Uno Chicago Grill
unos.com
If you haven’t been to your local Uno’s recently, you’re in for a great surprise. Sure, its famous deep-dish (read high-fat) pizzas still hold court, but nutrition has become the word of the day with a completely trans fat–free menu and plenty of grilled entrees (including antibiotic-free chicken). Adding to the healthy variety: whole-grain pasta and brown rice, organic coffee and tea, and flatbread pizzas that have half the calories of deep-dish ones. Plus, you can add a salad to your pizza for half-price because, according to the menu, “We want you to get some greens in your diet.” Now that’s a blue-ribbon commitment to health. Another reason Uno’s is at the top of our list: You know what you’re eating. In the lobbies of most of the restaurant’s locations, there are Nutrition Information Centers that detail ingredients, fat and sodium contents, and calories and fiber of every item, in addition to gluten-free options.
Danger zone: Deep-dish pizzas can pile on the fat.
We love: The Penne Bolognese—just 16 grams of fat (well within the daily recommended max of 65 grams of fat for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet).
Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
souplantation.com
Can a buffet-style restaurant—that symbol of American overindulgence—possibly be one of the healthiest restaurants in the country? It can in this case, because this salad-soup-and-bakery eatery (Southern California locations are named Souplantation, everywhere else they’re called Sweet Tomatoes) uses produce so fresh that it’s guaranteed to have been “in the ground” 24 hours before it’s in a refrigerated truck on its way to the restaurant. At the salad bar you’ll find seasonal vegetables like squash and bell peppers, freshly tossed and prepared salads, and a great range of nonfat dressings. San Marino Spinach With Pumpkin Seeds and Cranberries, anyone? This is paradise for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who’s looking for a low-sodium, low-fat, high-nutrient meal outside the home.
Danger zone: Plate overload—after all, it’s all-you-can-eat.
We love: The Tomato Spinach Whole Wheat pasta, a delicious combo of whole grains and veggies.
Mimi’s Cafe
mimiscafe.com
This cozy café-style restaurant transforms normally less-than-healthy foods into better—and still tasty—options: a half-pound cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce (that’s right, no bun); the cutely named Naked French Market Onion Soup, served without cheese. Another thing to love is the way that Mimi’s clearly steers you toward its healthy options. Its “Lifestyle Menu” points you to low-carb picks like the fish of the day served with fresh steamed veggies. Also, Mimi’s keeps portions small, so you can get away with occasionally having one of their more indulgent entrees like the Sweet & Sour Coconut Shrimp (608 calories).
Danger zone: The “Comfort Classics” page of the menu, with throwbacks like rich (super-high-fat) Chicken Cordon Bleu.
We love: Chicken & Fruit (above)—grilled chicken and a garden salad, plus wedges of fresh orange, honeydew, watermelon, and cantalope.
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
pfchangs.com
Take the best aspects of Asian cuisine—a combination of fresh vegetables and protein—surround them with healthy influences such as whole-grain brown rice, wild-caught, sustainable Alaskan salmon, and all-natural chicken, and you have a recipe for delicious, healthy dining. Wok-based cooking (which requires less oil) using soybean oil keeps fat contents low, and less sodium in the sauces rounds out P.F. Chang’s healthy take on Chinese food.
Special credit goes to their nutritional information being based on the whole entrée, not a single serving like at most places.
Danger zone: Traditional, fat-dense items such as Lo Mein Beef.
We love: Carb-free vegetarian lettuce wraps—wok-seared tofu, red onions, and water chestnuts with mint and lime, set in lettuce cups.
Bob Evans Restaurants
bobevans.com
You wouldn’t think a restaurant that prides itself on sausage could muscle its way into the top five healthiest restaurants in the country. But Bob Evans scores high on its dinner menu, which has plenty of low-carb, low-fat entrees and alternatives for children and adults (chicken tenders that are grilled instead of fried, potato-crusted flounder, and salmon stir-fry). Look for sides like steamed broccoli florets and fresh fruit, and enjoy old-fashioned family meals in a modern, nutrition-forward way.
Danger zone: Breakfast, where bacon and sausage are kings.
We love: Healthy options on the kid’s menu, like slow-roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and glazed baby carrots, and fruit and yogurt dippers for dessert.
Ruby Tuesday
rubytuesday.com
If we’d done this survey in 2004, Ruby Tuesday might have won the blue ribbon for printing all its nutritional content right on the menu. It was revolutionary, and, frankly, it didn’t last. But the healthy ethos survived in the chain’s ingredients: organic greens, hormone-free chicken, trans fat–free frying oil, and better-for-you beverages including Jones organic teas and made-to-order drinks like all natural lemonades (think real fruit and juice). It’s easy to find the good stuff—it’s highlighted—and the offerings range from a chicken wrap in a whole-wheat tortilla to broiled tilapia.
Danger zone: Comfort-food entrees like Gourmet Chicken Potpie, which piles more than half your daily calories on the plate.
We love: That they’ve even healthied-up the burgers, offering veggie and turkey versions.
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
macaronigrill.com
This Italian eatery puts its entire menu’s nutritional content online, so you know before you go what to steer clear of—mainly, the massive baked pastas. But what pushed Macaroni Grill onto our best list is its “Sensible Fare” menu, with entrees like Simple Salmon, a grilled fillet sided by grilled asparagus and broccoli. Grazie for whole-wheat penne available as a substitute in any dish. And bravo for including a grilled skinless chicken breast with steamed broccoli and pasta on the kid’s menu.
Danger zone: Heavy entrees like spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce.
We love: The delicious Italian sorbetto and biscotti—just 330 calories and 4 grams of fat.
Chevy’s Fresh Mex
chevys.com
Chevy’s makes a big deal out of the “fresh” in its name, and with good reason—no cans in the restaurant, fresh salsa blended every hour, fresh avocados smashed every day for guacamole, and watch-them-made tortillas. All oils are trans fat–free, and the Mexican-style fare has lots of healthy options including Grilled Fish Tacos.
Danger zone: Sodium counts. To get below 1,000 milligrams, you’ll need to get those Chicken Fajitas with no tortillas, tomalito, rice, sour cream, or guacamole.
We love: Fresh fish of the day, grilled and served on a skillet with homemade salsa.
Olive Garden
olivegarden.com
Like Macaroni Grill, this Italian eatery has great-for-you options, as long as you keep your wits about you (again, avoid the baked pastas!). Use the olive-branch icon on the menu to find low-fat “Garden Fare” items such as Venetian Apricot Chicken, (448 calories, 11 grams fat). Even the fries aren’t a disaster, because they’re done in trans fat–free oil. You can grab some whole-grain goodness, too, by choosing the whole-wheat linguine at dinner as a substitute for any pasta.
Danger zone: The non-olive-branch entrees. Olive Garden provides no nutritional information on anything else on the menu.
We love: The low-fat Capellini Pomodoro (644 calories and 14 grams fat).
Denny’s
dennys.com
Yes, the home of the Lumberjack Slam and Moons Over My Hammy offers lots of skinny options to counter its fatty mainstays. “Fit-Fare” dishes such as the grilled-chicken-breast salad, and tilapia with rice and veggies, each have less than 15 grams of fat. Denny’s also posts full nutritional information on its Web site. Its use of trans fats to cook its French fries kept it from landing higher on our list, but the rest of the fried food is trans fat–free.
Danger zone: Breakfast specials, especially the Meat Lover’s Scramble, which is as bad for you as it sounds.
We love: The online nutritional chart has Weight Watchers Food Exchange Values.
Comments (382)
Wow! I was really surprised at the restaurants that made it on your healthy lists. They include restaurants I have bothered to visit since my heart attack. It’s good to know I can add them to my shrinking list of places to go for a nice, healthy meal.
Thanks.
Oops. Always proofread. That would be restaurants I “haven’t” bothered to visit since my heart attack.
JUST THIS MORNING, abc-tv SHOWED ERRORS IN CALORIE/FAT GUIDES PROVIDED BY RESTAURANTS. THIS SHOWED MACARONI GRILL TO BE ONE OF THE TOP 3 WORST OFFENDERS OUT OF 27 TESTED.
I love Sweet Tomatoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the book “eat this not that” puts most of these restaurants on their bad list. if you havent read the book-i highly suggest it. it has more info on what places are better to eat at than others, has an alphabetical list of places to eat and what is best and worst for you at each place, has a section on how to decode menus, a section on the best and worst items in a grocery store broken down by aisles and so much more.
I couldn’t agree more about the eat-this-not-that book, it’s awesome. As for this “Healthiest Restaurants” list, what a crock. I wonder if those restaurants sponsored the “research”.
This is all wrong. For example, the turkey burger at Ruby Tuesdays has over 800 Calories and 48 grams of fat!!!!
Macaroni Grill has one of the highest calorie dishes in restaurant-land, their mac and cheese. if you want to eat healthy, steer clear of these places!
CAN’T BELIEVE THE SAUSAGE PLACE MADE it . I ate there back in the 90’s . I felt very short of breath as I was leaving ,we made it to the hospital ,I was in the hospital for 3 days . I had o.d, on MSG.
Eat Organic.. Buy Local..
This list is an absolute joke.
Thanks for the recommendation for ‘eat this not that’. I’ve heard good things about Sweet Tomatoes but have yet to try it. I recommend…eat more plants, less meat, and not so often. Count calories; figure 10 calories per pound of body weight to ‘maintain’ weight. More than that…you gain weight; less than that…you loose weight (200lbs requires 2,000 calories to maintain). Exercise to burn off excess calories…get a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day {not that hard to do}. Also, it is very nice to see a comment area where people can ‘criticize’ the “host’s” info and not be censored.
I cannot imagine Denny’s falling into a healthy category. There breakfast, burgers, fries etc. are laden with oil, and fat. Just my opinion, but I avoid food like that.
OK, you guys get a grip!! Try the healthy fare on the menu they are not endorsing everything on the menu… Use some common sense here… They did not endorse the Grand slam just the salad and yes just cause olive garden made the list doesn’t mean go for the tour of italy. No, use your brain,, the grilled chicken with aspergrass..NO PASTA.. It just means you have options…. use the brain God gave you…
I thought it was made clear that these are all restaurants with healthy options, but not everything on the menu is good for you: one must use discretion! If all their customers choose the healthy entrees, soon they will discontinue the fat-laden ones.
MK
I cannot imagine Denny’s falling into a healthy category. There breakfast, burgers, fries etc. are laden with oil, and fat. Just my opinion, but I avoid food like that.
I agree that this list includes some of the biggest fat-offending restaurants around. Do any of these places advertise through Sunset? Perhaps a disclosure of financial ties would be in order here.
got a mail note to check out this site. Another pointless site full of lists, and lists of lists.
Thought you were giving us a list of healthy restaurants by zip code.
I just came from a Birthday Dinner at Olive Garden and had the Apricot Chicken. Delicious, and GOOD FOR ME TOO, according to your list!! Thanks, I feel better. (However, the birthday cake was good (rich)too, but I only had a small piece!!)
Of all places to rate highly! I’ve got a P.F. Chang’s within walking distance, but after trying them twice and practically gagging on their saturating everything with an oil pond in our plates, I concluded that the food was anything but heart-healthy. Oh, the food tasted great, but was it ever greasy! For that very reason, I haven’t been back there since.
It would be helpful if you listed the addresses of these restourants.
Addresses of restaurants, please.
THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY EAT HEALTHY IS TO STAY HOME AND FIX IT YOURSELF.
Macaroni Grill is a healthy restaurant??? Are you on drugs. The average pasta dish has half to one stick of butter in there. Go figure???? Who is writing these articles, the 300 pounders that just lost 2 lbs?
Dear Team
Whoever put together the above list of “healthy” restaurants is really out to lunch. Most of the dishes offered by these restaurants are high calorie high sodium, high fat, high cholesterol nightmares. It is possible to get great lo-cal/healthy meals at Sweet Tomatoes, though most of their fare is only modestly health targeted. But almost nowhere else on this list do you find anything resembling a range of healthy food choices. Check it out!!!
I can’t believe you listed Denny’s. It’s the worst junk food I’ve ever seen. They don’t even serve fruit. I wouldn’t let my dog eat there.
Seriously? Wow, this list is way off. Macaroni Grill is one of the worst resturaunts around in terms of health and nutrition. Not only were they caught lying about the fat and calorie content of their meals, but three of their dishes cracked the top 5 of a Men’s Health list of the highest-sodium dishes available. Even the salads and fish are drenched in butter and cheese-based dressings. I understand that this wasn’t meant to include all the items in each restaurant’s menu, but there is nearly nothing you can eat at Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden, Denny’s, and Bob Evans that would be considered remotely healthy.
I can’t believe the restaurants you have listed!! This is shocking to me especially since they have to post the list of ingredients, calories, fat, etc. for each of their meals. I don’t go into these restaurants just because of this. They are unhealthy. I’m truly disappointed in this article.
Barbara
I love this site! I thought it was spam in my inbox until I looked a little closer. So glad I did!
