8 “Healthy” Restaurant Choices to Avoid

Article posted in: Diet & Nutrition
healthy restaurant choices to avoid

Whether you’re trying to learn what to eat to lose weight or just want to maintain a healthy diet, you know that going out to eat can be a bit of a challenge. Because despite your best efforts to choose nutritious options, it’s easy to be fooled by seemingly healthy diet options that are just menu minefields in disguise. Avoid total slim-down sabotage by checking out the nutritional information of possible options online before heading out for the night. We’ve rounded up a list of some “healthy” popular chain restaurant choices that you should avoid at all costs.

Here are eight “healthy” restaurant choices to avoid:

1. McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal

290 calories, 4 g fat, 32 g sugar

Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast choice, but the McDonald’s version includes added sugar, along with “cream” that bump up the calories, and the fat and carb content.

*Nutritional info from mcdonalds.com, 8/15/2016

2. Jamba Juice Strawberry Surf Rider Smoothie

320 calories, 70 g sugar

Fruit-based smoothies can be nutritious snacks but Jamba Juice Classics like this flavor have as much as 70 grams of sugar in a small (16-ounce) serving. That’s more than you get in 20 ounces of the popular soda brands!

*Nutritional info from jambajuice.com, 8/15/2016

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3. Au Bon Pain Newport Turkey Sandwich

790 calories, 29 g fat, 1,450 mg sodium, 24 g sugar

A turkey sandwich seems like a low-calorie choice for lunch, but this version comes with 29 grams of fat, 60 percent of your RDA for sodium and, with its honey mustard dressing, a whopping 24 grams of sugar.

*Nutritional info from aubonpain.com, 8/15/2016

4. Wendy’s Broccoli Cheese Baked Potato

430 calories, 470 mg sodium

A plain baked potato has 270 calories and 25 milligrams of sodium, but when you order it with broccoli and cheese sauce, the simple side dish has a nearly a whole meal’s worth of calories and sodium. There are better, healthy fast food options to consider!

*Nutritional info from wendys.com, 8/15/2016

5. Taco Bell Cantina Power Bowl

480 calories, 20 g fat, 1,300 mg sodium

This may look like a salad, with lettuce, tomatoes and other fresh vegetables, but the cheese, sour cream and guacamole load on excessive fat and sodium. Look for lower calorie fast food instead.

*Nutritional info from tacobell.com, 8/15/2016

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6. Applebees Hand-Battered Fish & Chips

1,530 calories, 102 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 1,980 mg sodium

Fish is a lean, healthy source of protein, but when it comes battered and fried, and accompanied by a side of fried potatoes, you get a hefty load of calories and saturated fat, and excessive sodium with it.

*Nutritional info from applebees.com, 8/15/2016

7. Bonefish Grill Large Mussels Josephine

1,698 calories, 120 g fat, 58 g saturated fat, 4,418 mg sodium

Mussels are a healthy choice for an appetizer or meal, but in this dish they’re soaked in a lemon wine sauce that’s exceptionally high in fat and sodium. If you split them with another person, you still get a whole meal’s worth of calories and nearly all of your RDA of sodium.

*Nutritional info from bonefishgrill.com, 8/15/2016

8. Red Lobster Bar Harbor Lobster Bake

1,710 calories, 94 g fat, 40 saturated fat, 3,700 mg sodium

Baked lobster tail, shrimp, sea scallops and mussels can be a low-calorie, protein-rich entree and even the garlic and white wine sauce this dish comes with sounds light, but altogether it contains a full day’s worth of fat and sodium. Explore healthier, low calorie options on the menu.

* Nutritional info from redlobster.com, 8/15/2016

Although there are a lot of foods to avoid while eating out, there are healthy fast food options and menu items you can feel better about enjoying. See our Dining Out and Weight Loss guides by meal below: