Yup, there are things you can order that taste great and clock in with great nutritional stats as well. Here are some of my chain restaurant picks... Enjoy!
Olive GardenVenetian Apricot Chicken
In case you hadn’t heard, Olive Garden recently went public with the stats for its ENTIRE menu. Some good news, some bad there, but I still love this fruity little chicken entrée. Served up with broccoli, asparagus, and diced tomatoes instead of pasta or potatoes, it's a solid choice.
One dinner portion has 380 calories, 4g fat, 8g fiber and a
POINTS® value of 7.
Chili’sGuiltless Grilled Salmon
Pretty much as simple as you can get, the meal comes with a nice fillet, black beans, and steamed vegetables with Parmesan cheese. Most of the fat in this dish comes from the salmon (yay Omega-3s!), but if you want to try to cut some of the other fat out, ask for your veggies to be served Parm-free.
One order has 395 calories, 20g fat, 3g fiber and a
POINTS value of 9.
Red LobsterFresh Wood-Grilled Sole with Broccoli
Don’t abandon hope at RL and start inhaling the Cheddar Bay Biscuits the second you sit down. The “Crimson Crustacean” (my fancy pet name for this place) has a bunch of options you can piece together into a guilt-free (and delicious) meal. Check out its long list of fresh fish and pick out your fave (sole is very low in fat and calories). If you feel REALLY crazy, add a Maine lobster tail to your meal for
only 60 calories and 0.5g fat. Then top it with lemon juice instead of butter.
Pssst...In case you were wondering, those Cheddar Bay Biscuits have 150 calories, 8g fat and are 3–4
POINTS values EACH! Yikes!
One “full portion” has 245 calories, 3.5g fat, an uncertain amount of fiber and a
POINTS value of 4 - 5.
Denny’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich, no sauce, with a side of applesauce
People who work off-hours (or just stay up late) are well aware that 24-hour eateries can be hard to locate. It’s often Denny’s or nothing. Luckily, this late-night haunt has been kind enough to give “Fit Fare” tips for diners to skinny-up a few menu items (no, there’s no way to save the Moons Over My Hammy). Order the grilled chicken sandwich, ditch the honey mustard sauce and swap out the fries for applesauce. That’ll save you 930 calories and 74g fat! And if you’re hardcore, pop off the top bun and cut down the bread calories.
One grilled chicken sandwich (sans honey mustard) with applesauce has 490 calories, 7g fat, 5g fiber and a
POINTS value of 10.
Applebee’sGrilled Chili-Lime Chicken Salad
Despite the fact that Applebee’s is no longer offering up the actual calories/fat/fiber for its Weight Watchers approved items, this salad is still really good. Just be smart and get the dressing on the side and dip (don't pour).
One salad has a
POINTS value of 5.
Where will Hungry Girl go next week? Check back Monday to find out!