Health Foods That Aren’t: Eating Out Edition

We’ve covered the grocery store and the fast food editions of Health Foods That Aren’t and here is the final installment: Eating out at a restaurant.

Research shows that a meal consumed in a restaurant, on average, contains 700 more calories than that same meal consumed at home.  Its the restaurant’s job to make food taste good, which usually means pumping it full of butter, oil and other fats.  It works, of course, but doesn’t do much for our health.

You may think you make healthy decisions when you go out to eat, but some dishes that seem healthy are packing just a big a calorie or fat punch as typically unhealthy meals.  Even though all calorie counts and nutrition facts vary per restaurant, next time you go out to eat, stay away from these notorious health foods that aren’t:

Turkey and Veggies Burgers- Turkey is lower in fat than beef, and veggie burgers are made of, you guessed it, veggies, so they must be a better choice, right?  It’s true if you are eating at home, but in a restaurant setting, these burgers can pack just as many calories as a regular hamburger.  When loaded with cheese, mayo, and a white bun, the patty doesn’t matter.  Ruby Tuesday’s Bella Turkey Burger contains more than 1,100 calories and 71 grams of fat.

The veggies burgers aren’t much better with extra cheese and sauces to flavor up the veggie burger.  Ruby Tuesday’s veggie burger contains a total of 953 calories and 52 grams of fat.

Make it better: Get very specific with your burger, and order it with no mayo or cheese, ask for all sauces on the side, and see if they have a whole grain bun option.  Then only eat half- the overblown portions account for many of the extra calories.

Entree Salads Topped with Chicken: Salad and grilled chicken, what could go wrong?  Everything else.  Dressing, cheeses, egg, bacon bits, and croutons all pile on the calories.  The Carlina Chicken Salad at Ruby Tuesday packs in 1.024 calories and 72 grams of fat.

Make it better: Get every addition on the side, especially the dressing. Ask if there is a low fat dressing available, or if not, ask for oil and vinegar.  Dip each bite into the dressing instead of pouring it on, and get grilled chicken instead of fried.

Fajitas: But its just chicken or beef with veggies! Not so.  Ever wonder where that sizzling sound comes from as they place your platter in front of you? Clarified butter is often poured over the meat and veggies to get that satisfying sizzle.  Add tortillas, guacamole, sour cream and cheese, and your Applebee’s fajitas averages in at 1,900 calories and 76 grams of fat.

Make it better: Always order chicken over beef, since it has less fat, and inquire about how it is prepared, so if they use butter you can ask them not to.  Order corn flours over flour, as they have less calories and refined carbs, and opt for salsa over guac and sour cream.

Always check the calorie counts on your favorite restaurant dishes before you hit the table.  Most are available online, and many places have guides at the restaurants themselves. Don’t just assume that because something sounds healthy, or has healthy ingredients, it is.