Characterized By:

Extra large portions. Hearty, filling heartland food without much spice or variety. Plain side dishes and a smaller number of sauces and toppings make it easier to control calories with smart choices and special preparation requests.


Common Ingredients:

Menus are dominated by meat, pastas, various potatoes slathered with gravy or toppings, and deep-fried appetizers. Vegetables are few and far between, except for potatoes, which are often fried in some form. Most offer salads, but many have only starch and pasta-based side dishes. Many restaurants are offering healthier chicken and fish alternatives.


Hidden Dangers:

• Steakhouse cheeseburgers can pack nearly 1,000 cals
• 2 Potato Skins can have almost 500 – before adding sour cream.
• 2 Jalapeno Poppers carry 660 cals, 36g fat
• 6 Buffalo Wings with blue cheese dressing have over 1,000 calories, 68g fat
• A 16 oz Porterhouse has 1,300 cals and a whopping 104g fat.
• Shrimp Scampi is often drowning in butter and packs nearly 1,000 calories.
• Fried Chicken, 910 cals, 54g fat. To make it healthier, choose breast meat and remove the skin.
• Au Gratin Potatoes, 400 cals, 22g fat
• BBQ Ribs, 1,680 cals
• Nachos, 800 cals
• 2 Crab Cakes, 240 cals, 15g fat

Healthy Finds:

• Baked Potatoes are generally healthy – it’s the bacon, cheese, sour cream and butter that add most of the calories and fat. A plain spud has only 68 cals and NO fat.
• 6 Oysters on the half shell carry less than 150 cals.
• 5 peel and eat Shrimp add just 114 cals and 1g fat
• Most steakhouses offer steamed vegetables as a side dish. 1 cup can have less than 50 cals if it’s not soaked in butter.
• BBQ Pork Chops, just 400 cals, 25g fat
• Broiled Salmon, 353 cals, 21g fat
• Filet Mignon, 385 cals, 20g fat
• Steamed Broccoli, 50 cals, 0g fat
• Corn on the Cob with butter, 120 cals, 5g fat