (Just stay away from Cheesecake and tell them not to bring you bread!)

Applebees: Some of their Weight Watchers Menu options are decent

Bravo: They have a lighter options menu

I go for what I'm hungry for.

I love Applebee's and there new cedar lemon grilled chicken. It comes with an apple relish (mostly just diced granny smiths) and quinoa. Very yummy and filling. I really didn't think I'd like it that much.