Wow. I am shocked by this list. I’m so glad to see that so many other health conscious people also posted criticisms. P.F. Changs and Macaroni Grille are two of the worst restaurants out there in terms of calories and fat in their meals. I’m sure you can find one or two lowfat items on any chain’s menu, but to include them in the top ten healthy restaurants lists because they offer a few healthy meals is ridiculous! There are so many better places with wider ranges of healthy offerings. Are these restaurants sponsoring this page? Perhaps the editors of this site missed the fact that Macaroni’s grille lied about its calorie and fat count or the fact that turkey burgers are only healthier than beef burgers if they are all white meat (most are not!). Based on this list, this site looks like a paid advertisement disguised as health information. Shameful!!
I’m not sure how Macaroni Grill made it on a healthy list of restaurants. The sodium content in their meals alone is enough to get them kicked off of it.
choosing olive garden as a good choice is unbelievable. if you think the olive garden is italian then you should have your head examined. the portions are small, the taste, mediocre and the bread is a far cry from italian. italian bread is crusty not soft american bread dough. the salad is the only thing close to italian even though it tastes like seven seas dressing.
Is everyone retarded on this comment board?
This list is not of “healthy restaurants”, but restaurants that are local to many people across the country, because they are chain restaurants. They’re simply highlighting the healthy options. Did anyone even bother to read the small article next to each restaurant??? Obivously, Macaroni Grill itself is not healthy. Same with Olive Garden. But this article notes the few things on each menu that are healthy, such as the Apricot Chicken. Start paying attention people.
Now, now…Let’s be PC…instead of using the “retarded” word….Let’s just say that they are “mentally challenged” to even think that they have “healthy eating” at some of these places. We just have to use common sense when choosing a restaurant & make sure we don’t eat there all the time. Once in a while is OK..
This list is a joke! Who do you think you are kidding! Haven’t you been following the news? These corporations are not accurate in the health information they provide. Don’t believe their fat content… it is a pipe dream! Avoid the chains and eat local and small scale! Use your brain and pick carefully!
I want to thank you all for this article. I found it to be true for Bob Evans, Denny’s & Olive Garden.
I am not familar with the other listed restaurants.
I can choose, wisely, at both Bob Evans & at Olive Garden and eat a well-balanced, healty and a legal WeightWatcher meal with either fish, chicken or the wheat pasta that is offered.
I am disappointed with so many negative comments that are posted on this site. Perhaps, they need to try it, again, and choose more wisely before they knock it. There is NO restaurant that I’ve ever heard of or gone to that serves ALL healthy food. Hello!! Thank you, again.
Sincerely,
Linda
did your panel of “experts” select these restaurants? they should be fired. this is probably a list of the worst places to eat…just because they call something “healthy” or put a little heart symbol next to an item doesn’t make it healthy.
I believe Ruby Tuesday’s turkey burger is one of the most calorie heavy items that is on their menu. Olive garden’s suggested meal contains over 600 calories!!! I am not sure how many calories you guys are eating a day, but that would be right at 50% of my daily intake.
Most restaurants listed are strictly “heat it up”
establishments getting their sauces and most other
items from corporate headquarters. And being Italian
I agree, Olive Garden while kind of fun, is about as
Italian as Chef Boyarde canned ravioli. The real danger in all these places is the overload of carbs, sugar, salt and msg. Once in a while fine, eat that much refined carbs frequently expect to be buying bigger clothes. Unless you spend a great portion of your time in the gym and even then your cholesterol will still go up. Yes there is scientific evidence, research and personal experience to back it up.
Looking back over the other comments just had to say
to Shelby, wow was that hostility warranted? No we
are not retarded you are just missing our points. We
get that they are only highlighting specific items,
Most of our points is that that is a crock of bull.Most of the nutritional info these big corporate
places give is bogus. Lean Cuisine is a crock too, portions of any food that small is automatically lower in calories, but lets face it, a half hour later you are licking your chops. Better to have some
nice portion of satisfying protein and veggies. Or Ice cream portions.Who other than a one year old eats a half cup of ice cream??? But I digress….. : )
After reading the article and all of the comments, I have to agree that someone on staff is in cahoots with these restaurants. There is no way that any of these places are serving foods to be recommended as healthy alternatives. I’m a regular at Olive Garden and Ruby Tuesday restaurants and I can say from experience that any benefit from the foods you suggested would be negated by the portion size. Unless you eat half and bring the other half home for another meal. I’m curious about the title of your article: America’s Healthiest Restaurants: Our List of the Best Casual Dining Spots. Are you serious?
I agree with Shelby. The point of the article was to highlight some healthy OPTIONS at chain restaurants that are local to most everyone in the U.S. They AREN’T suggesting that you can pick anyone of these restaurants, pick anything off the menu, and it’s guaranteed to be healthy. The only thing I found to be misleading was presenting the turkey burger at Ruby Tuesday’s as an option–most turkey burgers found at restaurants aren’t much healthier than the beef version because they aren’t using lean turkey. Well, that and the title of the article. But if you read the content, the message is pretty clear.
I agree with D. The best way to know what you are getting is to cook it yourself and save a ton of money. There are a lot of simple, healthy recipes that can be prepared at home. ****
The last time I ate at a Denny’s, the cigarette smell was so bad that I vowed never to go to another Denny’s again. Restaurants that want my business will have to be non-smoking or at least have a good system to separate the smoking and non-smoking sections.
This is too much. Yes, it is true that the little “articles” give you the “healthy options” at these restaurants…but the title of the article is “America’s Healthiest Restaurants,” not “America’s Healthiest Options at Chain Restaurants.” These restaurants as a whole all top the list of the least healthy choices available…and driving people to them for the two or three decent things on the menu seems a bit off-message for a health article!
Where is the list of healthy restaurants? This website is a bait and switch website that relies on advertisers dollars not the information promised in the headline.
I love Soup Plantation! I only wish they had them on the east coast!
The list is restaurants WITH healthy choices… some of the healthy choices are noted for you so you can still go with the assurance that you have options.
Seriously???? You need to get your facts right! You are doing many Americans a disservice by leading then in the wrong direction. You have listed some of the worst places to eat. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!
Let’s add at least ONE truly healthy restaurant to this list — Rock Creek, located in the Mazza Gallerie at Chevy Chase Circle in Washington DC. (It’s on the top floor, next to the AMC Theater.) Virtually every dish served here is healthy. They use lots of organic fare, use no trans fats, keep salt, butter and sugar to a minimum, offer lots of whole grain options and generally serve up delicious meals that are actually good for you. It’s not cheap, but then neither is hospitalization for a heart attack or years of treatment for diabetes. “You gets what yous pay for,” as my daddy used to say. I might update that to “you pay for what you choose to eat.”
I agree with some of the comments, you have to pay attention to what you are ordering, use your own knowledge in choosing. In our travels we stop at Bob Evans and ask for the list they have that shows calories, sodium, fat content, etc. They have willingly given us this very long list so we know what we’re getting into. Also, when you take your leftovers home and after refrigeration, you can tell how much butter was used by the hardness in mostly the pasta dishes. That’s why it tastes sooo good, it’s full of butter, usually. Ya just gotta eat in moderation! But, I was surprised at this list. Anything that tastes really good, best to spit it out. ain’t it a shame!!
I love some of these restaurants on cheat nights, but not even the healthy selections on these menus are really ‘healthy’. As already stated, the corporations give you unreliable nutritional information all the time. For instance, PF Changs being able to use less oil due to wok cooking? Even the healthy items they listed at PF Changs are dripping in oil at our local restaurant, and I have even tried ordering them with little oil. A better article would have been how to order healthy at any restaurant, and given examples of what would be do-able at chains. Most places will be happy to fix you a grilled chicken breast with a side of steamed veggies, but you have to ask.
Yeah right! Somebodies getting paid to say all this! So misleading.
I’m surprised that Olive Garden made the list, but Applebee’s did not. AB’s has a great menu for those that are doing weight watchers – I’ve tried most of the dishes and they are amazingly good. But everyone, they didn’t say everything on the menu was great for you… they mentioned a couple of things and the ways you can spot the heathiest on the menu. Re-read the article and really ‘digest’ what they are saying! Did they recommend the mac & cheese @ the Macaroni grill? NO! But if your going to go there, they have some, not all, healthier choices.
Don’t you guys know an advertorial when you see it? Health.com is likely getting paid to list these restaurants. Works just like the magazine. The writers write flattering articles about their advertisers.
I don’t eat out often, but when I do it is a treat for me. Knowing that these popular chain restaurants have items that are healthier in comparison to their average menu item is a good thing. Yes, you will blimp out if you eat there regularly. Yes, you can eat a much healthier meal at home. The point is to look at these places as a special, occasional treat – NOT a regular eating location.
You guys are kidding about Ruby Tuesday’s Turkey burger, right?? It is listed on their website as 812 calories and 45 grams of fat! Just because it is “turkey” does NOT mean it is healthy. Come on. Just because it is a few hundred calories less compared to the other burgers it should NOT be considered a healthy option. The chicken on the menu isn’t that great either.
P.F. Chang has an extremely high sodium content for all of its offerings. I would not recommend any of their food.
Would really like to have more idea’s on food we could order when eating out. also including all points from weight watchers.
would like more restaurants published thank you
I think you should have included Red Lobster in the list of healthy places…you can always order any of the fish and seafood without added oils. Baked potatoes plain, etc.
My friend works at Macaroni Grill and just today told me they are one of the worst restaurants to eat at if you want healthy foods. Plus…just do the math when you see the ingredients.
I do find a lot about this article misleading. Take the headline: America’s Healthiest Restaurants. Okay, that’s not the same as “some of the healthiest things to eat at otherwise unhealthy restaurants conveniently located throughout America.” How about celebrating local restaurants that really make an effort, those that buy produce from local farmers or grass-fed meat from small local producers? There are factors other than calorie count that contribute to the health of a meal. I agree with whoever paraphrased Mark Bittman’s most recent book above: Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants. Unfortunately, I’m not confident any of these places make that cut. Eating at home is best, but when you can’t, there are many better places to go than Denny’s. Come on…
i read all the comment above, but no one mention any thing about Uno grill, are you approve about it as healthy restaurant, Or?
Are you kidding????!!! Healthy???? These are the worst restaurants to eat in. This is sick for a “health” magazine. But then — who are your advertisers???
When you go out to eat, ask the server for nutrition info to get the real story, then decide for yourself. Whoever wrote this article is on crack – as many people noted, the turkey burger at Ruby Tuesday’s is one of the worst items you can order, something I discovered only after eating it (along with a side of steamed broccoli, a substitution for fries, which was very good and much appreciated). I was so horrified I vowed never to go back to Ruby Tuesday’s, and I haven’t.
Thanks for adding Mimi’s on Harborview Road in Charleston, SC…it is the best!! Many healthy options and a great view too!! They have local seafood, a Saturday & Sunday brunch menu and a guitarist on the deck!! We need more places like this one!!
Of course this list is bogus, misleading and inaccurate. I’m disappointed, but not surprised and shocked like some of you. I agree with the people above who were wise enough to recognize advertiser-driven, corporately motivated content when they see it. Really, this can’t be the first time that you’ve been bamboozled by advertising mis-information masquerading as real information. I give most of you a lot of credit for recognizing and pointing out that this list recommends restaurants that dangle a couple healthy choices among a myriad of un-healthy choices and traps, and that even some of the items they tout as healthy choices are not healthy either. Now take the next step up, to get credit for not being surprised that they did this.
I went on line to find out the calorie content for OG menu and found the Spaghetti with Marinara sauce to be 300 calories. So went and ordered it. It was a huge plateful of spaghetti and there is NO WAY it was only 300 calories. I know my calories content well enough to not be folded. I only ate 1/2 and probably exceeded my daily calorie requirement.
Eaters beware! Ruby Tuesday’s turkey burger has over 1000 calories based on an expose posted on AOL last week. Other restaurants listed as well….
Unfortunately, our Denny’s food is nothing like you describe in quality and taste.
I can not believe what an irresponsible article this is. It is hard enough for people to weed through the, excuse my bluntness, CRAP the restruants put on their menus as healthy, but to then have a “HEALTH” magazine reinforce these false statements. I will seriously question the validity of articles in this magazine!
Give me a break – most of you folks can only speak negatively. The REAL answer to eating healthy is common sense, a balanced diet and SMALLER portions! Nobody can eat out every day and maintain a healthy weight when they eat every bite of the huge portions placed before them in almost every restaurant, and most of those same people complain about restaurants whose servings are smaller. I eat or have eaten (but not everyday) at most of the restaurants on this list – other than those that are only on the West Coast – and I am proud to say I am not overweight and my doctor has declared me healthy!
This list is completely bogus. Most of these restaurants are nationally ranked as some of the most unhealthy restaurants – hardly in the top ten of most healthy! Where are places like Panera and Subway? Macaroni Grill had some of the highest calorie meals in the entire country and there is no way that processed food joints like Denny’s and Bob Evans can be in the top ten. There is definitely something wrong here.
I appreciate your list. It really is up to each of us to eat correctly. We all know what is good and what isn’t. The point is that we have very good choices at these restaurants..choose the right stuff and you will feel healthy, every day. Persoally I prefer a plant based diet and try to stick to it. Thanks again.
