I just read a great article in the new issue of Women's Health (November 2006) called Restaurant Revolution. The authoer, Leslie Goldman, hit ten popular "sit-down" restaurants like Chili's, Red Lobster, and T.G.I. Friday's and shared not only the pitfalls on the menus, but also some insight into the customer service and ambiance of a few of the places. (Managers, take note. When a reporter describes your menus as covered with "an inspiring array of toddler graffiti" and says "the doors are covered in smudgy fingerprints" from the all-you-can-eat fries, she's being charitable. It translates to the fact that you need to get the staff doing some serious detail-catching and clean up.)
Anywho, whether you're hitting the restaurants with coworkers for lunch, clients for a semi-casual dinner, or the family for some serious downtime, this article is going to be incredibly handy in your arsenal of "should we eat there or not" restaurants.
I was thrilled to see that Applebee's Weight Watchers menu showed up as the WH nutritionists' picks for a healthy meal, including my own top pick, the Cajun Lime Tilapia. I've long found that most restaurants serve up waaaay too much food for me, and it drives my husband nuts that I'm not a "clean your plate" eater or a "reheat it later" girl. I'm just not a foodie, I guess!On that note, is it really, really worth your time and money to eat somewhere that the senior VP says most people take at least half their meal home? (Hello, Cheesecake Factory!) It's up to you to decide. I admit, when I was single and living on ramen, when I could head out for a meal, I was darn sure to take it home in case it actually did still taste edible reheated. These days, though, I'd rather not be faced with a plate that is so overfilled with food that I feel guilty because of a) the calorie content or b) the waste of that much food on one person.
At the very least, take these tips to heart: according to the WH nutritionists, half of your plate should be veggies, a quarter of it should contain a lean protein (that is FOUR OUNCES of beef, chicken, or fish), and the last quarter should contain a complex carb like brown rice or sweet potatoes. If you're on a "typical" 1,800 calorie a day meal plan, then shoot for a dinner of about 600 calories -- that is, if you actually stayed under 1,200 the rest of the day. Keep an eye on the sodium and the fat, too. Calorie counting means nothing if most of it's from fat. (Guess that's why ramen and Ding Dongs didn't help me lose weight in college, huh?)
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