Kitchen

[Lynneuk]

I'm a little surprised about the pasta with chicken and garlic. Seems like a lot of calories, must be cooked in a vat of oil I guess

[Wsmom]

On 8/1/2014 mustbuyless said:

Thanks for posting the list, OP. It's pretty eye-opening. 24 gms of sugar in one of those items. wow. WOW

Luckily I haven't eaten at any of those places & now I'll make sure not to. Cheescake Factory has so many items on that list!

I think even generally well informed ppl might be shocked to find some of those items are in the 2000-3,500 range. I believe I'm pretty well-informed, but this is still shocking to me.

I'm glad they didn't just compare the sinful items to healthy ones. They compared the sinful items to other sinful (but almost equally satisfying) ones. Everyone KNOWS that a healthy salad is better than a slice of cake at CF, but that doesn't mean the person will go for the healthy choice in every instance.

but who could guess that a slice of cake at CF might be as many calories as an entire Sara Lee frozen one? Not me! So here I CAN draw the line and say this is one place I'll never indulge myself.

I question most forms of food-policing, but still REALLY wish it were the practice (and, yes, the law too) for restaurants to post calorie, carb and fat counts. I believe there is (or was) such a law in NYC.

And OP, thanks for this gem: "I don' think it's fattening just to peek, but I'm not sure.

In California large restaurant chains are required by law to list their calories for their standard menu items, so the calorie count for Red Robin, Cheesecake, etc., doesn't shock me at all. Cheesecake also has a very good skinnylicious menu that you can get things under 600 calories. I admit, I do splurge on occasion and get a cheeseburger at Red Robin, but you go in knowing that's your calories for the day and don't do it every day. What I found interesting was when I was in a California Pizza Kitchen trying to decide what to get that wouldn't blow all my calories in one sitting it was less calories for one of the pasta dishes than most of the big salads they serve. I should add that at CF I rarely get the dessert, and if I do, it's shared.

[stevieb]

Just lucky I guess, but absolutely none of those things appeal to me... In fact, most of them sort of gross me out...

[gazelle77]

Chinese food is full of sugar, salt, and fat no matter how many vegetables you eat. The white rice is pure starch that turns into more sugar in the body, besides all the sugar in the sauces. It is just as bad as eating a Big Mac.

[HonnyBrown]

On 8/1/2014 Wsmom said:

In California large restaurant chains are required by law to list their calories for their standard menu items, so the calorie count for Red Robin, Cheesecake, etc., doesn't shock me at all. Cheesecake also has a very good skinnylicious menu that you can get things under 600 calories. I admit, I do splurge on occasion and get a cheeseburger at Red Robin, but you go in knowing that's your calories for the day and don't do it every day. What I found interesting was when I was in a California Pizza Kitchen trying to decide what to get that wouldn't blow all my calories in one sitting it was less calories for one of the pasta dishes than most of the big salads they serve. I should add that at CF I rarely get the dessert, and if I do, it's shared.

I'm surprised nothing from the Claim Jumpers menu made the list.

As for the salads, they usually appeal to people on a low carb diet, so they are packed with fatty items that add to the calorie count.

In MD, the Skinnylicious menu is 500 calories or less! The Enchiladas are great!

DH likes to pick up Chipotle's on Fridays. For my dish, I split it over three meals.

[NYC Susan]

On 8/1/2014 stevieb said:

Just lucky I guess, but absolutely none of those things appeal to me... In fact, most of them sort of gross me out...

I feel the same way. Not one of them was the slightest bit tempting.

[mustbuyless]

On 8/1/2014 stevieb said:

Just lucky I guess, but absolutely none of those things appeal to me... In fact, most of them sort of gross me out...

Same here, which is why I haven't ever eaten in those places in the past. I guess I should thank my body for never ever tempting me with those particular restaurants.

[mustbuyless]

On 8/1/2014 brewhaha said:

You would have to carry me out on a wheelchair after eating those. Gives a whole new meaning to meals on wheels.

[jbinrwc]

None of those dishes appeal to me in the least. Have eaten at Maggiano's and they offer many more healthy options. The other restaurants do not appeal to me at all.

[mustbuyless]

On 8/1/2014 HonnyBrown said:

On 8/1/2014 mustbuyless said:

Thanks for posting the list, OP. It's pretty eye-opening. 24 gms of sugar in one of those items. wow. WOW

Luckily I haven't eaten at any of those places & now I'll make sure not to. Cheescake Factory has so many items on that list!

I think even generally well informed ppl might be shocked to find some of those items are in the 2000-3,500 range. I believe I'm pretty well-informed, but this is still shocking to me.

I'm glad they didn't just compare the sinful items to healthy ones. They compared the sinful items to other sinful (but almost equally satisfying) ones. Everyone KNOWS that a healthy salad is better than a slice of cake at CF, but that doesn't mean the person will go for the healthy choice in every instance.

but who could guess that a slice of cake at CF might be as many calories as an entire Sara Lee frozen one? Not me! So here I CAN draw the line and say this is one place I'll never indulge myself.

I question most forms of food-policing, but still REALLY wish it were the practice (and, yes, the law too) for restaurants to post calorie, carb and fat counts. I believe there is (or was) such a law in NYC.

And OP, thanks for this gem: "I don' think it's fattening just to peek, but I'm not sure.

Every restaurant has healthy items on their menus. It's not mandatory to order a 3000 calorie sandwich just because they offer it.

If someone is ordering a Reese's Cup Cheesecake, are they going to care about calories, fat, carbs/sugar, cholesterol, etc.? Unlikely, but they are going to enjoy it!

I'm well-aware that it is not mandatory to order items just because they're on the menu. Somehow I've managed to get through life without ever having worked through any restaurant's menu top to finish in the false belief that I had to order everything on it. But thanks for the tip anyway.

Yes, every restaurant has healthy items on its menu. And there must be people in the world, many of whom post regularly on this forum, who never get tempted and never make a bad food choice. However, I know myself well-enough to realize that I'm not one of them. There will be moments when I will give in to temptation.

If I can trust that the restaurant at which I'm indulging my craving 1) either posts its calorie counts OR 2) doesn't carry items that go beyond some calorie limit I'm ok with, then I can choose from its menu with little fear and without having to ask the server for the calorie count for every single item that tempts me.

However, if the restaurant carries neither of those guarantees, then yes, it is simply and permanently off my list. I know of plenty of restaurants where I can find treats that will feel totally indulgent and decadent to me, but that include no item beyond the calorie maximum that works for me. I'll go out of my way to find those restaurants and always avoid the other kind.

I can't tell just by looking at the pictures that the portions are outlandishly large. In fact they don't look any richer or more sinful to me than my go-to indulgences, none of which comes close to that calorie count. So I can't trust the evidence of my eyes. Therefore I'm safest not taking the chance.

I certainly am not saying that the high calorie restaurants should be boycotted by everyone, or that people whose bodies or minds can handle those calories should refrain. I am not dictating anyone else's choices. But I do have a right to spend my money and feed my body the way that makes sense to me.