This list is a complete joke. These restaurants must have a marketing deal with health.com. Let us all remember that money rules the world. How did Macaroni Grill, Dennys and a Pizza joint land on this “health” list. Just because one meal on their menu is “healthy” doesn’t mean they deserve a spot on this site. I could name 20 places within 10 miles of my apartment that I would rather eat at.
I just scrolled up and saw that there was another Rebecca! The previous statement was written by Rebecca T.
I have to agree with some of the readers who look askance at your choices. I recently read an article citing Macaroni Grill & Olive Garden for being quite unhealthy except for one or two choices. And, as one reader noted, where is Panera? Or Applebees for that matter? I’ve eaten quite a few times at both of those places and found many healthy choices. Applebees has calories posted, too. This article is a joke!
what a lot of you people fail to realize is that you can eat almost anywhere. it depends on what you eat. all restaurants have high sat fat options. apparently people want to eat them, or they wouldn’t be on the menu. supply and demand. if you have an idea of how something is made and the ingredients, you can pretty much figure out what is safe to eat.
I agree about the questionable motivation for singling out these particular restaurants. Practically ALL of the restaurants I frequent have healthy options available such as broiled entrees, salads and steamed vegetables. A better selection of recommendations would list those restaurants having the MOST healthy options vs UNhealthy ones — not those having mostly UNhealthy selections with only a couple of healthy options. Now HERE’S a challenge for a “health.com” restaurant list — how about living up to your name?
How did Jason’s Deli not make the list? Or Chipotle? Those are only two of a handful of restaurants where I will eat. Jason’s Deli offers several organic items and has cut out trans fats and high fructose corn syrup from all menu offerings. Chipotle uses free range, hormone free chicken and thieir dairy products are rgbh free. Both have traditional high fat high calorie food on their menus, but it isn’t a stretch to find the healthy offerings, and there are several to choose from. I don’t know how these places were overlooked.
Wow,great list, but you forgot,Sizzler,Carls Jr. and Arnie se,Yummy.mortons with their healthy 3LB porterhouse
Are you kidding? There has been so much news about Macaroni Grill and other restaurants misstating nutritional information about their supposedly-”light” entrees! This list was chosen by someone whose knowledge is not up-to-date.
i don’t think it’s a good idea to list places that offer SOOOO many bad choices just because they have a few “healthy” menu items, too. when you see all the bad things on the menu, sometimes you vere over there even when you don’t want to. if you want to eat healthy, i agree with many other posters here, steer clear of these places altogether, or better yet, stay home and fix it yourself!!!
A very healthy fast food place is surprisingly… McDonald’s- I mean they are adding a bunch of healthy things like fruit and walnut salad
i have to agree that it’s nice to have no censorship of all the critics.at least those who read the comments will get a lot of info not in the article. i love the local family owned mexican resturants but occasionally go to a taco bell on the road and they were not listed. at first, you had to print out from their website the fact that some dishes are low fat and have no trans-fat but now they have brochures you can easilly check while in line. add the magic word “fresco” and you’ll eliminate the cheese and sour cream in favor of more tomato. it’s possible to eat healthy there if you investigate. chulupas have no trans fat. soft tacos do. no high fructose when you choose fresco but non-franchise units may charge extra. boo to them as the labor for tomato pickers was 9 cents a pound as revealed when they broke up that slave labor ring working indirectly for taco bell, just so you all know i’m not a shill for them..
I’m with Sandy.. I was looking for a list by zip code for my area..
I like Appleby’s they have a very good Weight Watchers menu.
I think many of you are missing the idea with the article. They are not saying that the entire menu is healthy. In fact, they actually mention those items to avoid. What this is giving you is some options if you would like to go to a normal, not organic health crazed place with food many of us have never heard of.
Some of these places are now serving whole wheat/grain pasta. I had some at Olive Garden the other day.
ruby tuesdays is the worst restaurant i have ever eaten in. everything on the menu including the salads is 1,000 calories and above and the fat contents on everthing is beyond imagination
You must be kidding!! What about the sanitation grades?? I would not eat at most of these restaurants.I much prefer to eat at home.
I was contemplating of subscribing to your magazine but after reading this article on healthy reataurants have to reconsider whether I can trust anything you post. It’s kind of like Dr. Mercola’s website that offers health tips and promotes his own products. You do it by supporting your advertisers which sometimes mislead the public.
I think we can eat anywhere with a menu, all we need to do is make good choices!
I think some people are missing the point. Not all of the food in these restaurants is OK to eat, but the article helps you find at least one item that you can eat without getting bad fat content, sodium or such.
How is a “half-pound burger wrapped in lettuce” a “healthy” otpion? Mmm — a day’s saturated fat and protein, with no carbs to even it out! I thought this was 2008. I thought I was done reading about evil carbs and bunless burgers at every restaurant in town. This –and the corporate ties– is one of many reasons I take Health and Cooking Light with …er… a grain of salt.
Have you seen Ruby Tuesday’s menu? If this is your idea of healthy dining out I’m frightened.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT P.F. CHANG’S NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION ON THEIR MENU. FOOD IS GOOD BUT THE CALORIES AND FAT ARE OFF THE CHARTS. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH!
i agree…these places will kill you with their fatty dishes…sweet tomato good place if you can stay away from the breads,pasta,and sweets so that makes it pricey to just eat salad. most of the soups cream based.
Your research team is misleading readers!! A turkey burger at Ruby Tuesday has 812 calories and 45 grams of fat!!! Not a healthy choice for anyone!!
I ate at Chicago Uno’s a couple nights ago and had a great greek chicken panini (lots of feta cheese so I’m not sure about the overall healthiness of this choice) with ROASTED VEGETABLES as a side. And they were really good veggies! In fact there were several vegetarian choices that could let you have something other than salad and pasta. Good job Uno’s!
I have to agree with several comments on this. I don’t see how quite a few made this list. Go to the restaurants’ websites and pull up their nutritional informatio and you WILL BE SURPRISED. Mac Grill, PF CHangs,Ruby Tuesday….you’ll be blown away by what you will see for calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium at these places on dishes that you thought were fairly healthy. I wouldn’t rely on this list at all. Even halfing your entree it’s still unreasonable. I don’t as someone who is on meds for cholesterol and triglycerides and BP the vast majority of what these places (just to name a few)serve are heart attacks waiting to happen. Check out the websites of your favs and find out for yourself.
I think the point of the list was to showcase restaurants which offer healthy options and make their nutritional values open to the public. I eat at Uno’s and Olive garden probably 6-8 times a year each, and there ARE healthy options at each. At Olive Garden there are several pasta choices which are NOT laden with oil, butter or cheese, the salad dressing they use on the salad is lower calorie than most commercial Italian dressings, and if you skip the bread, load up on salad and only eat a portion of the pasta (especially if you get whole wheat, available at no charge), you’re not going overboard. Or get a dish without pasta, they have those as well. At Uno’s it’s a bit more difficult to eat healthy, the sodium levels alone in most of their food has me sucking down water like crazy the rest of the day, but if you get a side salad and something like a tomato and cheese flatbread pizza and eat less than half of it, you’re not using up your daily caloric intake at one meal. And I LOVE Ruby Tuesdays for their salad bar. Once in a while I get the sliders & salad bar, but I only eat one of the sliders, a few of the fries, and a lot of salad with oil and vinegar. You just need to learn to make healthier choices, without being told where to go and what to eat.
I can’t believe you put these places on your site. They are high in fat and calories. Think of how they are prepared!!! My vote is to fix your own!
The closest one to me is Olive Garden and it does have healthy choices. Most resturants do have a few good choices. I have not, however, found any mexican resturants with healthy choices that taste good.
It doesn’t matter how you word trans fat free. The indgredients say trans fat free, but when you read further, there are hydrogenated fats in a lot of foods. As long as foods are cooked or baked in hydrogenated oils or fats, people will get clogged arteries. Hydrogenation gives food longer shelf life and also makes food taste good. Laws should be passed to ban hydrogenated fats. It is also cheaper to deep fry in hydrogenated fats than in oil that hasn’t been chemically changed. If the ingredients in margarine and anything that you plan on buying has any hydrogenation, don’t buy it.
How about this? Go where you want to. Eat smart (you know what’s good for you and what’s not). Eat smaller portions. No chips. No fries. No cream or sugar laced sauces.No bread. You’ll be fine.
Did these restuarants pay to be on this list??? PF Changs, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Dennys have been on every worst list – sodium, fat and calories. How can they be on the best? I guess you can pick something healthy from the worst of places but I ain’t gonna try.
What is wrong with you people?! Southern Living took the time and money to check out these places and offer healthy alternatives and you are acting like they are endorsing the entire menu! Didn’t Bambi teach you anything? If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all!
Isn’t it just nice to know you can find something healthy at these places you may have been avoiding? If you can’t make the right choice, don’t go. They aren’t saying everything on the menu is a healthy choice, and they also tell you about the major pitfalls. That’s worth something.
That chicken and fruit salad you raved about at Mimi’s cafe is probably the healthiest choice on the whole menu. Unfortunately, at 599 calories and 9 grams of fat, this is no nutritional bargain. I can’t believe you’re recommending the low carb half pound cheese burger wrapped in lettuce. It’s a whopping 728 calories and 41 grams of fat, 19 grams of them saturated. What in the world do you usually eat if you consider this healthy? What a joke!
Note to DoninAtlanta. You may think you can go where you want, make smart choices and smaller portions but when eating out this just isn’t usually the case. Whenever you can actually check out the nutritional info for restaurants (which is rare since they all have something to hide) you’d be amazed. I remember ordering a chicken salad at Baja Fresh(lettuce, grilled chicken, some glaze, corn beans, dressing on the side and not a lot else) and being in deep remorse after finding out I had just downed 17 weight watchers points. Restaurants just cook a LOT differently than we do at home.
Hum. Could it be that these restaurants are paying for your ads? Or maybe I should ask what you consider within the range of healthy for sodium content, fat content and calorie content?
Although these places may offer ‘healthy’ meals, they are so full of unhealthy options, it’s better to just find a place you won’t be tempted. I personally wouldn’t be caught dead in 99% of those places, mostly because the food they do prepare isn’t very good or tasty, healthy or otherwise.
RJ sez: Come on, boys and girls! We all have our favorite restaurants where we go because we like to eat out, not because we count every calorie. Those restaurants getting the most criticism must have a lot of dissatisfied customers that keep going back. Yes, the best and healthiest diet is prepared at home where you can take your time, count the calories and NOT eat every bite because we feel guilty. Those who don’t like eating out – don’t! It can’t be any simpler than that.
Where is Eat ‘n Park??? They have a gluten free list, rBst free milk, a whole host of other “special diet” info, and an amazing number of healthy choices besides a great salad bar. Whoever did this list needs to check them out – AND they have been voluntarily smoke-free for ages!!! They are my personal “best pick” across the board – besides the fact that their food is awesome!!
Most of these I know of but none are near where I live but keep letting everyone know where they can go.
You can always find something healthy on a menu, but not the total menu of all these restaurants. The most HEALTHIEST restaurant on your list is THE SOUPLANTATION because it is soup/salad and bakery with a lot of choices. The rest of the restaurants listed only offer a FEW CHOICES and are not totally healthy style restaurants.
After reading almost all of the comments, it is obvious to me that reading and understanding the Engliash language has not been transferred successfuly to several generations, No one endorsed the the entire menu- they said there were SOME healthy options,
You’re kidding, Macaroni Grill.
I have gone to Bob Evans w/friends for lunch and their salmon is wonderful w/steamed broccoli. You can always get fresh fruit as a side as well. I just wish they would get some type of whole grain bread product!!!
I agree that there are healthier choices at these restaurants BUT one has to define what your criteria is for healthy. If you are looking for low fat low calorie choices Olive Gardens olive branch menu items may make the cut. However, if you are like myself, someone with a cardiac problem where not only does fat matter but sodium content does as well….Olive Garden “ain’t the choice.” Many chain restaurants do offer the option of having your food cooked without seasoning to avoid all the sodium but I have found that your local restaurants are far more accommodating to those of us who have no choice but to watch we eat. All in all, one must use your common sense when dining out or in for that matter. Follow your physician’s advice, do YOUR own research before putting anything in your body and use good judgment. Healthy eating all.
I would bet you anything that the listed restaurants “paid” to be listed by Southern Living as healthy. (Or is it just an added bonus to getting an advertisement in the magazine, which is paid for? As I am aware, the only healthy one is Chang’s. The others I know have too many calories in 98% of their dishes.
We love Sweet Tomato (Boca Raton, FL) but go seldom as the salt laden soups, the muffins and breads are just too inviting! Too tempting for the weak! Salad bar is great, corn muffins and chili even better! Healthy? Oh dear!!!
I agree w/ Kathleen B. that this list must be paid for by the restaurants and oh yeah, PF Chang’s Hot Fish has 71g of fat in one serving!
Subscribe to coastal living for the pictures…the articles are irresponsible.
I think this whole post needs to be pulled!!
