Had to share this--about THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY & nuritional info
I worked at The Cheesecake Factory once and always thought it was shady how they didn't give out nutritional information. I saw how they prepped the food and I had access to the recipes.
Well...I just found out through friends who are still employed with them that they will have nutritional information available starting July 1st to comply with CA state law! I wonder if this will prompt them to alter some of their recipes.
I mean, if their "low calorie" salads have almost 700 calories, I can only imagine what the entrees will be like. And those low calorie salads are such a mystery to me. I don't know where all the calories come from--the dressing is vinegar and splenda and there are barely ingredients on the salad.
Thought I would pass it on. It'll be super interesting to find out how horrific some of these items are. Thank god I don't work there anymore. It's no wonder I gained a lot while working there.
Was there a link in your message that didn't come through? I don't see any nutritional info.
Actually, in the post I said that they would start having it available in CA starting July 1st--but it appears that someone else has them from their compliance in another state with a similar law.
Some sites have the calorie info listed.. I didn't know that about the low calorie salads; I thought the calories came from the oil in the dressing.
I just looked at the link posted above, I could never find the calorie count for their chicken teriyaki... sheesh, I thought it was an ok meal with the grilled chicken and rice, but it comes out to 1400 calories. Even eating only half is 700cals. Some other things I'd didn't expect to have so many... even though their portions are big enough for 2, even 1/2 it still comes out to alot.
looking at more of the stuff; even the fish has alot of calories..simply grilled salmon 484 calories? I never ordered this there, so maybe it's a big portion like the rest of their stuff. funny I was looking on the responses posted to the menu on that site and some people said just use common sense and don't order pasta in heavy sauce, etc... but even things I thought were ok had more than I expected.
I also thought it was safe just eating half a piece of cheesecake; I guess a couple bites is the smarter way to go.
thanks for info...this is my mom's favorite place to eat, now I'll make better choices.
Last edited by ringmaster; 06-24-2009 at 11:30 PM.
Actually, in the post I said that they would start having it available in CA starting July 1st--but it appears that someone else has them from their compliance in another state with a similar law.
New York City (but not the whole state) already has a law that all restaurants (even non-sit down places like Starbucks) have to display their calorie counts. The link in your post says it's a reader from Washington State where they also already have the laws.
I just went and looked at the menu because I have this morbid curiosity and I wanted to know what had the highest calorie counts and carb counts. A lot of the stuff (like appetizers) says it serves 2-4 so I didn't really count those but the dinner with the highest calorie count was the beef ribs with 2306 calories and the Carbonara Pasta coming in a close second with 2291 calories. The Orange Chicken has the highest carb count with nearly 300 carbs. The worst cheesecake you can order is Adams Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake with 1326 calories and 136 grams of carbs for 1 slice. Even the drinks are outrageous - a hot chocolate will run you about 550 calories and 58 carbs. YIKES! I'm glad there's not a Cheesecake Factory around here. I've only ever eaten at that restaurant once.
I usually get the Santa Fe salad and get the dressing in the side (so I use a fraction of the amount). My estimate was 500, and it's nice to see I was a pretty good guesser for once.
My husband went last night, he had the grilled eggplant sandwich, no mayo, no cheese. According to Daily Plate, half the sandwich is 335 calories with no mayo/cheese. I imagine the bread has a lot of calories but also there is oil as well.
I think when you walk into a place like the Cheesecake Factory you pretty much know what you're getting into. I remember when I did eat there, been a very long time so my memory isn't that strong, but I never viewed anything that they had as healthy or even remotely healthy. Not to mention the portion sizes..i mean at 340+ pounds I couldn't finish the food.
Saying that, it would be nice to get a rough idea if you were out with a group of friends and wanted to make a better choice for yourself. I can see that information being helpful.
I get the Asian chicken weight management salad with the dressing on the side. Or an egg white omelette. FYI: they use sour cream in their eggs to make them fluffy, so stick with the whites if you're looking for just eggs.
Had to share this--about THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY & nuritional info
