Healthy, but good Restaurant options

brookebattaglia
brookebattaglia Posts: 28
edited November 12 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?

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....
  • joan41
    joan41 Posts: 170 Member
    I like Red Lobster if you can resist the cheese biscuits. And Japaneese steakhouse is not bad. But you know what I try to do if I know I'm going out is I just try to exercise a little more. But you know I really think it does your body and mind good tomess up every once in a while. But seafood is not high in fat or calories especially if its broiled or boiled. Which is good to me!! Even for fast food, Wendy's, my girls have dance on Monday night, and I'll get a grilled chicken with just the chicken and lettuce and then get a baked potato. And of coarse every chance I get I save calories for a single serve skinny serve ice cream!! Hay I tell my kids I have to get my daily allowance of calcium!!! But it does usually help to check out the website before you go!!
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
    You can find at least one not-too-terrible on calories item at almost any restaurant these days. But the sodium is almost always crazy-high. I just plan around the sodium if I know I'm going somewhere that day.

    *TGIFriday's - "Under 500" Sirloin meal, I get it with double veg - steamed broccoli and the roasted seasonal veg.
    *Applebees - similar steak and veg plate.
    *Red Robin - Teriyaki Chicken sandwich with no mayo and no cheese. I used to get the cantelope as a side instead of fries, but they don't have that anymore, so I get the apples now. (The other option is mandarin oranges and they are canned and gross).
    *McDonalds - I LOVE the Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken. I only use 1/2 the dressing and it's so flavorful it's plenty for me.
    *Chipotle - Steak and veg bowl with lettuce, salsa (and even guacamole if you like it.)
    *Joe's Crab Shack - Giant tub of snow crab. Even with the red potatoes and 1/2 ear of corn it's still very reasonable. (Just don't use the butter dip)
    *Wendy's - Only thing there I've found for me is a small chili. It's good and filling, but very salty.

    Check menus online before you go. Find a good option (or two if possible) for every restaurant your family and friends frequent, that way you'll always be prepared!
  • TiltingAtWindmills
    TiltingAtWindmills Posts: 44 Member
    Panera Bread. The calories are posted right there on the menu, making it so easy to choose wisely. I was too tired to cook tonight and I had chicken soup and half a turkey sandwich for just 300 calories ("pick two" menu).
  • valorieflowers
    valorieflowers Posts: 154
    Pita Pit and Cafe Yumm are my go-to choices. They are sort of fast food though, at least Pita Pit. Cafe Yumm is in between. I also highly recommend Applebee's steak dinner off the 550 calorie menu. It is delicious and satisfying. You can also have 1 or 2 garlic breadsticks with it for a small splurge with out going too overboard.
  • femme62209
    femme62209 Posts: 327 Member
    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!


    Such a great suggestion for the dressing!!!! Sounds delicious :)
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