I jsut want to say that all restaurants have good and bad sides to them, but it all boils down to eat in moderation and try to go with less fat….it is good to eat out on occassion.
We use to love olive garden,but the last few times we went to different olive garden’s,all the food tasted like they poured a salt shaker on all the food,and when you have bad high bloodpressure,you really don’t need all that salt,I called the manager of one particular one and he said no we don’t so we won’t go back,for he didn’t say I’ll check into it,for he didn’t seem to care, so they lost our business and many friends said same thing,all over the USA.
This article is a complete joke. Absolute BS.
This was disappointing. I thought I could type my zip code and really find the healthiest restaurants around my town. Most of these are chain restaurants found in any/every town. I actually avoid these places-esp The Olive garden. Butter,butter,butter.
Unless you only eat in non-chain restaurants where you get to know the chef who can make healthy dishes upon request, you really aren’t getting healthy food in chain/national restaurants no matter how much nutritional info is printed. Portion control & heavy handiness of cooks/servers are not that supervised in these restaurants.
Chinese restaurant food used to be one of the most healthiest foods years ago. But,as many nutritionist have found over the years, cooks are using more oil, sodium, & sugar in their dishes.
People who swear by the “I only use chopped turkey” in my meatloaf, burgers, chili, meatballs don’t realize that you loose beefy flavors in these dishes. Lean beef is available as well as hormone antibiotic free beef. Ground turkey, unless you’re grinding your own, contains dark meat & other parts of the turkey which I never eat. Ground chicken I find is a better substitute for taste and texture.
Ted’s Montana Grill has options that you can help make your meal healthier. They’re website is good and their nutritional info is very useful in selecting what to eat. A bison buger, on whole wheat bun, minus the butter that is added to the buns (most restaurants add butter or oil to a toasted bun/roll), steamed veggies on the side w lemon and you can also ask them to steam mushrooms, onions, green peppers for a burger topping. You can ask for house salad minus cheese/bacon, or a lettuce wedge with just the chopped tomatoes and dressing on the side.
Last week we went to Famous Dave’s. Nothing low fat, low sugar, low sodium here. I try to avoid this restaurant because you are very limited in trying to make some healthier choices (unfortunately, friends love it). Their menu selection varies from state to state as you can pull up & view menus from specific locations. I had BBQ chicken, taking off the skin, (2 pieces, small leg w thigh & small breast)& a plain baked potato. Salads are loaded with cheese, bacon. Forget about a caesar salad. There are no veggie options except for the mushy, soggy piece of corn.
I think that diners must speak up, asking for easy substitutions, portioning their food for a lunch or dinner the next day in which you can add your own healthy sides. Today, restaurants are loosing patrons because of the cost of gas & rise in food prices. To keep us happy, it’s good business to accommodate the customer.
I eat in restaurants about 80% of the time due to my job. I have found you can eat as healthily or unhealthily as you like in almost all restaurants, it is simply a matter of discipline and good choices. I suspect the lack of these is the primary reason so many Americans are overweight. I have eaten at all of the restaurants listed above that are on the west coast and agree with the writer of the article. Healthy food is available if you want it, look for it, and ask for alternatives if needed. I am at a normal weight and have remained so for several years. Off the topic a little, but something I heard several years and adhere to today: Don’t make eating the center of your life. Instead of blaming restaurants, writers, life situations, see the bigger picture…the choice is always ours. Spoken by one who knows, you can eat healthy easier in some restaurants than others, the only point the writer was making. The bottom line is choice – yours.
I would take these as a grain of salt. No white products, beef. Lots of veggies, greens, fish, chicken, pork.
Don’t see much of these on their menus!
Did you look at the fat and calorie contents on some of those menus?
There may not be Soupplantations on the East Coast but you can find sweet tomatoes. I live in FL and they are here.
anyone following this list (or those who have made it) render the sterotypic “fat” american the most accurate bias known….god speed america….
Ruby Tuesday? Healthy Burgers? Ruby Tuesday’s may have been revolutionary in printing their nutrition facts, but if you actually read them, you will see that all of their burgers, including the “healthy” veggie and turkey versions, have over 1,000 calories. Without sides. That’s almost my daily limit on one burger. Consumer beware. You can bet the names on this list have some financial tie to publisher.
I agree with what others are saying. The list is bogus..and the comment about the “healthy” Ruby Tuesday burgers (i.e. turkey burger) cracked me up. It’s not good for you!
Advice: Find a calorie calculator that can estimate how many calories you can eat a day based on your height, weight, gender and physical activity. Then visit the web site of any restaurant you want to eat at and look at the nutrition facts. Figure out what’s healthy and unhealthy so you’re not fooled when you get to the restaurant.
Also keep in mind that there’s nothing wrong with a splurge once in awhile…I splurge once a week and I have a healthy BMI.
Try JOE’S in Redondo Beach……………..The best of the best when it comes to grease and great tasting chow………………Happy Arteries!!!
Has anyone even bothered reading the article about these restaurants? As a lifetime weight watchers member for over 7 years and a weight councelor, you can eat at these places, it’s just knowing WHAT to eat. The same is true for any restaurant. Before going out to eat, I quickly check the restaurant’s menu online. A lot of places have the nutritional information listed. You have to have it set in your mind to make So yes, you can eat at these restaurants, but know your limits. Take time to educate yourself on what is healthy before ordering.
Despite all of the comments, either critical or defensive of this piece, the article’s title is misleading and irresponsible (and yes, I read the whole article). These are clearly not America’s Healthiest Restaurants; rather, they are restaurants that happen to list “healthy” options on their menus.
I lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers one summer 10 years ago (and learned how to eat healthy for the rest of my life. As far as I am concerned, it is the only diet out there that teaches you how to eat correctly). At that time, I was working as a waitress at an Uno’s. I did not eat a single thing created there as I carefully watched how the cooks prepared the food. I have worked at two other restaurants, wonderful gourmet establishments where I cultivated a culinary appreciation and learned from brilliant chefs about good food and wine. Still, it’s incredible how much oil, butter and salt goes in to the preparation of food in any sort of dinig establishment, even if you don’t think that’s what you are ordering. So just don’t be surprised if you go out to eat often and follow a diet plan, and still don’t get the weight results you expect.
I think that they had better tells us what is so healthy about these places……in otherwords…….tell us what on their menu is a healthy choice.
One restaurant not mentioned is Seasons 52. They use only fresh ingredients, serve smaller portions, and desserts are served in a demitasse cup! You get the taste without eating a days worth of calories.
There is only ONE healthy thing on the Olive Gardens’ menu and that is the one pictured, that grilled salmon with broccoli and I can question that one too because it’s a farm raised salmon, fed with lots of soy. To list this restaurant and others like that as a healthy restaurant just because they have ONE healthy dish, it is ridiculous. Or because they fry with a non trans fat oil, does anyone know what that oil is? It is the canola oil, a very controversial oil, made from a genetically modified plant. People, do your homework, there are no healthy restaurants, your best bet is to cook for youself and if you choose to eat out, go to a very expensive restaurant, you will have a FEW better options, I am not saying that are healthy, but much better than the options you have at a chain restaurant.
I believe what they are attempting to do is recognize the restaurants that do provide a few healthy options. Of course you are not going to go to Macaroni Grill and eat Lasagna if you are trying to eat healthy. But they make an effort to offer selections that will allow you not to derail from your healthy habits. It is also our responsibility to check out how accurate the information provided is.
The powers-to-be at “Health.com” should hang their heads in shame, do the honorable thing and resign, and get employment at one of these so-called
“Healthiest Restaurants”, where they will be sentenced to eat daily at least two of the highest calorie, fat and sodium-laden meals on the menu. Then we’ll see how heart-healthy and svelte you are! It’s no trick to find a healthy dish or two at virtually any restaurant. To label most of the restaurants on this list as “Healthiest” is blatantly untrue. Now you’ve forced us to mistrust everything you recommend in the future. How counterproductive for you!
P.S. Not to be hair-splitting or pedantic, but some of the people posting here should take a bit more pride in the English language. At times, this reads like an “English as a Third Language” forum!
Trans fat free means the food is cooked in soy oil. As a breast cancer survivorr with er+ cancer, I stay away from as much soy as possible and that’s just not possible any longer with all of the restaurants going to soy oil. I was much better off with a tiny bit of trans fats!
The turkey burgers at Ruby Tuesday’s have more calories than the triple prime burger. Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden have some of the worst high fat/calorie dishes.
The turkey burgers at Ruby Tuesday’s have more calories than the triple prime burger. Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden are famous for their high fat/calorie dishes. Eaters beware!
We should always keep abreast of the nutritional data offered by the media, internet and our physicians. The restaurant list offered healthy options and gave the reasons why there were listed. Don’t ever look for a restaurant with a no brainer menu or you will starve. It just isn’t good business! You can eat healthy in just about any restaurant if you use your brain and choose wisely using the data available to you. I never eat soup in any restaurant. I retain fluid and it is a rare soup that is not salt laden. For those who don’t read carefully the information offered on the lists,you are grown ups, now digest all the information out there and grow into wise diners.
My friend insisted on eating at Denny’s. I was surprised; I had the grilled chicken, broccoli and side salad – It was good!
Truly want to eat healthy? Go vegan, eat organic and buy local! Duh!
Sweet Tomatoes wins the “Best Salad Bar” in Las Vegas every year..and they do have a wonderful salad bar. But the soups are full of sodium so you might want to bypass them. Items are listed as vegan, vegetarian, low-fat, and non-fat which is a huge plus. By making smart choices here you really can eat a healthy and filling meal and it’s all you can eat. As soon as you walk in you take a plate and start choosing from among freshly tossed salads then a make-you-own salad bar, choose a drink (ice water is an option), pay, then it’s onto the soup bar, baked potato bar, fresh breads and muffins, and hot pasta. There’s also a dessert bar with fresh fruit, sugarless pudding, and soft serve ice cream which I think is low-fat. Sweet Tomatoes is the only one of these restaurants which truly deserves to be on this list of healthy restaurants. Again, though, it comes down to making smart choices if you are going to dine out.
I have learned to modify even the most fattening unhealthy dishes at home so we eat healthy most every night with just a few cheat meals but—-when we eat out I rarely get a healthy meal. That is the idea of eatting out, allow yourself a treat now and then. That beig said I agree with all who say how the resturants are not truthful in thier fat and calorie statements. It’s been proven ( in lab testing of the foods )they are not correct and sometimes have double what is stated. My other problem as someone else mentioned is the sodium content. Most supposedly heaty choices are laden with sodium! That is not a healthy choice! Some on the Weight Watchers choices are so full of sodium it’s terrible! Applebees does have one choice that is actually pretty healthy if you order the dressing on the side and just drizzle a little on, that is the grilled shrimp spinach salad and it is very good! Also Carabba’s told me they use olive oil instead of lots of butter in most of thier dishes. That is good although it’s still a fat and will make you fat if you eat too much. Watch portions size when you want to eat healthy. Sorry didn’t mean to write a book but had a lot to say.
Thank you for surprising information on healthy restaurants, especially Sweet Tomatoes, my favorite “pig out” restaurant! I am now feeling quite righteous!!!
Some of these I agree but I think you need to do more homework on your list.
Read…read..read. before you comment on these restaurants. The study showed exactly what on the menus of these restaurants is deemed healthy and tasty. I love Denny’s, have breakfast there every day. My whole family frequents the place for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and it does have some very tasty dishes under their fit fare plates.
Intelligent people read the whole article before praising or critisizing.
That list was outrageouus Macaroni Grill and P. F. changs, come on!
hey lets go all the way and add taco bell!!
I used to work for Mimi’s Cafe and I can safely tell you that it definitely has many different options for you to customize your meal to make it as healthy (or unhealthy) as possible. The article’s suggestion of the Chicken and Fruit on the menu is great as is their entire “Lifestyle Menu”. Because the restaurant prides itself on a family dining, they are always willing to create whatever concoction you’d like-whether you’d like to substitute your mashed potatoes for egg whites or have tomatoes or cottage cheese as opposed to your breakfast potatoes. Just steer clear of their muffins–not good for you. Their Non Fat Blueberry Muffin has the most amount of calories while their Honeybran Muffin may have the least calories but most fat. One last note-the owner of Bob Evans also owns Mimi’s Cafe so if you go to Mimi’s now, just be on the lookout for some new food reminiscent of Bob Evans restaurants.
This list is horrible. The only restaurant that would be reasonably healthy is Sweet Tomatoes. PF Chang’s? Uno’s? No thank you.
I agree with Lucy. This list is very disappointing. Restaurants like Olive Garden only market “healthy” options because it makes them money. I wouldn’t trust the ingredients or preparation method of any of these restaurants, except for Sweet Tomatoes. Lucy sounds like a smart lady. I would like to dine with her at a truly healthy establishment.
Yes, like some of you have mentioned, this list seems awfully shady. I, too, distintively remember Macaroni Grill being on a worst-offenders list last month.
I was shocked that P.F. Changs is on this list. I do Weight Watchers, and almost everything on their menu is a full days worth of points for me. (even the rice is 7 points, which is almost half of my daily intake). I hate when my staff wants to eat there for a group meal, as I know I am very limited to what I can order.
