Bloated, sleepy, and maybe even a tad bit guilty? There’s a word for this phenomenon and it’s called overindulgence. But it’s not your fault. Really. Because the truth is, it’s pretty darn difficult to understand what’s healthy and what’s not these days. Take the Chicken and Broccoli Pasta at Ruby Tuesday, for instance: You’d think that “chicken” and “broccoli” would result in a fairly healthy dish, right? Not so much. This meal will set you back 1476 calories, 92 grams of fat, and over a day’s worth of sodium. The bottom line is that if you eat out a lot, you’re making it a lot harder on yourself to maintain a healthy weight. Knowledge is power, however, so let’s look at 15 restaurant dishes that are particularly unhealthy so you know what not to order next time you go out to eat.
15 Restaurant Meals to Avoid
1. Applebees: New England Fish and Chips
1690 calories 126 g fat (22 g saturated, 1.5 g trans) 92 g carbohydrates 2840 mg sodium
2. Applebees: Riblet and Chicken Tenders Platter
2040 calories 115 g fat (28 g saturated, 1 g trans) 175 g carbohydrates 4610 mg sodium
3. Buffalo Wild Wings: Ribs and Traditional Wings Combo
2540 calories 187 g fat (60 g saturated, 2.5 g trans) 111 g carbohydrates 5620 mg sodium
4. Buffalo Wild Wings: Ribs and Boneless Wings Combo
2470 calories 171 g fat (51 g saturated, 1.5 g trans) 140 g carbohydrates 6960 mg sodium
5. Chili’s: Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers w/ Ranch
1700 calories 77 g fat 200 g carbohydrates 4110 mg sodium
6. Denny’s: The Grand Slamwich with Hash Browns
1530 calories 102 g fat (45 g saturated, 1 g trans) 97 g carbohydrates 3690 mg sodium
7. Longhorn Steakhouse: Porterhouse with Loaded Baked Potato
1630 calories 102 g fat (41 g saturated, 4.5 g trans) 57 g carbohydrates 2330 mg sodium
8. IHOP: Country/Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs w/Sausage Gravy
1850 calories 115 g fat (33 g saturated, 2 g trans) 143 g carbohydrates 4550 mg sodium
9. Macaroni Grill: Chianti BBQ Steak
1920 calories 121 g fat (42 g saturated, 0.5 g trans) 81 g carbohydrates 3130 mg sodium
10. Macaroni Grill: Chicken Milanese
1570 calories 107 g fat (36 g saturated, 0.5 g trans) 91 g carbohydrates 1710 mg sodium
11. Outback Steakhouse: Porterhouse Steak with Loaded Baked Potato and Caesar Salad
1693 calories 113 g fat (45 g saturated, 2 g trans) 68 g carbohydrates 2096 mg sodium
12. On the Border: Dos XX Fish Tacos w/ Creamy Red Chile Sauce
1950 calories 121 g fat 158 g carbohydrates 3540 mg sodium
13. Red Robin: Triple S Riblet & Creamy Mac and Cheese
1904 calories 116 g fat 119 g carbohydrates 4294 mg sodium
14. TGI Friday’s: Jack Daniels Ribs
1530 calories 73 g fat (21 g saturated, 0 g trans) 158 g carbohydrates 3220 mg sodium
15. Tony Roma’s: Beef Ribs–Full Slab
2289 calories 189 g fat (82 g saturated) 66 g carbohydrates 2895 mg sodium
How to Eat Healthier When Eating Out
So how do you figure out what’s healthy and what’s not when you eat out? Fortunately, many larger restaurants now post nutrition information on their websites. You can either check online before you head out to eat, or ask your server for a copy of the nutrition facts at the restaurant. A little common sense goes a long way too: don’t order anything that’s fried, cream sauces are a no-no, and opt for fresh veggies as a side instead of French fries. Perhaps most importantly, be sure to watch your portion sizes. One of the easiest ways to do this is to ask your waiter to box up half your meal before it comes out—this cuts your calorie intake by half immediately (as long as you don’t make up for it by scarfing down bread and an appetizer sampler). At the end of the day, you have the power to educate yourself and use that knowledge to choose healthier foods when you eat out. That in turn can translate into big-time changes to your health over time.
