Aren't Big Macs packed in boxes? According to the press, McDonald's won't be debuting the new packaging until early next year - probably during the Winter Olympics.

Even so, it's not like McD's keeps the calorie info of their products a SECRET or anything...they have a very detailed nutritional info section on their website, and I believe the restaurants are REQUIRED by company policy to display the nutritional info and/or give handouts to customers upon request.

I totally agree with Pumping Iron - people who WANT to eat a Big Mac or two (or three) aren't going to give a rat's *** about the calories - they'll eat what they want, just like the people I see at the mall who inhale 3 Mrs. Field's Cookies (200-300+ per cookie) in less than 10 minutes; I doubt they're thinking too much about calories!

Speaking of Applebee's - from personal experience if you are visiting New York City - DON'T go to the Times Square Applebee's, especially after 9 pm.

Not about the food quality...but the PRICES must be higher than the norm...not to mention that (and we didn't know this until AFTER we got the bill) they tacked on a mandatory 18% gratuity along with the giant NYC tax.

That was our $70 lesson...

Speaking of restaurants.........
When I was in Orlando this summer, we went to a fabulous restaurant called Seasons52. Every item on the menu is about 300cal, including the desserts (which are tasting-style so with all the goodness, just not the amount!). The food was excellent and they change their menu 4 times a year. Highly recommended.

Agree with what others have said. Don't think fast food companies should HAVE to cater to healthier food, it's not in their nature and they'll do a poor job of it. I finally got my hands on the complete nutrition listing from Chili's (a fav of mine and my fiance). They do have some low-cal options that they have the info for on the menu, but when I'm at Chili's I've usually planned to eat a little more than that. I've been getting their Margarita Grilled Chicken which isn't on the healthy menu, and is about 690 calories. Definitely a lot higher than if I cooked all that at home myself, but it's very filling and works for me if I haven't eaten much and am too tired to cook at home.

I wish menus gave the calorie and fat content of ALL their items, and also wish you could order half portions of MOST of the menu.

I agree, because I know at least then I could make my own healthy decisions based on the information given to me, not just being forced to eat a dry chicken breast and steamed veggies. If I know I can eat 1/2 of a regular meal and still come out 1/2 decent calorie/nutrition wise, I'll order off the normal menu, and everyone profits.

There was a place in the West Texas area (about 8-10 years ago...) in Midland/Lubbock specifically called 'Bless Your Heart'...all the items were heart-healthy...you kind of had to hunt for the low-cal/low-fat items, but they always offered lite/ff condiments and whole wheat breads/muffins, etc...

I haven't really found a place like that in the DFW area.

There is a place called Gloria's (many locations in the DFW area) - it is Latin/Mexican food and they offer black bean dips along with their salsa and the chicken soup is outstanding...

That's definitely a staple of mine at most restaurants - SOUP - even in the summertime...It's a real help for me at Mexican restaurants since it takes a while to eat and can be appetizer or part of the meal...(of course the first thing I order at a Mexican restaurant is warm corn tortillas that I dip in my salsa so I don't eat the chips...)

I do wish more restaurants had healthier choices (especially desserts) but I know what I can order at most places...plus if I eat dessert at home, we end up saving a little $$

I think it's amazing how dessert has become almost a norm rather than a treat. I can honestly say that after a meal (ESPECIALLY at a restaurant), I am almost NEVER hungry, and yet, there's the dessert menu...

When I was growing up, we didn't have dessert directly after dinner, but we did have a nighttime snack around 7:30-8pm (we ate dinner around 5:30). I remember always eating it out of habit, but I don't remember ever actually being hungry for it, ya know? It's crazy what we do purely out of habit rather than necessity

i think one of the reasons healthy options at restaurants flop is that most people don't care, and for the people that do, the items are still too high-calorie. i was very disappointed at the chili's guilt-free menu because most of the items had 500 or more calories. i eat around four small meals in day, so for me, 300 calories is a meal. restaurants (except subway and taco bell) never have anything like that. they could easily have a chicken or shrimp stir-fry type thing with 300 calories or less, and it would be good. instead, they have these dry, tasteless sandwiches with steamed veggies. the meal gets most of its calories from the bun or rice-pilaf side. i can do without rice and hamburger buns if a meal has flavor.
but y'all are right.. people eating out have no interest in calorie counting usually. even those that do.. well for example, i work at starbucks, and i would estimate 75% of those ordering frappucino light drinks order whipped cream on top. they don't come with it -- people add it! yesterday, someone got a small mocha frappucino light in a large cup with "extra, extra, extra" whipped cream, added caramel sauce, plus "extra" caramel sauce. i would estimate that added about 600 calories to their "light" drink.

I have a relative who genuinely believes that if she drinks a Diet Coke with a bag of M&Ms that it doesn't count, particularly if she chases it with some carrots or celery or something healthy. Of course, this is the same woman who drank two slim fast shakes a day, didn't lose weight, and was completely dumbfounded (of course, she drank the shakes as dessert, in addition to her normal meal). Some people have "interesting" ideas about health and nutrition.

Hey - I lived in Lubbock, but I never ate at Bless Your Heart! My heart was blessed with fried cheese at Spanky's and Mafia Queso at Orlando's!

I guess it goes to show you that what they say about consumers is true - healthier options are shunned in favor of flavor! What restaurants need to focus on is making the healthier menu items more appealing (no more plain baked chicken, please!)

This reminded me of my great grandmother... she went deaf at the age of 3 and, though living in the US, grew up in a German speaking home.... when she saw commercials for "diet" foods, she didn't understand that it was to be eaten INSTEAD of her regular diet and would eat it in addition to.... she never understood why she didn't lose weight....

Reba

Part of the reason is that "healthy" restaurant menus generally consist of a few slices of tomato and a glob of cottage along with a piece of mystery meat, etc. They put out something GOOD and we will order it! In this area restaurants are starting to get the message... but stuff is NOT on the menus; you have to ask for it. Things like grilled chicken and steamed veggies are often available but you would never know it.

And I have recently done exactly THAT LOL! And it is far far better! Now when I go out to eat I usually kind of miss the yummy meal I am passing up at home out of my freezer!!!

Having said that, I had best go put my chicken sauerkraut casserole into the crockpot LOL

BTW a friend of mine once tried to convince me that French Fries are okay and healthful if the grease is really hot when they are put into the fryer because that keeps them from absorbing the fat!