EATING OUT ON A DIET AMERICAN STYLE

Can dieters trust that they will be safe at restaurants like Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday's and The Cheesecake Factory?

Let's begin our search for low-calorie, low-fat food while dining out in America by ordering Applebee's onion au gratin soup with reduced-fat cheese and croutons. It has only 150 calories, but 8 grams of fat. And proving that not everything with the term "low-fat" can be trusted, is another appetizer, tortilla chicken melt with low-fat ranch dressing and tomato salsa. It has 480 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 50 grams of carbohydrate.

Moving on to entree salads, Asian chicken salad, low fat, has 714 calories, 9 g. fat, and 121 g. carbohydrates. Blackened chicken salad, low fat, has 424 calories, 8.5 g. fat, and 39 g. carbohydrates.

A good choice might be grilled tilapia with mango salsa and rice. It's only 320 calories, 6 g. fat, and 27 g. carbs. Another healthy choice is sizzling chicken skillet with pico de gallo, salsa, dressing, lettuce and tortillas. It has only 360 calories, 4 g. fat, but does have 43 g. carbs. The whitefish with mango salsa has more fat that you might guess. It is 437 calories, 9.5 g. fat, and 53.5 g. carbs.

You might as well forget about the pasta dishes, the "crispy" dishes, and the cheesecake desserts.

Ruby Tuesday's Has Got To Be Easier Than This!

Ruby Tuesday's operates about 800 U.S. franchise restaurants. Here's an appetizer/salad for you that you can eat in good conscience: Tabouli, 110 calories, 4 g. fat, 18 carbs. And here's a healthy choice that will surprise you: Sweetpotato fries, 49 calories, 0 g. fat, 11 g. carbs. Baked radish chips,a unique treat for only 23 calories, 1 g. fat, 5 g. carbs.

Can the entrees be this easy? Here's a surprise: A sausage, mushroom and broccoli quiche you don't have to be afraid to order. It only has 142 calories, 4 g. fat, and 6 g. carbs. Ditto on ordering the chicken quiche. 142 calories, 4 g. fat and 7 g. carbs.

Ruby Tuesday's may be the place to go. There's more: Jill's Beef Barley Stew, 299 calories, 4 g. fat, but 44 g. carbs. Or have the "lean meatloaf" that really is lean at 179 calories, 5 g. fat, and 10 g. carbs.
Really, Dieters, Can You Trust a Restaurant With Cheesecake in the Title?

Let's move on to The Cheesecake Factory where something says it's going to be a lot thinner pickings for dieters. Up until quite recently their nutritional information was as guarded as a state secret. There was even an offer of a $500 reward posted on the Internet for information leading to the discovery of their nutritional information. Let's take a look now and see why that was.

Going directly to the "Weight Management Menu"we find spicy chicken salad, 490 calories, 14 g. fat, and 61 g. carbs. Tuna seafood salad, 521 calories, 22 g. fat, and 39 g. carbs. Are you ready for the dietary price of a pear endive salad? It's 501 calories, a whopping 23 g. fat, and 50 g. carbs! The California salad is 561 calories, 28 g. fat, and 43 g. carbs. Asian chicken salad? As it is posted on the "Weight Management Menu" mind you, 575 calories, 31 huge grams . of fat, and 68 g. of carbs. Finally, let's try some fish. Salmon seafood salad is 565 calories, 35 g. fat and 39 g. carbs.

Seen enough? Let's go back to Ruby Tuesday's where you can order with relative impunity.

The Judge's Verdict On Dining Out for Dieters American Style

Well, eating out American-style for dieters is like walking through a mine field at Applebee's and The Cheesecake Factory, and not too bad at Ruby Tuesday's. Better luck next time.

The copyright of the article Eating Out American Style On A Diet in Food Trends is owned by Maryellen Grady. Permission to republish Eating Out American Style On A Diet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.