Eat This, Not That – Charlotte!

 
Do you ever catch the segment, Eat This, Not That with David Zinczenko on the Today Show?  You know the one where they blow your mind with the amount of fat, calories and/or sodium in food served in restaurants around the country.  Do you find yourself either patting yourself on the back saying, “Oh, I would never eat that, it’s obvious it’s not good for you” or flipping out saying, “OMG, I order that all the time. How can a salad possibly have so many fat grams and calories!”.
 
Are you one of those people that eats well at home and, with all best intentions, try to order the healthiest thing off the menu?  Then the next day you wonder why you feel bloated with little energy.  Or, why when you worked out for an hour, 5 times in a week, the scale won’t budge.  

Well, let’s take a peak at some of our favorite family friendly restaurants in town.  It might give a clearer sense of why all your good intentions might be sabotaged!
 
Moe’s
 
Personal Trainer Veg Salad
685 calories
39 g fat
1198 sodium
 
Homewrecker Burrito
935 calories
36 g fat
1686 sodium
 
Billy Barou Nachos
1509 calories
79 g fat
3656 sodium
 
Unanimous Decision Tacos
333 calories
14 g fat
677 g sodium
 
Winner off this menu would be to order the taco’s (over the salads) or off the kids menu.  They are all around 300 calories but can pack up to 20 grams of fat.  Try skipping the cheese or sour cream.  Or, split a meal with your husband or friend. Another option would be just to order sides. You can order a side salad with black beans and guacamole.
 
Chick-fil-A
 
Chick-fil-A Sandwich
430 calories
17 g fat
 
Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich
290 calories
4 g fat
 
8 Count Nuggets
260 calories
12 g fat
 
Medium French Fry
360 calories
19 g fat
 
Medium Fruit Cup
70 calories
 
All these items alone aren’t so bad from a caloric standpoint.  However, keep in mind most of it is fried, not sure the source of the chicken and lots of bites of kids meals do add up over time. You put a sandwich and fries together and now you are talking 650 calories and 23 g of fat. Good news is, a few bites won’t sabotage you!

Brixx Pizza
 
Brixx Salad
256 calories
14 g fat
 
Spinach Salad
280 calories
11 g fat

Chicken Salad with Fruit – ouch!
1004 calories
79 g fat

Roasted Chicken Club Sandwich
716 calories
42 g fat
 
Kid’s Cheese Pizza
407 calories
15 g fat
 
Greek Pizza
868 calories
36 g fat
 
Margarhita Pizza
1,252 calories
68 g fat
 
Chicken Florentine Pizza
1400 calories
73 g fat
 
Rustica Pizza
1184 calories
63 g fat
 
The clear winner is sticking with the salads and adding shrimp, chicken or salmon. If you are really in the mood for pizza, split a salad and pizza with someone. Add lots of veggies to your pizza and ask for it to be light on the cheese. They also offer gluten free crust and soy cheese for people with allergies.
 
Panera

Sweet Onion and Poppyseed Bagel
390 calories
7 g fat

2oz Plain Cream Cheese
180 calories
18 g fat
 
Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich
800 calories
29 g fat
2800 mg sodium
 
Frontega Chicken Panini
850 calories
38 g fat
1910 mg sodium
 
Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
600 calories
13 g fat
1420 mg sodium
 
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
410 calories
20 g fat
810 sodium
 
Chopped Chicken Cobb Salad
500 calories
36 g fat
1130 mg sodium
 
Kids Mac n Cheese
490 calories
30 g fat
1020 mg sodium
 
Black Bean Soup
1590 mg sodium
 
Chicken Noodle Soup
1450 mg sodium
 
Panera is sneaky with the sodium and fat.  Choose wisely!

Don’t be afraid to be the one in charge at a restaurant. Think of the menu as a list of ingredients. Sub mayo, cheese, sour cream and sauces with additional veggies. Ask for dressings on the side. Ask what exactly is in what you are ordering i.e, the source of the animal protein. You may surprised at how accomadating the restaurants will be.
 
 A lot of individual restaurants don’t publish the nutritional information because of the cost, but most chains do.  Google it before you head out and make a plan before you get there. Small changes will leave your waist, heart and health thanking you!
 
Don’t see your favorite menu items or most frequent spots? Let me know and I will do my best to find the information.