I went to Applebee's yesterday and decided to have a healthy, light lunch and

[demosincebirth]

ordered their Asian Chicken Salad. After the meal, I was reading in the back of their menu about the nutritional facts of their entrees. HOLY COW! I could have had TWO cheeseburgers and fry's or ten twinkie bars and not ate the amount of calories that were in that chicken SALad. Believe this! 1475 calories in that plate full of lettuce, spinach and chicken.

[Jennicut]

1. Salads at restaurants are notoriously hidden calorie busters. It is usually the dressing

that kills the salads.

[demosincebirth]

2. I can see blue cheese or ranch , but this dressing was almost clear.

[Zoeisright]

3. And I'll bet the sodium content was through the roof, too.

Restaurants are notoriously bad for adding too much salt to food.

[demosincebirth]

5. I don't think salt has any calories, but yes they do use plenty salt. You don't

salt their food, for sure.

[doc03]

4. Applebee's is advertising 5 meals under 500 calories here,

why didn't you order one of those?

[demosincebirth]

6. If I would have known how many calories were in that chicken salad, I

would have had their cheeseburger w/fry's(600 calories).

[semillama]

7. Here's an interesting comparison of menu choices at Applebee's

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/restaurant_top_swaps/56777

and in terms of salads, here's the worst:

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/content/worst-salads-america-2009

[demosincebirth]

8. Thats interesting. Maybe I'll just go back to red meat. and baked potato's

[Big Blue Marble]

9. Have you read the "End Of Overeating?"

by former FDA head, David Kessler. He exposes corporate restaurants and their techniques to
get you to overeat. It will change the way you think about eating out for sure.

[demosincebirth]

12. I haven't read it, but I've changed my eating habits about three years ago and

lost 25lbs. Its tempting to go out and not over eat like I used to. Now, I don't have to feel stuffed when i leave the table. Thats a big change.

[NickB79]

10. It's the dressing.

That and the chicken is usually fried (though you can get it grilled, if you ask).

Plus, a full serving is enough for a couple to split!

[demosincebirth]

11. Yup, this is what I've told about the chicken, but Its hard to comprehend

that a plate of lettuce and chicken is 1475 calories regardless of the dressing.

[lucas_g20]

13. that's crazy

[supernova]

14. Calorie busters in restaurant salads

I want to add another rec for David Kessler's book. His reporting on the food restaurant industry alone is worth the price of the book. I will never look at "professionally" made food the same way again.

Restaurant salad killers are usually:

Fried protein, usually chicken

Cheese

Candied or spiced nuts

Crunchy things like those fried noodles we used to put on lo mein at home.

Creamy, cheesy dressings.

I've learned for the most part to get basic salad with broiled chicken or fish and vinaigrette on the side.

And just about every restaurant meal is enough for two people or two meals at least, sometimes three. I love it when we find a place that serves tapas style.

[jamiemexi]

15. applebees

applebees is pretty cheap

[dmallind]

16. So what stopped you ordering one of their clearly marked and caloried diet offerings? NT

[activa8tr]

17. No answer, I see. Why do people start threads and then

walk away? Oh well.