AMERICA'S BEST AND WORST RESTAURANTS
Family Restaurant
Best: Ruby Tuesday
Sometimes the "best" restaurant is the one that inflicts the least damage, and that's the situation here. The chow coming from family restaurants—think T.G.I. Friday's, Outback, and Applebee's—is notoriously bloated. Ruby Tuesday boasts the most numerous healthy options with its Fit & Trim menu—more than a dozen entrees come in under 700 calories. (Applebee's a has a healthy menu, but it offers just five options.) Venture onto the rest of the Ruby Tuesday menu and you'll find more smart choices. The chicken and seafood entrees are fairly safe, and a half rack of Memphis Dry-Rub Ribs has 460 calories—about half what the half-rack ribs at Applebee's have.
Top Pick
Barbecue Grilled Chicken with White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Steamed Broccoli
550 calories
20 g fat
2,061 mg sodium
The barbecue chicken and cheesy potatoes pack plenty of indulgence, and broccoli adds a bit of greenery.
Worst: Cheesecake Factory
No restaurant chain exemplifies America's portion problem more than Cheesecake Factory. One of the leanest regular dinner items is a hulking cheeseburger called the Factory Burger, which delivers just about as many calories as a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. What's more, the average full-size sandwich contains nearly 1,400 calories, and the average pasta dish clocks in at 1,835. Worst of all, you'll find a measly four entrees spotlighted as "healthy."
Survival Strategy
The Small Plates & Snacks menu items are generally the leanest fare.
Sometimes the "best" restaurant is the one that inflicts the least damage, and that's the situation here. The chow coming from family restaurants—think T.G.I. Friday's, Outback, and Applebee's—is notoriously bloated. Ruby Tuesday boasts the most numerous healthy options with its Fit & Trim menu—more than a dozen entrees come in under 700 calories. (Applebee's a has a healthy menu, but it offers just five options.) Venture onto the rest of the Ruby Tuesday menu and you'll find more smart choices. The chicken and seafood entrees are fairly safe, and a half rack of Memphis Dry-Rub Ribs has 460 calories—about half what the half-rack ribs at Applebee's have.
Top Pick
Barbecue Grilled Chicken with White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Steamed Broccoli
550 calories
20 g fat
2,061 mg sodium
The barbecue chicken and cheesy potatoes pack plenty of indulgence, and broccoli adds a bit of greenery.
Worst: Cheesecake Factory
No restaurant chain exemplifies America's portion problem more than Cheesecake Factory. One of the leanest regular dinner items is a hulking cheeseburger called the Factory Burger, which delivers just about as many calories as a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. What's more, the average full-size sandwich contains nearly 1,400 calories, and the average pasta dish clocks in at 1,835. Worst of all, you'll find a measly four entrees spotlighted as "healthy."
Survival Strategy
The Small Plates & Snacks menu items are generally the leanest fare.
Chinese Restaurant
Best: Panda Express
Given Panda's penchant for blanketing breaded meats with syrupy sauces, it's surprising to note how many entrees are under 300 calories. And since you can put together your own meal, it's easy to eat healthy. Pair an entree with a side of vegetables and a chicken egg roll—a formula almost guaranteed to net a meal with fewer than 700 calories.
Top Pick
Broccoli Beef with Mixed Veggies (instead of rice or noodles) and a Chicken Egg Roll
400 calories
16.5 g fat
1,660 mg sodium
Make Broccoli Beef your go-to entree to keep the calorie total at 400.
Worst: P.F. Chang's
The entrees at this higher-end Chinese restaurant will cost you twice: Once when the check arrives, and again when your body deals with the high-calorie payload. It's hard to find an entree under 600 calories. The chain tries to pass the buck by claiming that its dishes are meant to be shared, but that's never specified on the menu. And unlike other chains, Chang's doesn't help you find the healthy items on the menu. You'd assume a dish called Lemongrass Prawns with Garlic Noodles would be relatively lean, but it delivers 970 calories. It's the luck of the draw—just call it Chinese roulette.
Survival Strategy
Seafood is safest. The two salmon-based entrees are both under 700 calories. On the appetizer side, your best bets are the spring rolls and seared ahi tuna.
Given Panda's penchant for blanketing breaded meats with syrupy sauces, it's surprising to note how many entrees are under 300 calories. And since you can put together your own meal, it's easy to eat healthy. Pair an entree with a side of vegetables and a chicken egg roll—a formula almost guaranteed to net a meal with fewer than 700 calories.
Top Pick
Broccoli Beef with Mixed Veggies (instead of rice or noodles) and a Chicken Egg Roll
400 calories
16.5 g fat
1,660 mg sodium
Make Broccoli Beef your go-to entree to keep the calorie total at 400.
Worst: P.F. Chang's
The entrees at this higher-end Chinese restaurant will cost you twice: Once when the check arrives, and again when your body deals with the high-calorie payload. It's hard to find an entree under 600 calories. The chain tries to pass the buck by claiming that its dishes are meant to be shared, but that's never specified on the menu. And unlike other chains, Chang's doesn't help you find the healthy items on the menu. You'd assume a dish called Lemongrass Prawns with Garlic Noodles would be relatively lean, but it delivers 970 calories. It's the luck of the draw—just call it Chinese roulette.
Survival Strategy
Seafood is safest. The two salmon-based entrees are both under 700 calories. On the appetizer side, your best bets are the spring rolls and seared ahi tuna.
Read more at Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/best-and-worst-restaurants/page/5?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-878170-_-04222012-_-moreon1#ixzz1sq4AGRv5
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