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Shape-Up Rhodes: Healthy Options and Meals to Avoid at your Favorite Chain Restaurants

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Annie Herman
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Chelsea McLeod
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rhodes chapter.

           

 Chick-Fil-A

 

 
Try These Options: 

  1. 8 Count Chicken Nuggets- 260 calories
  2. Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich- 290 calories
  3. Chargrilled Chicken & Fruit Salad- 220 calories

 
Avoid:

  1. Milkshakes- a small chocolate milkshake has 600 calories; a large has 750 calories!
  2. Spicy Deluxe Chicken Sandwich- 570 calories
  3. Sausage Breakfast Burrito- 510 calories

 
Tips:

  • Adding waffle fries to your meal adds between 270-400 calories to your meal, depending on what size you order.  Try ordering a fruit cup, which only has 50 calories, or a side salad, which only has 70 calories (excluding the dressing). 
  • Stay away from salad dressings- some of them have over 200 calories per serving!
  • Stay away from the sweet tea & lemonade; a large sweet tea is 220 calories and 57g of sugar.

 

Panera Bread

 
Try These Options:

  1. Full Caesar Salad- 390 calories
  2. Full Greek Salad- 380 calories
  3. ‘You Pick Two’:

            Half Thai Chopped Salad- 200 calories
            Half Low Fat Garden Vegetable Soup- 110 calories
            Total: 310 calories
           
Avoid:

  1. Full Italian Combo on Ciabatta Bread- 990 calories
  2. Full Sierra Turkey on Focaccia – 970 calories
  3. A ‘you pick two’ portion of Mac & Cheese has 490 calories; a large portion has 980.

 Tips:

  • Avoid all full sandwiches- some have almost a day’s worth of calories!  If you want a sandwich, order half with the ‘you pick two’ option.
  • The baguette’s they give you for your sides have just under 200 calories (both the French baguette and whole grain baguette)- Instead go for the apple or the baked lays.
  • Get the dressing on the side or substitute in a different dressing if you’re ordering a salad.
  • Click here to use the nutrition calculator before going to Panera to figure out your meal!

 
Outback Steakhouse

 
Try these Options:

  1. Outback Special 6oz steak with sides: fresh steamed green beans, and seasonal veggies- 315 calories  (Only 315 calories if you ask for the meal “light style”- they will cook without oil and butter saving a ton of fat and over 250 calories!).
  2. Grilled Chicken on the Barbie with side: fresh steamed green beans- 452 calories (Again, ask for it “light style”).

 
Avoid:

  1. The Outback Burger with a side of fries- 1164 calories.
  2. A Small order of Aussie Cheese Fries- 1214 calories.
  3. No Rules Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Scallops- 1366 calories.

 
Tip:
Go to Outback Steakhouse’s Nutritional Menu Tool before eating at the restaurant to figure out some food options that don’t have over a day’s worth of calories!

 

Feel free to post some of your favorite chain restaurants in the comment section below and I will send you some healthy meal options and suggestions that you can try!

 
Sources: 
http://eatthis.menshealth.com/content/16-restaurant-industry-secrets?art…
http://www.outback.com/menu/nutritionselection.aspx
http://www.panerabread.com/menu/
http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Meal
 

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Chelsea is a junior at Rhodes College, class of 2012, majoring in English and minoring in both Chinese & International Studies. She plans to pursue a career in print or broadcast journalism. Her involvement on campus ranges from serving as co-captain of the varsity field hockey team, to being a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, to writing sports & fashion articles for Rhodes' media outlets. Chelsea has interned at CBS Channel 4 News Boston in the sports room, as well as other companies where she enjoyed internships in event-planning, marketing, fashion, jewelry design, and human rights. Aside from work and school, Chelsea enjoys running, music, singing, and shopping online.