The potato must be bigger on the inside...

re:
 

No kidding. I was at applebee's last month and decided to have something different than something I knew the calories of. I had some sort of turkey chipotle wrap. I checked it out later on their website.

Turkey and a wrap. Guesses?

1000 calories. No wonder America is so large.

We were at Applebee's tonight. I ordered from the 550 menu and got a salad instead of broccoli -- I hate brocls.

I thought "I have some calories left for today--maybe I'll have a small dessert." I looked them up on MyFitnessPal--the Brownie Bite was 370 calories as were the dessert shooters. I didn't order dessert.

I love Panera. So many yummy, light things. Just like any place you need to watch it though!

Reminds me of the time my fiance and I ordered dessert at Miller's Ale House. We shared a brownie sundae and I figured I would partake because I had about 500 calories left for the day. Usually I look up stuff before I eat, but for some reason I didn't!

I ate about a third of it and then looked it up later because I was curious. The whole dessert was 2700 cals!! Oops! :lol:

Teehee. :D

Oooh.....my....goodness. This must be another case of "bigger on the inside." SERIOUSLY. HOW do they fit that many calories into a wrap?!

That doesn't actually surprise me. I'd figure about 200 for the tortilla itself, and another 200-300 for the meat, depending on amount and whether it's glazed/sauced. 200 for whatever sauce they put on it. 100-200 for any cheese. 100 for any olives/nuts. Veggies will be negligible, but if they add rice or beans that can be another 100 or so.

It really adds up!

A lot of restaurants also use much more butter and/or oil than we use at home to cook the same things. They taste good but those calories sure do add up quickly!

I've just been planning out what I'm going to get when I go out to dinner on Saturday. and being blown away by some of what I'm seeing on the menu - some entrees that are over 2000 calories! I know the portions are huge but eating half, even 1/3 is still a lot and I wonder how many people limit themselves to that much.

I am so glad that we're beginning to see restaurants openly post their calorie counts. A couple of counties here in WA require a printed guide of complete nutritional info to be presented along with the menus. It's wonderful although I imagine that people like me drive the server crazy because sometimes it takes a while to find something that is both low in calories and carbs. I'd love to see this trend spread throughout the state and the country.

We just have to remember that the restaurants posting their nutrition info, esp. for sandwiches, do not include the french fries, the chips, the cookie, etc. (or the drink!) that most seem to add. I think it applies more to a la carte places where you order a sandwich and then add your sides vs. a dish coming with mashed potatoes or french fries. And even then, those are just estimates depending on who is making the plate! Sometimes we get extra fries, sometimes we don't!

At my WeightWatchers meeting there's a huge joke about this restaurant in California called "Islands". I don't tend to eat at restaurant chains so I didn't know a lot about the restaurant. Everyone at the meeting was talking about the (heavy on the sarcasm) "healthy chicken sandwich" (complete with eye rolls and laughter). I was confused so I asked about it and they're like, "Oh if you go into Islands and look at the menu, this looks like a really healthy choice until you go home and look it up."

So I went home and looked it up.

This is the description: SHOREBIRD
Grilled chicken breast, pickles, swiss, lettuce, tomato, onion & mayo on an Islands white or whole wheat bun

Okay, seriously, I could NOT fault people for thinking this was a wise choice! I would have ordered it. Grilled chicken breast, no weird cheese or sauces.

So I looked up the nutritional information. WITHOUT anything else:
Shorebird

What`s in it?
CHICKEN BREAST; BUN; SWISS CHEESE; TOMATO; MAYONNAISE; PICKLES; LETTUCE

SERVING PER CONTAINER 1
SERVING SIZE (oz) 18
CALORIES 950
CALORIES FROM FAT 440
TOTAL FAT (g) 49
SATURATED FAT (g) 14
TRANS FAT (g) 0.5
CHOLESTEROL (mg) 170
SODIUM (mg) 1480
CARBOHYDRATES (g) 65
FIBER (g) 3
PROTEIN (g) 62

SERIOUSLY??!