This is an AWFUL list. Pull it.
After reading this list and the comments I figured I didn’t need this kind of health!
You’re all idiots. Grow a brain and take responsibility for your own food choices whether informed or not. You don’t need someone to tell you the healthiest restaurants around you. Here’s a clue: none of them are fully healthy.
I think that everyone wants a “quick fix” and perhaps were hoping for information that they might not have had prior to today when they clicked on this article in the first place. People who are truly concerned about the choices these chain restaurants offer should go on the websites and look up the nutritional information PRIOR to going to the restaurant. I am planning a trip in a few weeks and I am doing that right now, best I can. Ask questions at non-chain restaurants, and know how the food is prepared. It takes more work to get a healthier meal at a restaurant, let’s face it.
Why don’t we add Krispy Kreme to this list while we’re at it…
To put the Olive Garden on this list is pathetic, along with the rest of them. I worked at the Olive Garden for two years, and believe me…there’s nothing healthy about the place. They don’t even use olive oil in their cooking and I agree with another comment I saw here…the place couldn’t be farther from Italian. Their ‘healthy’ dishes are way outnumbered by their fat-filled counterparts, and even those listed as healthy are full of carbs, sodium, fat, high glycemic indexes, etc. Don’t even look at their desserts….the calorie content will blow your mind, if it hadn’t already been blown by the calories in their entrees and apps.
Get up and grill yourself a piece of chicken, or make your own spaghetti sauce. Your waist (and your enire body, for that matter) will thank you.
I don’t agree with a lot of these places. The best thing for someone in my opinion is to fix healthy meals at home. If you’re really trying to lose weight, avoid all restaurants. Your body and your wallet will be happy.
I think it’s safe to say that we all now know the number of calories in a turkey burger from Ruby Tuesdays. I also think most people would agree that you can cook healthier food at home than what you could order at a restaurant–however, this article is about restaurant food. Can we move on from those points–does anyone have anything new to say or do people just like to see their name online?
Wow, I have only heard of 4 of these places and only 2 of them are near where I live. I guess that’s why people who live in the Midwest are so fat–we don’t have any decent place to eat out.
Denny’s and that macaroni grill arent healthy at all. Denny’s alone has TERRIBLE nutrition when it comes to breakfast, the Grand slam alone has 43 grams of fat, just 17 grams less then the daily limit in one meal, as well as 2320 mg of sodium (which hardens arteries making heart attacks more likely) which is about 102% of your daily recommended supply. The average fat content of Dennys meals is rougly 55.135 grams, just 5 grams less then your daily amount and an average of 2124 mg of sodium, just shy of your 2300 mg recommended daily amount in one meal! Better find a Denny’s next to a hospital.
reeeeeeeeeeeeallllllllly is this a joke?
i love olive garden!!
SERIOUSLY? If they were gonna list these restaurants then there shouldn’t be a list at all! Everyone can make “healthy choices” at all restaurants!
I try to minimize eating out, but when we do, I like knowing that I can go to Uno’s a get a roasted eggplant flat bread pizza knowing exactly what I’m putting into my body thanks to the ingredient lists they provide, or that I can go to Ruby Tuesday’s and make myself an all fresh veggie salad, sans prepared dressing, and order broiled tilapia, no seasoning, with rice, no cheese, and steamed broccoli. Is there anything else I’d order at either restaurant? No. But I still appreciate that I have safe options at these easy-to-find restaurants. I appreciate this list because now I have a starting point to research the menus at a few more places. If you only eat somewhere once every few months, why do you need a wide variety of healthful options? Give me one. And if you’re getting regular exercise, 600-700 calories for your main meal during the day is not excessive, as long as they’re nutrient dense calories.
Wow~ I have a friend who always wants to meet me at Ruby Tuesday’s. I stare at the menu and can never order anything, as it’s all fried and so high in fat. Nothing is appetizing to me.
As for Olive Garden, I met the same friend there once, and the size of their portions is obscene!! I’ve never seen so much food on a person’s plate (PLATTER) in my life. No wonder Americans are so overweight!
HAHAHA!!! This is the stupidest article I have ever read! Ruby Tuesday’s turkey burgers start at over 800 calories and 45 grams of fat and their veggie burger weighs in at 945 calories and 51 grams of fat, add fries to any of these and you are well over 1000 calories! Someone didn’t bother do their research.
Also Romano’s Macaroni Grill”s Simple Salmon contains 40 grams of fat!! That is outrageous for a “Sensible Fare” menu. Macaroni Grill is none to have a menu that is very high in both fat and sodium.
For crying out loud, Denny’s?????? health.com, who are you trying to kid? Fifth graders could come up with a better list than this. I agree with Monique who said that this is the stupidest article I have ever read.
We eat at Sweet Tomatoes (non-West Coast version of Souplantation) often, but of the many soup selections they have every day (at least 8), they use too many strange spices in most of them, leaving only 1 or 2 that I would eat on any given day. They should do less spice experimentation. LOVE the multi-grain bread! Fresh-baked crusty on the outside, topped with a variety of seeds, and soft and chewy on the inside.
I think we need several lists by geographic location. Living in Spokane, in Washington State, I only see three restaurants that are in our city. Some of those restaurants I’ve never even heard of!
Where is Noodles and Company?
Never been to Denver, I presume…
The menu is almost exclusively vegetarian, and many of the items are low in calories. Check them out on their website – or better yet, visit one yourself.
I would hardly call Ruby Tuesday healthy, especially their burgers. Look up the nutritional information on them, all of them clock in at 800+ calories a piece and come very close to or outright surpass the daily recommendation for fat…even the turkey and veggie burgers! This is not even including the fries that come standard and any other sides you may get.
I agree that it is best to prepare your food at home. There are times, like at work, when eating out is necessary, so it is good information to have ahead of time that there are actually some meals on each of these menus that you can eat and not ruinyour health. Read the lead! I think every restaurant has unhealthy choices and healthy ones, you just have to be aware and educate yourself.
It just boils down to using comman sense! Stick to the fruits and veggies with an occasional red meat but mostly fish and chicken. Everybody wants a quick fix or easy button. Sorry, you have to use your brain and exercise the body.
Of this list, there are only 3 in my area. It’s not like I live in the boonies or something, either. Also, Dennys? Eeeww! As far as Olive garden and Chevy’s, they get really old, really quick.
It’s clear to me that your information is incorrect. The best thing to do is find some time to make a nice, healthy, organic meal at home. At least you’ll know what’s in your own cooking!
if the place has fish it made the list.
offers little good and lotta bad.
i am so upset at this list i had to print it so i can crumble and crush it, i then felt bad for the poor tree it came from and felt i had to re-flatten it so its not a complete waste when i am done i’ll use it to wipe my donkey.
hey health freak you might know what’s in it but does it taste any good, how about you invite me over for dinner so i can judge.
i don’t cook because i am a machista.
Macaroni Grill is better than all the others on the list! It is one of the best places to eat in the Bay Area.
Although I can agree with some comments….the surprise at Macaroni Grill….you are missing the point. They are pointing out the healthy options you can order and how healthy they are. They problem for most people is that they do not order these options.
Then again….
some of you are flat crazy people.
Take “Eric” up there, towards the top.
He claimed that Ruby Tuesday had a Turkey Burger with “48 grams of fat”!!!! Let’s do some math, eh?
There are less than 454 grams in a pound. Most big burgers are about 1/4 pound. 1/4 of 454 is less than 114. 48 is 42% of 114.
You are telling me that the cooked burger is more than 42% fat!? and people eat it?
What we now consider to be “high-fat ground meat” is 20% fat….RAW. When it cooks, much of it cooks away.
I just don’t believe most of you know what you are talking about.
P.S.
Most of you didn’t acutally read the article.
A) Denny’s, Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden, etc. are not healthy OVERALL. The article mentions the healthy items you can order there, if you choose.
B) They are not saying this is the healthiest food you can eat. They compared CHAINS of retaurants WITH A MINIMUM NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS. There is criteria. If you know what Mother’s is, or Luscious Lorraine’s, etc., depending on where you live, there are much healthier places to eat. They, usually, however, and unfortunately for fat America, are not large chains.
There is only ONE place you can actually munch until your stomach blows up is Souplantation. I’ve been to all those on the list and many other recommended places but, every single place I’ve been to had extremely high sodium contamination in their food. Even a foot long Subway sandwich (with any type of meat) will get you anywhere between 300mg to 800mg of sodium!
Of course it was ‘in the ground’ 24 hrs before being on a refrigerated truck; that’s nothing new or exceptional. That does not mean that it was processed and on the way to the salad bar or 24 hrs from the ground to the salad bar but it makes you believe that is the case. False reasoning.
THANKS A LOT! You have completely undone any sense of sensibility that I may have instilled in my parents to get them to stop eating out so much and to start cooking at home because they know what is being put into their food. Now they will see articles like this and think that it is alright to get back into their bad habit of eating every meal out again. Did you seriously think about what you were doing when you said there were healthy options? There are options that have lower fat and calories but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are better for you. Evidently, you have never had to deal with parents who have had multiple heart attacks and a stint placed in their heart because of eating out at these “healthy” restaurants. And, yes, they were eating the “healthy” options.
Organic food is a joke!!
With the exception of Sweet Tomatoes, I disagree with the entire list. It appears that someone picked out the one healthy dish from each restaurant and decided this is a healthy place to eat. Good luck on making America fatter!
Looks like JIm has not done his/her research. However, if eating pesticides and growth hormones is your thing, best of luck to you JIm.
This list is wrong!! I dont know where their heads were when they created this.
Do u expect me to believe Bob evans and denny are healthy!!!!!, I hope msn made enough money with this crappy blog-advertisement. The only place i see is sweet tomatoes.
Please dont give people wrong impressions.
In reference to Romano’s Macaroni Grill being on the list, be careful. I’ve also seen them ranked high on the sodium content in their food. Something my doctor wants me to stay away from.
People,people…..read the heading of the article.
This is not the healthiest restaurant list(that is only the heading), for the BEST CASUAL DINING SPOTS.
The “Best Casual” normally doesn’t imply the “healthiest choice”.
Read on……
What kills me is that obviously we are a critical society. If you had read the whole article, you would see that the authors did not say the entire menu was healthy. They pointed out that they have healthy options and probably more healthy options than other restaurants. It was an article to help you be able to pick and choose which restaurants to go to and still be able to enjoy the dining out experience because these restaurants offer these healthy options. Read. Comprehend. Move on.
Regarding comments about how bad this list is. Please unplug your head from your posterior and buy the healthy part of the menu dummy.
I am so glad that Sweet Tomatoes made it. We love that place. You do have to watch out for plate overload like you said. The food is very fresh and tastes great. They have a great variety. Everyone should try it ast least once.
I was a little surprised at some of the ones that made the list. Jason’s Deli is one to look at for its healthy approach. I have lost 75 lbs in the last 8 months. Every place I eat at I explain to them what I am doing and how I would like my food prepared and they all have been very supportive and helpful. It is about reprogramming your mind; if it does not look healthy then it mostly is not. Get the saturated fat out of you diet and put whole grains in your diet and you will see the pounds come off. Portion size is key as well. This is from a guy that loved White Castles but I did not want the heart attack that comes with those sliders.
You have got to be kidding me!!
Olive Garden!
People will see this on the list and eat what they want on the menu and disregard your advise, just because you listed the restaurant as healthy. It is far from healthy. Pasta , all you can eat bread sticks.
Where are the JApanese restaurants and the vegetarian or vegan restaurant????? Let’s really talk healthy…not talk what America wants to hear…that is why thjey country is obese. They need good low cal high protein restaurants and to change eating habits.Olive GArden…Gimme a break
i love Sweet Tomatoes and it is the best on the list
Interesting that so many people are quick to criticize this article, yet no one is giving any other alternatives to the list that this article gives. What restaurants would all you “health conciouse” people put on this list besides the ones that are already on their. Don’t just sit here and criticize, make a difference.
Isnt any restaurant healthy if you eat a salad with grilled chicken? Isnt it all about self control…there isnt a single place on here that you could go into and order whatever you want and not have to worry about walking out with 3K calories more in your body
If a Brooklyn Italian wrote this article he’d be indicted.
THANK YOU KEV G….IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU, I WOULD
STILL BE SEARCHING FOR THE LIST…
WHO WROTE THIS ARTICLE?? NO DUH!!
You’re idiots.
WOW, I am frightened by many of these comments.This all comes down to making healthy choices. If you actually read the article it mentions healthy options. Is it not obvious that items dipped in grease are NOT healthy? Thanks Jamie, Audrey, VLA, Vern and those few who make sense.
No wedge! It is very possible to eat a high calorie salad or fish dish. That is exactly why we need this information. Restaurants just want to make the food taste good so you come back for more!
McDONALDS COULD BE ON THIS LIST IF YOU BUY THE SALD AND DONT EAT THE DRESSING……
ALSO TRY THE MELTING POT AS A PLACE TO GO
Severely disappointed with lists, however that horse has been beaten to death (perhaps we should have EATEN it instead of the questionable suggestions), anyhoo, to Len D: you were NOT wrong, I used to perform work on systems at various Olive Gardens and have personally seen CASES of seven seas italian being unloaded and used.
