Best restaurants to eat at that our still somewhat healthy?

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m16shane
m16shane Posts: 393 Member
in Food and Nutrition
The hardest thing to do for me is to go out to eat because I never feel like there is any that offer good nutritious dishes. Sometimes though you are on vacation, just can't find the time to get home to cook, (though we always try to). or just want to go out. What are some decent/healthy restaurants that you like, and what dishes do you eat?

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Replies

  • rookmb
    rookmb Posts: 84
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    I always look for a fish entree, such as tiliapia or salmon - I ask for it broiled and get a baked potato and steamed veges with it. If I feel like a burger, I'll order a turkey burger and see if they have a whole wheat bun. Sometimes I order a huge grilled chicken salad, but i only use lemon juice instead of dressing. The options are there. You just have to look for them. Good luck!!! :)
  • Rose_Oh
    Rose_Oh Posts: 41 Member
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    Olive Garden Salad & Apricot Chicken Dinner
    O'Charley;s Sesame Tilapia over Rice & Veggies... big enough to split
    Bob Evans Potato Crusted Haddock Dinner with baked potato and broccoli

    I always check out restaurant menus/websites before traveling to give me options.
  • coopersmom2006
    coopersmom2006 Posts: 839
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    Ihop has calories listed on their menu and offers fit/fresh meals that are under 500 calories each. My kiddo likes the pancakes there so it's an easy choice for us. Several other chain type places have nutritional info on their websites. Off the top of my head I know Outback and Applebees both do. Sushi is always a decent choice if you go with sashimi and skip all the fancy rolls. Other than that, pretty much most grilled foods (sans butter and sauces) with veggies (steamed if you can sans butter) and a house salad with oil/vinegar are easy/healthy choices though not the most fun. When I know I'm going out to eat and I will probably make not so healthy decisions I work out extra hard that day. I try not to beat myself up too much because guilt is a total motivation killer for me! ;)
  • Angybabefitzg
    Angybabefitzg Posts: 30 Member
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    I like Applebees because of their Weight Watchers and selection of under 550 cals meals. Most of them are pretty tasty and good size portions that leave you full but not stuffed.
  • JJNette76
    JJNette76 Posts: 11
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    I look up the restaurant nutritional info prior to going and plan out what fits into my calories for the day. If I know I'm going out ahead of time I add 10-15 minutes more to my cardio session so i can eat something on the menu that actually tastes good. When I go to Longhorn steakhouse I get the 6oz sirlion and the asperagus for my side. It tastes good and is lower in calories than most of the other things on the menu. Applebees has an under 550 calorie menu but I haven't tried it yet. Carrabbas has a small portion to most of its items, they fill you up, have less calories and taste amazing. On vacation, I'm usually not as good but I still try and limit myself to the smaller portions. When I go home to visit family, I spread out all the places/things I want to eat so I still can have them, just not all in one day.
  • JSheehy1965
    JSheehy1965 Posts: 404
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    Mediterranean restaurants - Greek/Turkish etc usually have a lot of healthy salads, grilled fish, chicken, olives, hummus etc. I love those kinds.
  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
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    I try to look up nutritional values before I go out, if they are not available I estimate. I also drink a lot of water with my meals since sodium will always be too high.

    TGI Fridays-Dragon fire chicken with rice--very yummy and filling and not bad on the calories.
    Parmasean crusted chicken with tomato/mozzerella salad ad spinach tortallini

    Ruby Tuesdays-Marinarra spaghetti squash

    Mexican restaurants: Grilled shrimp dishes and chicken fajitas minus the tortillas.

    Buffets-chose lean meats with minimal sauce, and load up on veggies
  • jakj00
    jakj00 Posts: 97 Member
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    Bob Evans has tons of low fat/low cal options and the info is in the menu...also I try to go with mediterranean frequently for eating out :)
  • Lindy901
    Lindy901 Posts: 71 Member
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    Bandanas is our favorite lately. They have a special lately for $4.99 which you can get turkey, two sides and garlic bread. I can generally eat for under 500 calories there.
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
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    I'm of the opinion that almost any restaurant can be reasonably healthy. It's not the restaurant, but rather the choices you make and how much you eat.

