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Who doesn't like going to a restaurant? You aren't cooking over a hot stove, you aren't rolling up your sleeves and cleaning the dishes afterward. It's a "win-win" situation, right? Wrong. When we eat out at restaurants, we are generally being served large portions of higher-fat, higher-calorie dishes, and guess what: We usually eat those larger portions all up (perhaps because we want to get our money's worth or because we are in a splurge mode.)
But if you find yourself at one of the top five restaurant chains, we can help you choose lighter restaurant fare. (The not-splurging part, though, is up to you.)
Here are some of their best and worst dinner deals (nutritionally* speaking, that is).
* Because neither nutritional analysis nor ingredient lists are not provided by any of the following restaurants, I chose the items based on the description of ingredients and preparation methods described in their menus.
Dinner Deals
| Applebee's Best |
| Fajita Quesadillas |
| Grilled Salmon |
| Applebee's House Sirloin (if you take some of that 9 oz. Steak home) |
| Steak or Chicken Fajitas (go light on the sour cream and guacamole) |
| Sizzling Stir-Fry Beef or Chicken combo |
| Chicken Fajita Rollup Combo (go light on the ranch dipping sauce) |
| Club House Grill Sandwich (ask for no mayo) |
| Gyro Sandwich (if made without mayo or creamy dressing) |
| Gardenburger (dress with mustard, catsup or BBQ sauce) |
| Basic Burger (dress with mustard, catsup or BBQ sauce and ask for a lightly dressed salad instead of fries) |
| Applebee's Worst |
| Riblet Basket or Platter |
| Chicken Fingers Basket or Platter |
| N'Awlins Skillet |
| Fish & Chips Basket |
| Club Croissant |
| Bacon Cheeseburger |
| Applebee Burger (double-decker quarter pound patties with 2 cheeses and creamy Dijon mustard) |
| Red Lobster's Best |
| Grilled Fresh Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Tilapia, Grouper, or Mahi-Mahi |
| Teriyaki Glazed Fish (basted with teriyaki glaze & served with pineapple-mango salsa) |
| Shrimp & Lobster Pasta Linguini |
| Broiled Flounder (served with salad and fresh vegetables or baked potato) |
| Aztec Chicken (served with vegetables) |
| Teriyaki chicken (served with fresh vegetables, rice, and pineapple-mango salsa) |
| Shrimp and Lobster Pasta |
| Soup, Shrimp Garden Salad, & Bread (if served with broth-based soup and salad is lightly dressed) |
| Grilled Chicken Sandwich (if served with lightly dressed side salad instead of cole slaw and fruit instead of fries) |
| Dockside Shrimp and Chicken (broiled shrimp scampi and grilled chicken breast) |
| Grilled Sirloin Steak |
| Mainlander's Chicken Salad (lightly dressed) |
| Red Lobster's Worst |
| Boardwalk Popcorn Shrimp (bite-sized fried shrimp) |
| Shrimp Pasta and Cajun Shrimp Pasta (served with creamy Alfredo sauce) |
| Cajun Chicken Pasta (with garlic Alfredo sauce) |
| Walt's Favorite Fried Shrimp |
| Fried Seafood Platter |
| Admiral's feast (all-fried platter of shrimp, scallops, clam strips, and fish fillets) |
| Shrimp Pasta (with Alfredo sauce) |
| Crab Alfredo |
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