No one should believe this one article. Trust the dozens of other articles that state how high in salt and fat these places really are.
Denny’s, are you kidding! The food is usually sloppy and greasy, and the restaurants are dirty.
Thank you for the list. I read some of the comments and for me, I appreciate any tip I can get when eating out.I have very little time to cook before 8 p.m. and I have a lot of meetings during my work day. If I can meet someone at a place with a salad bar, that is usually my choice. But when traveling, I’m not always comfortable with little local places to eat. For all the people who are so adament about cooking and eating at home to be healthy, you are blessed to have the money to buy fresh vegetables, fruit and any meat at all. Be a lot kinder to each other because we all are going to find out what living on $21 a week in groceries per person will look like in this economy.
WHAT! I can freaking believe CHIPOTLE is not number one in this stupid list.
Is anyone noticing the same thing I am ? On every one of those menus, the only thing healthy is the grilled items, the salads and veggies.. Hmmm,, WHY BOTHER EATING OUT? YOU CAN MAKE GRILLED CHICKEN AND SALAD IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES AT HOME , AND ITS CHEAPER !!
How much were you paid to put these lies in print. Even if any of these frybaby restaurants had something good to eat they treat food like *#^& that’s right, they don’t care about food at all. Enjoy their food and head to the OR.
Lost all respect for “HEALTH EATING” guide.
Whoa folks, I agree with Vona. Read this list a little better they list the “DANGER ZONES” at each of these restaurants as well as what they are recommending as “HEALTHY” with the “What we liked” area. They are not saying everything these restaurants offer is healthy, so read your menus carefully…
The only ones on this list that I would recommend is Souplantation and Mimi’s. Other than that, when dining out always look for the lighter fare on the menu. If you don’t see anything healthly, then just order a salad.
Restaurants are like neighborhoods, you can find the good and bad in all of them. (Obviously, there are some that have more good than bad.) The only real way to lose weight is to eat less of healthier foods and stay away from the Fat 4– Dairy(skim milk is acceptable), Pork(and pork products like sausage), ground meats, and sweets. Cut these out and you will lose 10 pounds by the holidays. But if you need to drop 20 or more, then you need the wild animal diet. This is an instinct based diet that plays on our more primitive body functions that have allowed us to survive as sapiens in the wild. For more information please email me at jp3gordon@msn.com. I will explain how I lost 40 pounds and didn’t give up the amount of the content of what I ate.
This list is clearly racist. None of these businesses are black owned.
I work at mimis cafe and I will say they have some good healthy choices, but almost any rest. gives you healthy choices. Problem is that many do not chose those, I will have to say Mimi’s is really not that healthy overall. Kind of a joke to have them onm this list.
I encourage all of you to look into Gillian McKeith’s “You are what you eat”. Her show is on BBC AMerica and you can purchase her book of the same title for $16 at any local bookstore. I think we all know what’s really healthy for us and making educated decisions is our perogative. If you’re not sure what you’re getting/eating, don’t eat out!! Stay home and cook it yourself. Healthy eating does not mean you have to slave over the stove all day!
What about Applebee’s? They have a GREAT weight watchers menu!
Cderic, pardon my obsevation, but it’s about the FOOD!!! None of them are probably owned by Tibetans, Ethinic Chinese from Viet Nam,Native Americans (my personal heritage) or any of a myriad of displaced, discriminated upon peoples, or even members of PETA, but c’mon, the discussion is about HEALTHY EATING.
I cant believe how dense some of these comments are. Learn to read the details of the article and see the real point behind this article. These are places that are fairly common chains and are easily accessible for those who do not have time to cook their own food or find some mediocre hole in the wall vegan place that are few and far between. This list is to let people know of chains where there are some healthy options.
Author please change your headline as the rest of these people obviously cant read anything that isnt bold and 14pt + font.
This is truely interesting to me. I feel so thankful to live where I live, (europe) because their food is usually always wonderful and healthy. This American stuff is just awful. (yes, i AM American) however I do NOT respect the food there, except maybe the health food store. All of our grocery stores are like the health food store, it seems!!
forget about eating right, eat what you want! just move your big butt and exercise. the rest will fall into place i promise you!
“This list is clearly racist. None of these businesses are black owned.”–I don’t remember southern cooking or country cooking having anything healthy to offer ha.
I can’t believe how many people out there have ADD…This article clearly states the items that are healthy choices at each restaurant. If you would actually read instead of skimming the already short article, you would have discovered that to be true. I am also finding that a number of people have some issues better left to a therapist’s ears…just my opinion.
PF CHANGS HEALTHY? I used to work there. Let me fill you in on a little secret. EVERYTHING THERE HAS SUGAR IN IT, all of their sauces and the such…
Most of the restaurants listed are just a tease to your diet. Who the heck wants to go out and pay for a plain grilled chicken and fruits…when every thing else on the menu sounds way better. It’s best to save your $$ and calories and make your own grilled chicken and fruits at home.
Wow, there are some pretty hostile people about this list. I am a Weight Watchers member, so we usually break down the nutrition facts to help determine the points of the meal, etc. There ARE healthy options if people just take the time to look, as well as realize that it’s ok to NOT eat the whole meal in one sitting. Also, for those who are concerned with MSG and its intake… a lot of that is genetic… some people’s body handles sodium different than others, for example, it doesn’t have a major effect on my body, and my blood pressure is within normal range. Again, a lot of these things that some people are bickering about just need to be viewed with alternative options… AND, most restaurants will leave out the heavy salt, creamy, rich sauces OR even allow you to replace something for a small salad or whole grain carb…. use those options as positives, and quit seeing it so negatively – going out to eat should be fun, not a pain.
K; Chapel Hill, NC
For all of those commenting on making their grilled chicken at home, and why would you pay for grilled chicken when it is easier and cheaper to make it at home, etc. – I like getting out of the house with friends to share a meal. Call me lazy, but at least this article gives me options at restaurants in case I want to be healthy. Period.
How in the world did Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden make the healthiest list. If you have a heart condition, or you’re just plain overweight, these two restaurants have extraordinarly high salt contents that are way oiff the chart….literally, thousands of grams.
there’s no way denny’s made the list. you might as well put Mcdonalds on there and write
“we love:big-mac”…..jeez!
For people with little self control, a list like this is dangerous….They say, “ooo….Denny’s is healthy?” Then, they get there, and they can’t resist ordering the Grand Slam breakfast with a side of lard. I’m talking about myself of course.
Yeah right! I wonder how much money those restaurant have paid to get their names on this list. What a Joke! They are all full of FAT!
Oh my gosh, what else can we come up with to blame racism on???? This has absolutely nothing to do with racism, it’s about healthy eating for Goodness sakes!!!
Are you kidding???? Somebody’s “palm is being greased” as they say. And our hearts and system will be too if you believe any of this. Are any of these restaurants “corporate brothers or sisters”? Hmmmmmmm. Most of the these restaurants double the serving, and cheat on their fat content…Cardiac patients beware…
PEOPLE,
Get a life! You can visit almost any restaurant and get a healthy meal. You can go to Mcdonalds and get a salad. All the authors are saying is use common sense which most of you who are complaining obviously do not have.
i totally agree jen. “Eat this not that” is a great book. and you’re right, most of these places are on there. I think macaroni grill is the LEAST healthiest restaurant in the country or something. great read…available on amazon for a reasonable price.
Just a thought, but perhaps this is just a little marketing scheme to get people (who actually believe everything they read) to spend their money at these places. I mean, in this economy, hasn’t everyone taken a break from going to restaurants?
This list is dumb, its almost as if it picked popular resturants and determined if it had a healthy dish or not. They should have taken the menu as a whole…as someone mentioned, why not Panera?
we love unos pizza
Who ever wrote/published this article is delusional! “Trans-fat free” is not a label that you can slap onto any fried food and somehow make it good for you. Most of the listed restaurants drench their foods in cheese and cream sauces. I guess whoever buys the most advertising makes this author’s list!
Chain restaurants are not the best options for diet or nutrition. I dine out daily and of these restaurants listed sweet tomatoes is the only one that I do go to occasionally. Still you have to watch portions and the dressing. And to agree with some of you “Eat this not that” by Mens Health will open your eyes to what you are really about to eat. Best choices are the local family owned restaurants where they make everything in their own kitchen not in a commissary somewhere else.
I think is absurb anyone with any common sense on food and nutrition knows how to pick something healthy on a menu.
While I appreciate knowing these restaurants have a few healthy items, how about listing some restaurants that have more healthy choices than not.
I love Aladdin’s eatery….it’s the healthiest restaurant out there…
VERY misleading headline. I will DEFINATLY be very leary aboout reading ANYTHING on MSN anymore.
I think that what everyone needs to keep in mind is that no matter what restaurant you go to, it is up to YOU to do research if you want something healthy. There are few restaurants out there that serve a totally healthy menu. If you plan to eat out, go online and look at nutritional information first. Be proactive.
This list is a joke,anyone following the advice better have good health insurance!
This list was a joke. Looks like someone was paid off to put Dennys or some of these other eateries on the list.Eat organic its better for you and you will feel better.
I will let you know. I went to Bob Evens just the other day. I am on a very low salt diet. I could not find anything on the menu that i could eat without being over what I am allowed. I have to watch everything I eat. It gets me that things will say healthy heart, or good for your heart it is very high in sodium. I have found almost anything that says healthy is very high in sodium. I still trying to figure out how can anything can be healthy when it has a high sodium count.
I think Im probably the youngest here, 19, after reading this, I came to the conclusion, if people cant figure out how to pick healthy foods then you should just go to a nutritionist. HOW ABOUT.. DONT EAT OUT .. plain and simple, you know the world today and the economy people are skimping on healthy to be cheaper. Make it a 2 day a week thing, a special night to relax and have a once in a while dinner.
If there is any place that is healthy, look up Ericks Deli.
all fresh sandwiches, soups, salads, they us sprouts, tomatoes, onions, avacado, all sorts of grain bread, sour doughs.etc..and ham with no msg, they offer chips, but which are baked so they have less grease and fat. they offer tea and lemonade and soda so you have a choice.
I dont get why everyone complains and bickers, writing all that nonsense isnt going anywhere. It just makes you sound like someone annoying and whiny. You dont have to do research on sites to know how to eat healthy or what foods to pick on menus. It really does come down to common sense and practicality. Exercise and diet and plenty of water is all you need. not some website saying eat here, or not here.
I am sorry but,
How much are these restaurants paying for the advertisement?
But I guess whining and complaining makes people feel better, when really, overall the comments are all the same pretty much. You guys just have a million annoying ways to keep repeating it.
WOW I’m suprised too. A lot of those restaurants including PF Changs and Macaroni Grill have the highest sodium. I don’t trust this list!
Most of you guys are pathetic! There is no reason to get so up-tight about a simple list. If you look at most menus they may be a very unhealty place but there is ALWAYS something fairly heathly there. Anyone who is so focused on the exact amount of carbs, calories, etc to the point where they go on a rant about a list of places to eat needs to get a life! You can eat comfort food and stay healthy IF you eat it in moderation. My father ate southern cooking for years in correct amount and he is 55 and is at perfect weight, shape, blood pressure,etc. Most of you needs to chill out!
And since commentator ‘me’ thinks this is a racist list, proves my point on how people are so narrow minded and naive. Southern fried food is not exactly healthy, and since this article was about healthy food, i guess it makes sense they arnt on there!.
And how would you really know that none of all the resteraunts they sampled were not black owned?? do you personally know everysingle owner C.E.O.’s race?? jeeze people are you freaking retarded?? apparently you have eaten way to much junk to know what your talking about.
there is always someone who has to make it a race issue. grow up
these are the most retarded comments ever!
WOW!! did any of you actually read what they wrote? they did not say every thing on the menu’s were healthy. they pointed out what things was and what things to stay away from. read what they wrote, don’t just look at the names and pictures!!!!
As a health professional I must interject about the 10 calories/lb of body weight comment somebody made earlier. That is oversimplifying things to a very large degree. First of all you can find out your actual caloric recommendation based on age, height, weight, and activity level. Second a pound of fat is not worth a pound of muscle. I weigh in at 160 lbs. 6-8% body fat. Aside from the fact that a higher percentage of lean body mass burns calories more quickly regardless of current activity level, metabolic rates are also effected by CV fitness. If I was 200lbs with little to none of that weight gain being lean mass and almost all of it being fat than my metabolism would be slowed considerably so I would need less calories than i do now to maintain my weight. But according to the 10 cal/lb thing I should increase 400. Although I now eat about 2500-2800 when i’m relatively inactive and 3500-4000 when i’m very active. If I weighed 200 lbs with little to no more lean mass I would probably eat 2500-2800 calories if i was exercising to lose weight and probably 2200 to maintain. My examples are partly hypothetical part factual. The concept still stands. I just don’t want anybody out there thinking each lb of fat you weigh is equivalent to each lb of muscle you weigh as the greater % of muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate will be. it’s kind of unfair if you think about it. The more in shape you are the harder it physiologically is for you to gain weight, and the more out of shape/overweight you are the harder it is to lose weight.
