Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Restaurants- Friend or Foe?

I LOVE eating out!
I love sitting down and being served!
I love perusing the menu!
I love the conversation that freely flows across a booth!
As a matter of fact, going to lunch (moreso than dinner) is in my top 3 favorite things to do! But sometimes eating out gets us into trouble! Like when I really only want dessert, but end up ordering an entree because really, who just orders dessert for lunch?
BUT since I have been eating healthier I still LOVE eating out and have found that I not only welcome the challenge, but have favorites at all of our local pitstops! It is easy to load up on steamed veggies...just beware of salads! Many restaurant salads are higher in calories than a favorite entree.
Below are some of my low calorie favorites that I not only love, but crave! They are so good that I am not even tempted to order the cheeseburger!
Please leave me a comment about what you like to order out!
In N' Out- hamburger with grilled onions, protein style (no bun, wrapped in lettuce), cut in half. Cut in half is important, it makes you feel like you are eating more! 1/3 order of fries (I share).
Applebee's- Steak and Portobello mushrooms, Weight Watcher menu (yummy gravy)
Chevy's- Lunch portion of the Santa Fe Chop Salad with apple chipotle dressing.**This is so good I crave it and it is always my first choice when I go out**
Olive Garden- cup of minestone soup (luckily I am not a lover of their breadsticks, I know right?) Apricot chicken...YUM!
Panda Express- Hot and Sour Soup (100 calories!), chicken and green beans
Texas Roadhouse- 6 oz steak, side of steamed veggies
Cheesecake Factory- weight management salad **see tip below**, share a slice of splenda cheesecake. I could not tell the difference and it is all about not depriving yourself!
Costco Foodcourt- I have not been acurately able to determine the calorie count of their turkey wrap so I have made it a rule of thumb to eat only half and take the other half home.
** RESTAURANT TIP! Ask your server to pack up half of your entree in the kitchen and bring it out with the check. They may question it at first since it creates more work for them, but when they know you mean business they are fine and you only eat half the calories and can have an entire other meal the next day**
I used to only go out to eat just for the dessert. Usually I do not get dessert but so many of our favorite places are doing the "shot glass" desserts now. They are perfect because they are just about two bites and just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth!

1 comment:

Carissa said...

I love the apricot chicken from Olive Garden. When we go out to eat I try to order food I wouldn't make at home. I usually end up getting something vegetarian because I can't make vegetarian meals at home (my boys will not eat them). I also always take food home. I've never been able to eat a whole meal from a restaurant and I love having another meal waiting for me the next day.