I wish all places would list calorie counts right on the menus, it would make my life so much easier. And I don't even count calories! But I want to make sure whatever I'm eating has a reasonable amount. At least we live in an age where we can typically look things up ahead of time or even on our phones?

I've read that those in argument against potentially requiring calorie counts on menus state that some customers will equate high calories as being more tasty or satisfying and will go for those items anyway. :dizzy: I say people should be informed regardless, especially when something that appears healthy on the surface (like a salad or wrap) happens to have over 1000 calories!

Then again, people have to be informed about what calories actually are, and how many they should be having a day. Do they teach any of this in school these days? Being oblivious and downright ignorant is a big reason so many struggle with their weight; there's an insane disconnect between calories, portion sizes, and weight control. Heh, my ex? He was going to eat what he damned well pleased, and became increasingly hostile as I started to become calorie aware. And at the same time he'd cry over being so fat and claimed that it wasn't his fault. Look dude, you can't just shrug off eating healthy and expect to be healthy.

At places like Applebee's, Chili's, and any other chain I don't even look beyond the "lite" menus (with the exception of soup, and even then I'll look up the nutrition info). Just a quick glance through their nutrition information shows that their meals are easily 800-1200 calories or more, not including the side they are served with. If they have something at a reasonable number of calories, you can bet they're going to shove it into the "lite" section.

I care about what i eat , that is why mu lunch will consist of sea fish and salad. Occasionally I eat steak and burger.

Our first trip to Applebees (now a regular destination because of their 550 menu), the seasonal vegetables were broccoli. I hate broccls. There were a bunch of alternatives--mashed potates, french fries, and finally she said salad was available for an upcharge. So I asked for a salad--with the dressing on the side. I asked what was on the salad, and I asked for 'no cheese'. When she brought it out, it had bacon on it. I had her make another one--I didn't want the bacon and you can't just pick it out.

Now, when we go to Applebee's, I order my salad (230 calories w/o dressing) disassembled--dressing, cheese, and bacon on the side, with a to-go container. Half the salad, all the bacon and cheese go in that for the next day's lunch. Their dressing is high in calorie, but I use it very sparingly (and use my own at lunch).

I do like the steak with garlic herbed shrimp, though, which has 500 calories as plated.

I've never been this calorie consious before--and am learning that most things have more calories than I'd expect. There are things I'm realizing I may never eat again--a bit disappointing, but so is being this big.

My county has a calorie statement law, and I am very grateful.

Easily done: a big breast, marinated or brushed with an oily glaze/dressing (250-300), on a big bun (could be 200 for the bun alone, more if it's brushed with oil/butter and toasted on the grill; the fact that the sandwich has 65 carbs, and most will come from the bun, means it's huge), with two slices of cheese (200 or so) and extra mayo/dressing (easily 150-200).

Even "naked" -- chicken with cheese and veggies, with mayo on the side -- the dish is probably 500 or so.

I tend to order a la carte even if they don't offer it. When my book club goes to IHOP, I often order a poached egg in a bowl, a side of spinach (from one of their dinners), and a cup of tea. Or just corned beef hash and a poached egg. Instead of charging me for the corned beef and eggs platter (which includes pancakes and hashbrowns, or something carby like that) and taking them off, they just ring each thing separately.

Also I'm very confident in ordering a side veggie that doesn't appear as a side if it's mentioned in the menu. So your chicken sandwich has mushrooms? I want a side of sauteed mushrooms. Your veggie omelet has spinach in it? I want a side of sauteed spinach. Any chef should be able to do such simple dishes, and I'm willing to pay a little more to get exactly what I want.

It's interesting to me how much we in the States expect 'sides' to come with everything. I've traveled abroad a fair amount, and it has helped me to recognize that most people do NOT assume that a sandwich should be accompanied by fries or chips at all times.

In Lima, Peru - my first lunch there was a "combo" meal that included a sandwich, a drink (Inca Cola Zero for the win), and a small packaged... chocolate thingy, but no fries or chips. And this in the home of the potato!

Heh. This, so much this. If they do not tell you the calories (trumpeting it as a LITE choice), you can safely assume that the meal is INSANE.