Your report is as accurate as you reports on politics. I can’t believe (but coming from you I should)an organization as large and supposedly unbiased could print such lies (oh well, like your political views) you guys stink!! Hope you were will paid by your top restaurants picks.
I thought this list was a joke too. However, I think the overall focus was that if you educate yourself on healthy foods, then any restaurant can become part of the “safe” list. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to decipher if a grilled chicken breast and steamed veggies is better than a huge portion of spaghetti and meatballs! So just use your head and endulge in moderation.
You guys stink! I now see how your political stories get so out of whack! I hope you were well paid for the ratings from the worst and most unresearched data you printed.
Most of these restaurants also have the worst food for you. So why even report it. Add all the calories and fat and carbs up for each restaurant then report who has the lowest of each.
This is a joke. You can eat almost anywhere and make healthy choices. This article is for the people to feel better about themselves that go to Denny’s and order a chicken fried steak. Come on people! Common sense! You need to make healthy choices to have a healthy diet! Jeez, where can I sign up to write an article of bs and get paid for it? Way to lead the American people in the right direction!!!!
The turkey burger has 1100 calories. You failed to mention that!!!!!!
I travel all over the USA for my job at least two weeks out of the month.So you all can guess that I eat out alot well untill I had a major Heart Attack!! I’m 43 years old yes 43 and had a 4% chance of survivel well here I am!! My cholesterol was trough the roof I had no idea that what I was putting in my body from just eating out almost killed me!!! All I can say is eat right and make good decisions out there!It is hard to find good food when you are on the road as much as I am but now it is alot more easy then before Thanks to articles like this!!
blah
Obamas fault
No too long ago Olive Garden was classified as one of the worst place to eat at. How can it be now one of the healthiest places to dine in?
To jp jr: PLEASE don’t tell us that you BELIEVE that their articles are by and large UNBIASED? I hate to spoil your day, but the day of the media being unbiased (which was an illusion, anyway. The agenda was just hidden a little better)is long gone. My question is, if THESE were the best, WHO were the BAD guys out of the referenced 43 or so?
If you eat at any of these places, you are only asking for a bigger butt and a bad case of diarrhea. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES – THE ONLY HEALTHY OPTIONS!
The choices under “danger zone” and “we love to eat” should be of the same calliber. Some listed are way off. Like if you compare, both should be entrees and not one entree and other biscotti? Are you kidding me to say its a healthy place.
does any one hear about: Bone fish grill ?!!
What a bunch of lunk heads. If you can’t your own control actions or appetites, it doesn’t matter what restraunt you go to they all offer some dishes that have healthly ingredients, as well as those that have unhealthy ingredients, and desserts. So if you can’t take two seconds to think about what you order, and exhibit some control and responsibility for your actions, before you order and put the food into your mouth why don’t you just order whatever you like, for example; apple pie for a starter, cheesecake as an entree, Death-by-Chocolate for dessert and get it over with. It’s all about which restraunts have the most healthy, and hopefully, somewhat tasty, ‘OPTIONS”. If you choose the unhealthy options that’s your problem you weak minded fools!
This comment ought to get the blood of some readers flowing huh?
Some of you people don’t seem to realize that the list is just showing you what type of healthy options you have when you go out to these places. And if you’re that worried about it don’t go out to eat anymore….I know it’s not going to stop me. If you only go out 1-2 times a month it isn’t going to kill you to have that burger or pasta dish folks. Maybe you should start working out or something, jeez. America is a country of whiners, it’s your choice, no one is forcing you to go out to eat you know.
Okay I have tried all the tricks listed here. THe link clearly states “43 sit down” and “53 fast food”. I saw absolutely no fast food ones and about 10 of the 43. Which unforunately for me living in a samll town I do not get some of. So thanks for nothing stupid website! Now I’ll just have to keep eating stupid McDonalds and Burger King! Yuck!
I think I am going to hit the gym now, this article is making me feel disgusted!! I guess I am sticking to Lettuce at home.
where is jackoff
What you choose to eat isn’t the healthiest choice Not the choice of restaurant i.e. Red Lobster has melted butter but you can grill fresh fish and seafood without it. How healthy is that? Very!
I agree with Vona – no one said that every dish at every restaurant was healthy – you have to use discretion – they only said these places OFFER healthy choices – make them!
To those of you who keep criticizing the people who didn’t “use their brains” – and read the whole article-are sadly mistaken. I agree with the person who posted about “Eat This Not That.” The book actually uses the Turkey Burger at Ruby Tuesdays as something to avoid because of the fat and calorie content. Maybe before you post something with rude and judgemental remarks you should do a little research.
EVERY restaurant has its good items and its bad items. These restaurants are listed because they are affordable. These all organic/health restaurants are not always in peoples budgets. Also, smaller towns and cities have chains and not very many have health stores/restaurants. This article highlights restaurants that are commonly known so no, they may not be the healthiest places, but it does tell about healthier options.
Hey People….First, go out and purchase a LIFE….then,how about stuffing your pie hole with some sausage gravy….Oh sorry, make that Turkey sausage gravy…..HAH!!
It doesn’t matter what restaurant you eat at, its what you ORDER at the restaurant. Just bc its labeled as a “healthy” restaurant doesn’t mean EVERYTHING is healthy…
Who wants to die in perfect health, anyway? I am such a creature of habit, I tend to get the same thing every time I go to a specific eating establishment. If it’s Mcdonalds, it’s a double quarter-pounder meal and a double fish sandwich. Taco Bell is a taco supreme and burrito supreme meal with two bean burritos. No, I’m not 400 pounds, nor am I 17 years old. I’m still 200 pounds at 6′ tall and age 44. I doubt the health food craze will make you live longer if your DNA says otherwise.
I agree with Tim….it’s Obamas fault….
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY , ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL IS THE WORST RESTAURANT FOR PEOPLE WATCHING THEIR
SODIUM INTAKE. I RECOMMEND DIALYSIS PATIENT’S TO
STAY AWAY.
This list seems bogus.. I have read in several other Mags how bad these places were beacuse of sodium content…
Give me a break……..who’s going to Uno and NOT order the item they are world famous for—-DEEP DISH PIZZA? And I’m NOT going to Denny’s and ordering anything but a big stack of pancakes loaded with butter and syrup. It all comes down to eating healthy ANYWHERE you go…….if you have the will.
I am surprised that Subway was not on that list, and Applebees’ now has a menu for those who are doing weight watchers. It gives you the point values, fat and calorie count.
Denny’s should be nowhere near this list
who paid you to put themon this list ? and how mutch, ?
These are the restaurant that paid for this ad, I believe the owners requested to be advertised as HEALTHY restaurants.
What a crock.
Seriously, it’s sad how many niave people we have inthis world. USE COMMON SENSE! For 98% of you it’s not baby fat, it’s not because you have a health concern…it’s how much you eat and plan & simple you’re just not moving enough.
Some of their suggestions were outrageous- get a broth based soup? um hello sodium heaven. Just read labels and think before you order. Mayo, ranch, cheese, oil…all in moderation. Skip white rice and white bread. This article is crap.
Uno Chicago Grill made to the top of bad offenders last year in msn.com and now you are making up to them by putin them on top of Good ! ! !
lol i’d love to hear what Jack Lalanne would say.
Take a GOOD look at what Vona said (above), what she said is so true, YOU have to PICK something from the HEALTHY, not just anything you want. Most of you people are NOT thinking. Thanks Vona for setting these silly people straight.
I was really surprised by your list of “healthy” places to eat. The macoroni grill is one of the worst places to eat! And just getting desert there is not an actual meal.
According to Ruby Tuesday’s own website: http://www.rubytuesday.com/files/Nutrition.pdf
The veggie burger has 945 calories and 51 grams of fat, the turkey burger has 813 calories and 45 grams of fat.
That is worse than a burger at fast food restaurants. This list is a joke!
Are you kidding me? As I browsed a few of the restaurants and favorites I realized this panel of “experts” didn’t have a clue. They obvioulsy didn’t do their research. For example, the “favorite” at PF Chang’s is the Carb-Free Vegetarian lettuce wraps. If they checked the website for nutritional info they would’ve found that the wraps are hardly carb free (37 grams). Throughout the article there are many more of this mi-information that could lead readers in the wrong direction.
You truly NEVER know what you are eating when dining out. Having worked in the food service industry for years, it was hard to even eat where I worked.
Just beware :)
It’s terrible that you’re perpetuating the misinformation that simply getting something like a veggie burger at a restaurant means you’re eating healthy. A look at Ruby Tuesdays website shows that their veggie burger has 945 calories and 51 grams of fat. This is more calories and fat than their Ribs and fried shrimp combo.
65 Grams of fat reccomended daily? NO WONDER EVERYONE IS SO FAT IN THIS COUNTRY.
this list is bull!!! who goes to macaroni grill to have sorbetto and biscotti but no meal!
You have got to be kidding! First, show me a cardiologist that thinks 65 grams of fat a day is OK! And, what are you including…saturated fat? And, to have a good piece of journalism, tell us how many of these ‘healthy’ options restaurants advertise with you or an affiliate?
People who’ve had heart attacks that read this and change their eating habits based on your representations should be allowed to hold you accountable. At least publish a caveat!
WOW, now we know who the big sponsors are for MSN, this list is total B.S. it just gives fat people an excuse to go to their favorite unhealthy restaurants.
up yours,
Cam
I love some of the comments here. ‘Eat This, Not That says these places are bad’… ETNT also says that if you’re going to one of these places, there are certain things to stick with, which is exactly what this list is doing. Unos is on this list because IN ADDITION to their high fat entrees, they have options for those watching calories and the kiosk which spells everything out for you. Obviously the Tour of Italy at Olive Garden is going to wreck your calorie count for the day, but there are other things you can eat there! Just use your common sense… if it says ‘fried’, it’s going to be bad for you.
What do you think of Golden Corral?
I was really excited about this list until I saw Ruby Tuesday on it. Now I have little confidence in it. I ate there one time while following Weight Watchers. My boyfriend and I were out shopping all day and were starving by the time we decided to grab a bite to eat. I ordered the black bean burger thinking that it would probably be a good bet. I was so disappointed when I got home and looked up the nutritional information. I had blown all my reserve points for the week in one meal! Later that month I met someone who worked in the kitchen in one of the restaurants, he told me they put a ton of butter on all their burger buns and that most everything comes from a can.
i dont really care if its good or bad
pft..im eating nd thats what counts.
there’s atleast food being cooked nd served while in other countries there’s neither of that.
Thanks for your tips! also, If you ever find an all organic restaurant, please let us all know. Even Whole Foods, is not all organic, but I like to eat there sometimes when I’m looking for good food.
“Fruit salad, yummy yummy”!
Your “experts” are frauds. The MACARONI GRILL does indeed publish its food facts, and reveals that MOST of its dishes carry MORE THAN 1,000 mg of SODIUM, and some even top 6,000 mg…..that’s right…..more than 6 GRAMS OF SALT per dish — a week’s worth of normal sodium intake in ONE SINGLE DISH. Only a suicidal patron or a masochist should eat at the MACARONI GRILL. Your so called “experts” are nothing but incompetent buffoons….and YOU should be ashamed of yourselves for putting the Macaroni Grill on a “healthy” list…it was MSN’s own home page that revealed the “unhealthy” deluge of sodium being served by this chain some months ago in just such an article about restaurant chains! Shame on you!!
I agree with D if you want to eat healthy. Stay home and fix it yourself. If you want to go out and eat, if it is special event. Then it dont matter where you eat or what it is called. Healthy because you eat it once and a while not every week. The only good thing about eating out is you dont have to clean up later.. Big deal!!! my husband does that.. so I say every thing that taste good is bad for you. So when you go out to these special events Eat till your hearts content, cause you know you wont be going out to eat for a while.
Of course you can go out and eat a healthy and wholesome meal. But the thing is, you can never be 100% sure of what you eat (bar the organic salad bar…). But it’s not just about getting the healthiest stuff in your stomache, it’s more important to enjoy your meal, and part of the meal is the preparation of it. What’s wrong with having friends/relatives/neighbours/etc. over and cook together? Sit around the kitchen table while you prepare the food, have a nice glass a wine and chat a bit. Relax. Cook. Exchange recipes, ideas, experiences. Pay a bit of attention to the preparation of your food. Eat together, chat some more and do the dishes together (throw out the dishwasher!); you’d be amazed how soothing and relaxing the warm soapy water is.
Rediscover the pleasures of preparing your food yourself. Unwind, relax, enjoy and engage! Live like you have another 1000 years to go. It’s the journey, not the destination.
Most of these restaurants and the menu items you list on it are some of the ones with the highest salt content. Low-cal and Low-fat don’t always equal healthy. They have to put the flavor back in it somehow, and unfortunatly they do that by loading it with salt.
