Friday, July 25, 2008

If you're going to one of the top five restaurant chains, we can help. Here are some of their best and worst dinner deals (nutritionally speaking that is).
* Because nutritional analysis nor ingredient lists were not provided by any of the following restaurants at the time of publishing, I chose the smart carb smart fat items below based on the description of ingredients and preparation methods as listed in their menus.

#1-Applebee's (All-American Food)
Best bets:
   -Fajita Quesadillas
   -Grilled Salmon
   -Applebeeıs House Sirloin (if you take some of that 9-oz. Steak home)
   -Steak or Chicken Fajitas (go light on the sour cream)
   -Sizzling Stir-fry Beef or Chicken combo
   -Chicken Fajita rollup Combo (go light on the ranch dipping sauce)
   -Club House Grill Sandwich (ask for no mayo)
   -Gyro Sandwich (if made without mayo or creamy dressing)
   -Gardenburger (dress with mustard, catsup or BBQ sauce)
   -Basic Burger (dress with mustard, catsup or BBQ sauce and ask for a
lightly dressed salad instead of fries)

Worst bets:
   -Riblet Basket or Platter
   -Chicken Fingers Basket or Platter
   -N'Awlins Skillet
   -Fish & Chips Basket
   -Club Croissant
   -Bacon Cheeseburger
   -Applebee Burger (double-decker quarter pound patties with 2 cheeses
and creamy Dijon Mustard)

#2-Red Lobster (Seafood)
Best bets:
   -Grilled Fresh Salmon, rainbow trout, Tilapia, Grouper, or Mahi-Mahi
-Teriyaki Glazed Fish (basted with teriyaki glaze & served with pineapple-mango salsa)
   -Shrimp & Lobster Pasta Linguini
-Broiled Flounder (served with salad, and fresh vegetables or baked potato)
   -Aztec Chicken (served with vegetables)
-Teriyaki chicken (served with fresh vegetables, rice, and pineapple-mango salsa)
   -Shrimp and Lobster Pasta
-Soup, Shrimp Garden Salad & Bread (if served with broth-based soup and salad is lightly dressed)
-Grilled Chicken Sandwich (if served with lightly dressed side salad instead of cole slaw and fruit instead of fries)
-Dockside Shrimp and Chicken (broiled shrimp scampi and grilled chicken breast)
   -Grilled Sirloin Steak (trimmed of visible fat and if take some home)
   -Mainlanderıs Chicken Salad (lightly dressed)

Worst bets:
   -Boardwalk Popcorn Shrimp (bite-sized fried shrimp)
   -Shrimp Pasta and Cajun Shrimp Pasta (served with creamy Alfredo sauce)
   -Crab Alfredo
   -Cajun Chicken Pasta (with garlic Alfredo sauce
   -Waltıs Favorite Fried Shrimp
   -Fried Seafood Platter
   -Admiralıs feast (all-fried platter of shrimp, scallops, clam strips and fish fillets)
   -Shrimp Pasta (with Alfredo sauce)
   -Crab Alfredo


#3-Outback Steakhouse (Steaks)
Best bets:
   -Botany Bay Fish Oı The Day (fresh fish, seasoned and grilled and served with fresh veggies)
   -Chicken On The Barbie (seasoned and grilled breast with BBQ sauce and veggies)
   -Steak & Veggie Griller (sirloin medallions)
   -Ripper Shrimp (boiled peel nı eat shrimp with cocktail sauce)
   -Victoriaıs Fillet (beef tenderloin if served with lightly dressed salad or baked potato and fresh steamed veggies)
   -8 ounce Prime Ministerıs Prime Rib (if trimmed of visible fat and served with a lightly dressed salad or baked potato and fresh steamed veggies)
   -The Outbacker (burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and mustard)
   -Jackeroo Chops (center cut pork chops served with cinnamon apples and a baked potato instead of fries)
   
Worst bets:
   -Ribs On the Barbie
   -Bloominı Onion
   -Aussie Cheese Fries (fries with cheese, bacon and ranch dressing)
   -Outback Rack (rack of lamb)
   -Rockhamptom Rib-Eye
   -The Mad Max (burger with bacon, cheese and mayonnaise)
   
#4-TGI Friday's (All-American Food)
Best bets:
-Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich (order with a lightly dressed house salad or broth-based soup instead of French fries)
   -Chicken or steak Fajitas (served with black bean soup and Spanish rice)
   -French Dip Sandwich (order with a lightly dressed house salad or broth-based Soup instead of French fries)
   -Jack Danielıs Chicken or Salmon
   -Steak On A Stick Dinner (three kabobs of choice sirloin char-grilled in Teriyaki sauce Served with a baked potato)
   -Broken Noodles (pasta tossed with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and more)
   -Pacific Coast Chicken
   -Herb Grilled Chicken
   
Worst bets:
   -Club-style Croissant
   -Fish and Chips
   -Jack Danielıs Glazed Ribs
   -New York Strip Steak or Bacon-wrapped Filet Mignon (both are topped with Maison Butter)
   -Blackened Chicken Alfredo
   -Fridayıs Fettuccine Alfredo

#5-Chili's (Tex-Mex)
Best bets:
   -Guiltless Chicken Salad (approx. 5 grams fat)
   -Guiltless Chicken Sandwich (approx. 9 grams fat)
   -Guiltless Chicken Platter (approx. 9 grams fat)
   -Guiltless Chicken Pasta Primavera (approx. 15 grams fat)
   -Guiltless Grill Pita (approx. 9 grams fat)
   -Lettuce Wraps
   -Grilled Steak or chicken Fajitas
   -Margarita Grilled Chicken (served with rice, black beans and tortilla strips)
   -Tuna Steak Sandwich (if served with no or very light "special dressing"
   -Chicken tacos (served with rice and black beans)
   -Veggie & Smoked cheese quesadillas (served with rice and black beans)
Worst bets:
   -Awesome blossom
   -Baby Back Ribs and Chicken
   -Bacon Burger
   -Country-fried catfish
  -Country-Fried steak
  -Cajun Chicken Pasta (with creamy Alfredo sauce)
  -Chicken Ranch Sandwich (chicken-fried chicken breast with ranch
dressing served with fries)