I know there are questions about how accurate these carlories are. I have to eat out on a regular basis, so these are still better options for me. I'm glad these are available and I wish more restaurants would do the same.
My hesitation is not so much just on the calories and whether or not they're factual. To me, it seems they're hiding more info because they don't want us to know how bad the food actually is.
My biggest issue since I started to eat clean foods and stopped calorie counting is what is on the rest of the nutrional label. What about sodium?? Subway claims their sandwiches are so much healthier, yet their 'healthiest' sandwiches top over 1100mg of Sodium!
To me:
Not publishing nutritional info= they're hiding something from us!
The way mine equaled out was only 365. I had the steak, substitute veggies for the potatoes. They say under 550 because people like me will substitute things like the potatoes for veggies and what not. In my case I reduced the calories. In the case of others if you remove the veggies, you can't complain when you go over 550 but they are supposed to let you know that. Each one varies but the just of it is that one of them exceed 550 calories.
I had the asiago steak from this menu when I went there last week. Really flavorful and enjoyable. The steak didn't seem to fatty, and there was a nice amount of cheese on top but it wasn't oily or greasy. Good portion size - came with potatoes but a reasonable amount. I'd order it again if I went there.
My two cents: even if I order something from the 'healthy' menu at a restaurant, I try to factor in that it may be off (even really off) from the official nutrition info. Plus a lot of times it's more sodium than I'd have in homecooked food. So even if I order something from a healthy menu, I expect the scale to be up a bit. All the more reason to keep eating out to a minimum for me...I guess that is one benefit to all the snow and icy roads- it forces me to stay home and cook!
so my mom and i went there monday and i had the steak towers very good and they are cut up in to 4 pieces so 2 wraps and they are like 250 each so 500 calories!!!
And if your applebees has the new wanton Tacos GREAT!! there are 4 of them and all four are 610 calories if you get the chicken ones and the pork are a little more! but these are AMAZING and they don't look like much but they are filling and on days i'm going to have these for supper i have a light breakfast and lunch!! 610 is not bad cause i eat 1200 a day and this leaves me 590 for the day
countcaloriequeen.blogspot.com
I found this thread after posting. I will order the Asiago Steak as is and see if 390 is reasonable. Sodium is high 1520 mg but that is what water is for, IMHO. Steak, potatoes, and veggies, even with the high sodium count, is remarkable for an out to eat.
Yes, the sodium is high, but I am thrilled to have these options available. It's alot better than the normal 1000-1500 calorie options. I wish more restaurants would have lower calorie menu options.
I agree that low cal is definitely an improvement for Applebee's as compared to Red Robin or Chili's; however, Mandymic's right on the sodium. It's off the charts:
I had to post this... sorry.
Applebees.com has nutritional info on their website. Look at the left hand column and scroll down. You should see an Acrobat Reader Icon.
Applebee's Restaurants follow the guidelines set by the state or county they are in. Your State may require that nutritional information be accessible to the public, however, it may be in way of asking your server for the nutritional guide. Some Restaurants also have them in their Drink/Dessert Menu. Some restaurants that don't have it displayed in this form may have one floating around in the office. They are not supposed to leave it out, but, if you ask the count of a particular item those restaurants can look it up for you. We also are told to let you know that the information can be found online if no nutritional guide is at the restaurant.
I have compared some websites that say this is what a product from applebee's contains and find it to be grossly misjudged. More often I found that the ingredients of the meal in a particular nutrition site don't even come close to what the actual ingredients are.
I hope this information helps people understand the issues that restaurants have to deal with when counties and states set the standards. It's intent is not to deceive but to keep people coming in the doors. And that's every fast food and convenient dining establishments across the United States.
Remember that restaurant orders may contain alot of calories, fat, protein, etc. but, they also are almost triple what a normal U.S. Dietary guideline recommends. So, yes, it does contain X amount of whatnot. But it doesn't say it has to be eaten all in one sitting. 4 ounces of meat is recommended and yet people are commenting on a 7 ounce sirloin. This site is so that everyone can be aware of what you are putting in your body. The 550 calorie menu is designed to give a person that feeling of fullness without compromising taste and quality. Applebees is one of the few to recognize different dietary plans and incorporate it into their menu for all to enjoy.
I really hope this information does help... and by the way...the Asiago Peppercorn Steak is AWESOME..... not only because I work there, but it is SOOOOO delish.
I'm surprised to see the Asian Crunch Salad is so high. It tasted too healthy to be 490 calories. It must be the dressing/almonds. I loved the chicken/portabello meal. Mine did seem to have a great deal of cheese on top. I'm sure that would add significantly to the calories. I will definitely order it again, especially since it is even lower in calories than the salad. I might tell them to skip the cheese though, just in case
I had the Asiago steak meal today and it was excellent. The meat was tender, not at all fatty and well seasoned. I substituted fresh fruit for the vegetables and got pineapple, apples and strawberries. It was like getting a little dessert with my steak and potatoes. That serving of potatoes is TINY! But it was filling and delicious!
I love it too and this is from a Texan girl living in San Antonio with very good steak houses. It is one of my go to places when I am traveling. And before the salt police show up, salt is third on my list of importance- the first two are calories and filling/fiber, especially when traveling. I always drink water before, during and after the meal.
For example, I recently went to The Barn Door, a landmark, order the tenderloin, sans butter and bacon wrap, medium well. It came out dry and a bit tough. Same doneness at Applebees, moist and delish. I feel like a traitor for saying so.
I wish more restaurants would have lower calorie menu options.