You mention that you love how Ruby Tuesday has “healthied” up their burgers by introducing turkey and veggie burger versions. However, Ruby Tuesday’s turkey burgey is LOADED with calories and fat.. doesn’t sound healthy to me.
After reading your list I found the follow up comments to be very disappointing. How are you responding to these comments? And how can we trust what we read from you in the future?
wow. This article seems ridiculous. I do understand that it’s supposed to highlight the “good” foods at each of these places and is not recommending everything, but it’s obviously a marketing scam. I travel A LOT(I’m a musician) and find it very frustrating and hard to eat healthy on the road. I know a lot about nutrition and find there are really no options on most chain menus that fit in with what I know about healthy eating. I do find more options when I stop trying to eat at chains though. I find the mom and pops usually have healthier, fresher food and are better at preparing it for my needs. Sadly, these places are less frequent on the highway. Don’t listen to anything this article or the restaurant says on their menu. Ask what’s in the food and make an educated choice. That’s really the only way. Sometimes I just lie and say I have a medical problem and really need to know what’s in the food or I’ll get sick. Pain in their butt, but keeps mine small!
Who wrote the article? i really can’t find a name! AND.. just wanted to point out.. not everyone can cook at home all the time because of business travel or whatever, but yes, of course, cooking at home is the best option. Sorry to write to much.
I agree with the majority of these comments. Whoever came up with this list is on crack. A healthy restaurant is a place where you should be able to go, order whatever you want, and feel good about what you are eating. Sure, these places have some healthier options, but so does nearly every single other restaurant in america. Even mcdonalds has salads. take off the cheese, use fat free dressing, and its healthy. But that doesn’t make it a healthy place to eat. so learn your facts, and stop living by the diets of the stone age. just because its a turkey burger, it doesnt make it good for you.
The article’s title is “America’s Healthiest Restaurants.” That these purveyors of fat and cholesterol happen to put a couple non-objectionable items on their menus does not make them healthy places to eat.
Every other article I’ve read about restaurant nutrition shows almost all these places should be avoided. I’m supposed to believe and they’re all wrong and health.com’s right?
I likes eating good feed. I like boob oovens. Let us all be fat and jolly.
Wow this list is utter crap and clearly a thinly veiled advertisement for “revamped” glorified fast food. Denny’s is not health food!! Just look at their nutrition contents on any one of their entrees. I’ve worked in the food industry for many years and I know what goes on at a lot of these places and most everything is processed and sent from headquarters, loaded with salt, fat, and preservatives. If you want healthy food options stick with unprocessed foods i.e. stay home.
Yeah I’m pretty sure “Eat this, not that” rated all of these as the worst places to go. Pretty much just set aside half a pasta dish at macaroni grill for lunch the next day and you should be almost fine.
Haha, Ruby Tuesday! What a joke!
I am very surprised that Denny’s was on the top list. I remember that they had all fried foods and alot of gravey’s. Such as biscuits and gravy for breakfast and fried this and that. The grand slam with double bacon, sausage and pancakes.Hopefully they have gotten more health conscious.
I am going to Deny’s right now to get a lumberjack slam. 3 pancakes, 3 eggs, 2 sausage pattys, 3 peices of bacon, hashbrowns, toast. GLAD TO KNOW IM EATING HEALTHY.
Wow this is the first time I have ever made a comment on a website about an article. First let me say that I am very overweight, 51 years old and very concerned about health issues. Unfortunately, I tend to rely and believe in articles to help me deal more healthily with my diet. A recent appt with my cardiologist now tells me to eat “only vegetables, water and fruit for the next month. Very difficult. I came upon this article by accident as I was looking thru vegetarian recepies. I agree with a lot of the readers, WE HAVE THE OPTIONS, and it will be only us that make the choice. I had just hoped that I would feel comfortable in the choices the “experts” weigh in on….unfortunately today that is not the case. I have read all the comments, some I agree, some are silly, but for me this is now a matter of my life and death and I truly wish there was someone or something i could trust in as I too, due to work schedule eat out every single day… I will say this much, it will definitely make me look at the menus more closely and like the Weight Watcher lady before me, we need to examine our choices closely for our very lives depend on it. Look around people, have you noticed that approximately 70% of americans are obese, some morbidly obese and the restaurants are the cause, more food, more money, we become fat and lazy. Once in a while is good, but like me, my daily eating out is now my worse nightmare. When there werent so many restaurants and people’s lifestyles allowed them to fix food at home and we expended more energy thru exercise we were a healthier nation. It has scared me, and hopefully you too. My mother taught me one thing in this life, I think it is quoted in the Bible… “read all but hold fast to that which is good”… so I will continue to learn and hopefully make the right choices.
I am a nurse. You look @ what is healthy over all. Anything that has extra chemicals would be the worst offender.
Americans are so diet conscious they forget how regular food is,& suppose to be.
Cook like an italian & you will see a dramatic difference in your weight. You need to balance everything. Don’t use so much cheese, extra dressing, etc. Olive oil to cook, no frying, eating vegetables & garlic. GARLIC,GARLIC, GARLIC. It helps in so many ways that science can’t even explain!!!! Sincerely,Guilia, P.S. Uno’s would have been my selection too. They may not be perfect but they are trying hard to be # 1 (UNO!)LOL
This article is pretty sad. To everyone saying they only wrote this to highlight healthier options at these places then why is the article called America’s healthiest restaurants. Also the items those chose may be low calories but that does not mean that it is that healthy for you. At most of these places the food is pre processed and shipped to the restaurant. The food is high in sodium and can’t be good for you. On top of that the Olive Garden serves soup or salad and breadsticks with every entree. The breadsticks are frozen then baked for 2 mins lathered in liquid margrin and topped with an excessive amount of garlic salt one breadstick is eqaul to eatin a Big Mac from McDonald’s. This article forgets to mention anything like that. This really bothers me because people who believe this article are going out to these places and think they are making good decisions but it’s a lie.
I’m sure everyone saying how unhealthy Denny’s is orders the meatlovers combo for breakfast.
These restaurants have healthy options, their entire menu is not idiot proof. At Denny’s, for example, order a vegetable omelet made with Egg Beaters with a side of dry wheat toast.
At Uno’s, I order the happy hour size buffalo quesadillas without cheese and the buffalo wings baked.
Many entrees can be ordered to be lower in calories. For example, ask them not to butter your sandwich’s bread or add any glaze or oil to your dish. Ask for them to go light on the sauce and get dressing on the side.
i once at the tour of italy followed by a grilld stuffed burrito followed by the meat lovers bowl followed by the ruby tuesday bacon burger with cheddar sauce and i wasnt even phased. i was just a little out of breath when i got up to poop.
Just because Macaroni Grill has one of the worst dishes in America doesn’t mean its not healthy. Yeah if you order the mac n’ cheese your looking for a heart attack but they also have their dietary guidlines on their website and they do have a lighter section on their menu. The idea is to watch what yor eating and if your concered enough do your research before you go out. You check labels at the grocery store and make healthy dinners for your family at home why wouldn’t you take time to do research before you go out to a resteraunt.
yes, these places have SOME healthy options, but barely. and why isn’t subway on this list? it’s one of the healthiest fast food restaurants. also some common sense if you want to stay healthy/lost weight – choose grilled over fried or crispy, light mayo over regular mayo, or use olive oil( has healthy fats) choose veggies and/or fruit as sides. have a small salad before your meal, it helps the other digestion of the next food you are going to eat. choose whole grain over white and yeah you get the picture right? :) and i also reccomend reading the eat this not that book, it’s very helpful :) and i know what i am talking about, i’ve done ALOT of research .
everyone have a nice day (:
THIS HAS TO BE A JOKE!
so mean, lying to the fat people to keep them fat!
:-( two thumbs down
**************************
Whole foods has a burrito in a box option at the deli…. OMG its so freaking awesome!
PS…. just say no to the bread
Burrito in a box is all the inside stuff in the burrito without those ugly carbs of the tortilla…
I get the grilled veggies, black beans, all three salsa’s, extra tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and cheese…. (Sometimes I get the shredded chicken too..)
I love whole foods… I can eat there every day!
What do you mean people? These are all healthy restraunts … well atleast if you only order a water
To all the negative folks out there Is is there to read not to eat, come on !!! know one is making you eat there, it may be helpful for some folks, If you don’t like it no one is making you read this, i find we have too many complainers out there anyway,, Go read something else and complain, and all I know most restaurants are trying to go healthier, go gripe somewhere else. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !!!!!!!! WITH THE INFO.
It is an important programme.
————-
juliana
http://themastercleanse.org/the-lemonade-diet
I was surprised that I had visited most of these restaurants. So I can agree that there were healthy choices on the menus. My friends and I always look for the healthy-looking items. (TRY a lunch salad at Bob Evans or broiled Tilapia at Dennys, for example. You’ll be impressed.) Those who love the “Eat This, Not That” listing need to notice how limited its information is regarding different foods and especially different restaurants. And to keep raging about the bad nutrition dishes at the restaurants just gives some writers an excuse for being “seen.”
Wow. The article isn’t misinformed, but some of the posts most certainly ARE misinformed. 1. Charles dear, I weigh 105 and if I ate only 10 calories per lb. of my weight I would be in the hospital so please don’t post things like that. It promotes eating disorders and is based on your view alone. It’s easy to eat 2000 calories a day-1000 is starvation.
2. The master cleanse is NOT healthy in any way. We are meant to eat in order to live. NOT to starve for up to 2 full weeks. Besides, many MD’s have debunked this program, stating that our intestines do not need to be “scrubbed”. The program is unhealthy nonsense, and often used by those trying to quickly lose weight.
I ony know
I’m not so sure about this list. I read another list that said Macoroni Grill got an F, when it comes to their nutrition report card. Who really knows the TRUTH out there???
Ruby Tuesday’s turkey burger is one of the worst things you can eat. You think it’s healthy but it packs in around 1,000 calories! No Thank you!
Is this even a real magazine? All the articles sounded really sarcastic.
i agree this list is out there but i will give Unos credit for trying to give options with lots o gluten free options, multigrain crust and numerous other things. Yes coperate but still tries.
Did Mr. Reporter – how much did these restaurants bribve you with eh!!You got to be joking with this list – Denny’s, and healthy? Most of the ones listed here would lead you straight to the BMI above 30. Best food is of course home cooked food but this list is a sham.
I find Ruby Tuesday to be one of the healthiest restaurants as it has a variety of food pertaining to quantity, quality and price. I ENJOY WITH MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!! I suppose one is responsible of their own diet to consider a restaurant healthy or unhealthy.
OH MY GOD. IF YOU KEEP EATING AT MCDONALDS, BASKIN ROBBINS, DUNKIN DONUTS, TACO BELL, BURGER KING, AND WENDYS, UR GUNNA GET FAT AND THEN YOULL HAVE BAD HEALTH AND YOU COULD ALMOST LOSE YOUR LIFE IF YOU CONSTANTLE EAT AT THOSE RESTUARANTS SO STOP EATING AT THOSE RESTAURANTS AND START LIVING
Even the so called healthy microwave frozen items in the store are loaded with sodium. I have chronic heart failure so have to watch it. I will bake a turkey or chicken breast on Monday and be set for the rest of the week.
I love mc donalds
its so yummmmmmmmmy
hey its bob agian and i just wnat you to know that i eat at mc donlalds evey day so dont diss it its deliciuos!!! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!!!!!!!!
Shocking!!! This is why our country is so FAT! I work at one of these places, I won’t mention names, and most of their dishes have more calories in one dish then you need in an entire day! Sure most places have a couple healthy dishes, but people need to get back to the basics. Cook at home, buy lean meats, eats lots or fruits and veggies and work out for crying out loud! This had to be a “large person” that posted this blog!
I love fruit and salads. I buy the cut up fruit bowls and salad bars at the stores. I am alone with 6 cats so making it myself might result in a lot going to waste. I stick with turkey, chicken, fish and once in a while meat.
ummm no comment oh wait that is a comment
Maccaroni Grill and PF Chang’s are both considered “never eat here” according to the Eat This, Not That book by Men’s Health magazine..
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burger king rocks
Healthy restaurants with a good menu. Thank you. It is good to see some of our favorites on the list.
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I do not understand why some people get some upset by this list. PF Changs is one of the best. Why bash it? For the type food unless you can find more authentic chinese it is the best you have. Authentic chinese is hard to come by and way better for you. If you don’t know don’t bash it. Ruby’s is not so bad as you CAN eat healthy. Same for Olive Garden. You are able to find a healthy dish. Denny’s, I am not sure about this. I don’t eat this food and if I eat breakfast it was because I cooked it and I use brown eggs. As for the ignorant oganic comment, you only need organic meats. I know someone who bought organic syrup and all I could do was… shake my head. Don’t be ignorant. Use your head when you are at a resturant and that is what the topic was all about.
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I want to try Sweettomatoes out for SURE! Where are they? And does every restuarant have that beautiful salad bar? I have always wanted to go to a place with a salad bar, being that I am vegan. I love Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar…and when I go with whoever else they can order their “normal” food. but going to the same place really does get old.
The irony for many of these is the lack of healthy selections on kid’s menus. Pony up restaurants, what is taking so long?