    When I travel, I deliberately look for non-chain restaurants. I figure if I want to go to Applebees, I can do that home. In the process I've found some great local treasures. For example, a couple of years ago a friend and I found this great hole-in-a- wall diner. I was able to get an egg white omelette and a slice of light wheat bread toasted, no butter, and a cup of fresh seasonal fruit. Most places will honor special requests within reason. You don't have to eat a meal exactly as described on the menu. But you do have to speak up for yourself.
  • Caniacgirl59
    Caniacgirl59 Posts: 63
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    I have found really healthy things at Ruby Tuesday. My favorite is the spaghetti squash with marinara. They also have a great salad bar.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    I went to Ruby Tuesday's the other night. They have healthy options on the menu and the calorie count included, 300-500. I was really surprised to see they have spaghetti squash and grilled zucchini for side dishes and there salad bar is really nice too.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
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    I vote for Ruby Tuesday. I can't eat carbs. That's not a diet choice that is a diabetic problem. Anyway, just being low fat doesn't cut it for me. Ruby Tuesday is the only restaurant I have found so far that has things like mashed cauliflower and spag squash as side dish choices. They have their diet friendly dishes that show cals and carbs.
  • TKHappy
    TKHappy Posts: 659 Member
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    I agree with the people who say Ruby Tuesdays....my husband is a steak and potatoes guy and I like "healthy". We can both go there and get something we both like...big fan of the spaghetti squash marinara. I usualy end up just getting sides at any resturant but it works!!
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    Restaurants will often let you customize your order, like going light on the cheese, swapping the fries for a salad, replacing a biscuit with wheat bread...

    I always save some for leftovers, mostly because I'm poor, but also because it reduces how much I'm eating at the moment.
  • UnderCoverShyGirl
    UnderCoverShyGirl Posts: 254 Member
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    I actually feel quite the opposite of a lot of posters...that if you eat out a lot, it is veerryy hard to lose. Now i'm sure most people don't eat out as much as we did, we ate out probably 4 nights a week, lunches out, some breakfast..ya, pretty much out LOL, so that is extreme. But I do think that the nutritional values they print for you are done up in a lab with someone measuring precisely. In actuality, the chef is following the "recipe" but you can't tell me he stops to make sure there is only 1 tbsp of oil on the gril or 2 oz of salad dressing. If that was the case, the salad i made at home with 2 oz of dressing would taste as wet and delicious as this one LOL.I think that the calorie variences are hundreds, not just a few! I haven't worked in the restaurant biz in many years, so if anyone knows that they are that precise, please say so! I would love to know that they are.

    I usually try to make a healthy choice, take a look and guestimate at quantity and content and when logging, compare a few nutritional values and pick one that is on the higher cal side as i'd rather overestimate and think i ate more than i actually did. I know if i order a salad, i can get all non veg toppings on the side, which makes it easier to know what i'm eating without worrying about hidden oil and things. I also find that turkey and veggie burgers tend to be pretty high in cals :-(. I think some safer choices are non-cream soups (minestrone, for instance), salads with toppings and dressing on the side, grilled/steamed/roasted veggies and fish, lean meats, etc.

    I think one of the better tactics in eating out might be to try to choose pretty healthfully to begin with, keep water or tea as the drink and keep the bread basket off the table,, and then use the ol "put half in a to go box or have them take it away" method. I'd feel pretty safe doing that. Note: I have not mastered this LOL
  • MelMena
    MelMena Posts: 152 Member
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    If you are going to a chain establishment then many times they are following the recipe to the letter - portion control = cost control. A well managed place will do that (especially if they are owned corporately)

    Whenever I go out I ask for a box when my meal arrives, put half in the box and then I get to clean my plate!! (Plus I have a meal for the next day which is fantastic!!)
  • JSheehy1965
    JSheehy1965 Posts: 404
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    Personally I find Ruby Tuesday's food pretty oversalted and try to limit my sodium intake, but they do have a great salad bar!! :)

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