Healthy, but good Restaurant options

brookebattaglia
brookebattaglia Posts: 28
in Food and Nutrition
On weekends I have found it tough to stick to my diet because those are the days when I tend to go out to eat instead of stay home and cook. Does anyone have any good Restaurant choices that are healthy and won't kill my diet? Also what are some of your favorite healthy menu items?
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Replies

  • Ash_76
    Ash_76 Posts: 186 Member
    it really depends on the restaurant and the way they cook, alot of restaurants are chains so the meals are same in every restaurant.
    there is a restaurant i visit called the walled garden and they do the best grilled sea bass ever
  • purplegoboom
    purplegoboom Posts: 400 Member
    Chilis - Margarita Grilled Chicken with Rice and Beans, but no Tortilla strips ~ 550 calories and tastes sooo good!

    Ted's Montana Grill - Salt and Pepper Tilipia with asparagus and vine-rippened tomatoes ~ under 700 calories, yummy if you're a fish person.
  • purplegoboom
    purplegoboom Posts: 400 Member
    Chilis - Margarita Grilled Chicken with Rice and Beans, but no Tortilla strips ~ 550 calories and tastes sooo good!

    Ted's Montana Grill - Salt and Pepper Tilipia with asparagus and vine-rippened tomatoes ~ under 700 calories, yummy if you're a fish person.

    Ripened! The grammar gods frown upon me today. :(
  • BlueEyedMomma88
    BlueEyedMomma88 Posts: 558 Member
    Applebees has some stuff under their 550 calorie or less menu.
  • ImJDLookatME
    ImJDLookatME Posts: 288 Member
    9oz lobster tail, seasoned with no butter, double serving of veggies...under 400 calories!
  • aekaya
    aekaya Posts: 163 Member
    Panera! They have all their calorie info right up on the menu :)
  • femme62209
    femme62209 Posts: 327 Member
    I know that this restaurant normally isn't thought of as a "healthy" place to eat but Outback Steakhouse can be a good choice. I have found that they are very accommodating. You can ask for your steak to be cooked "clean" and they won't cook it in butter or add any seasoning. You can ask for this treatment for a lot of their dishes. They are very helpful!
  • naseak
    naseak Posts: 98 Member
    A lot of restaurants have menu nutrition on line. I usually go online before I go out figure out what I can have that fits into my calories for the day and when I go to the retaurant I order what I planned, I don' t look at the menu again so I'm not tempted to get something else.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Cheesecake Factory (I KNOW!) has a Skinnylicious Menu. Everything I have tried from it was very yummy.
  • price0110
    price0110 Posts: 1
    The Sweet & Spicy grilled chicken at Chili's is good too. I heard its only a limited time item, so I am trying to take advantage of it as much as possible!
  • suztheq
    suztheq Posts: 168 Member
    Grilled or baked chicken and fish are always good options. Sirloin steaks and filet mignon are the leanest cuts of beef, generally. I usually ask to have them prepared with no butter or grill baste. Steamed vegetables (no butter), plain sweet potato, plain baked potato with salsa and cheddar. Soups without a cream base, sauces that are not cream based (pomodoro or marinara vs alfredo). Ask for dressings on the side. Ask for bread or buns to be dry. There are a ton of things you can do at pretty much any restaurant. Be wary of salads, though. Some even without the dressing still pack a ton of calories and fat.
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
    Outback Steakhouse - Grilled Chicken, Steamed Veggies(no butter or light on butter)
    Longhorn Steakhouse - Tomato basil salsa chicken with steamed veggies and green beans.

    Remember that "low" calorie does not mean low fat. It is very hard to eat out and stick to a strict diet. I always stick to grilled chicken because i know what that contains. I am limited to a max of 30g of fat per day. As you know, most restaurant meals contain 25-40g of fat in one sitting. So be careful what you put in your mouth:)
  • iluxoxo211
    iluxoxo211 Posts: 241 Member
    I went to red robin last weekend and I got a boca burger( vegetarian) wrapped in lettace and it had whiskey river bbq on it and it was mmmmmm mmm good! lol there are so many options at every place you go..you sometimes just have to put the sauce on the side and stuff like that but moderation is key!
  • papa3x
    papa3x Posts: 286
    I order a garden salad... but then I ask them to add chicken breast..... but here is what I do if the restaurant will do it..... instaed of regular dressing, I have them make up a 50 / 50 mix of ranch dressing and buffalo sauce....... YUMMO!
  • quinto1025
    quinto1025 Posts: 53 Member
    I think a lot of restaurants can be decently healthy. The key is to to your homework before hand and look at the nutrition information.
  • cindy4mica
    cindy4mica Posts: 777 Member
    I don't know how healthy *any* restaurants going to be. I would say your best bet is to order what's seemingly the best option, ask them not to add salt to your meal & maybe only eat half then & take the other half home for later.
  • nebulinda
    nebulinda Posts: 120 Member
    I really like Genghis Grill. It's a stir fry place where you pick your own meats, seasonings, vegetables, sauces, etc, and they cook it for you. The meals are generally 500-600 calories, and you can design it so it's filled with all sorts of healthy items. Delicious and healthy. (I suppose you could make the exact same thing at home for much cheaper, but I hate cooking and they have a wide variety of things to choose from.)

    Unfortunately it's not in a lot of states. Check the website (http://www.genghisgrill.com/) to see if there's one near you.
  • zombie4665
    zombie4665 Posts: 2 Member
    If i know i am going to eat out I go to the restaurant's web site and look up what my best options will be. Lots of major chains have all their nutrition information listed on the site. I feel more comfortable eating out when i already know what i am going to get and how many calories are in it.
  • brookebattaglia
    brookebattaglia Posts: 28
    Thank you everyone for all these great options! Now I am looking forward to trying some of these great dishes out!
  • cbl40
    cbl40 Posts: 281 Member
    Order chicken or fish baked or broiled, steamed veggies and a baked potato. Or, soup and a salad. No bread and share the dessert!!!!! You can also get a salad and add grilled shrimp, chicken or steak and oil and vinegar on the side....

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