RUBY TUESDAY
Calorie Bomb:
Ruby Minis (4 mini burgers)
Side of fries
Total: 1,630 calories
Cynthia's Picks:
1 order white bean chicken chili (See
a similar recipe!)
1 order premium baby green beans
1 order fresh tomato & mozzarella salad
Total: 413 calories (savings of 1,217
calories)
Fast Facts:
- These burgers may be mini but four of them pack MORE calories than FIVE regular McDonald's hamburgers(in fact, they have more than three times as many calories as the side of fries)!
- Splitting the sliders is an option but ladies, keep this in mind: men burn about 20% more calories doing absolutely nothing because they have more muscle, so if you split anything with your husband or boyfriend, aim for a 60/40 split instead of 50/50. (Get more tips on staying slim with him here.)
- Stick with appetizers and high fiber veggie-based side dishes. Fiber fills you up but since you can't digest or absorb it, you don't get any calories from fiber itself. The chili alone has 1/3 of the fiber you need for the whole day because of the beans. (Print a grocery list of high-fiber foods here.)
CHILI'S
Calorie Bomb:
Habenero ribs
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers
Total: 1,790 calories
Cynthia's Picks:
6 spicy garlic & lime grilled shrimp (See
a similar recipe!)
1 side black beans w/pico de gallo
1 side steamed broccoli
Total: 380 calories (savings of 1,410)
Fast Facts:
- When you eat a heavy, fatty meal, blood flows to your digestive system and away from your brain and cardiovascular system. That's why you feel sluggish and sleepy.
- The 6 spicy shrimp contain
over 1,000 fewer calories than the ribs (1,000
extra calories just once a week would leave you 15 pounds heavier
in a year's time).
- Research has found that two-thirds of Americans will eat everything on their plate when dining out, so use the old trick of getting a to-go container BEFORE your meal comes and putting half of it in right away. You'll get it off your plate and save money -- 2 meals for the price of one!
PIZZARIA UNO
Calorie Bomb:
Chicken spinoccoli pasta
2 breadsticks
Total 1,760 calories
Cynthia's Picks:
Gorgonzola walnut side salad
Cuban black bean lentil soup (See
a similar recipe!)
Total: 455 (savings of 1,305)
Fast Facts:
- This is some serious carb-loading -- between the pasta & breadsticks this meal packs over 150 g of carbs, three times the amount a typical meal should provide. (Find hundreds of delicious, low-cal recipes here.)
- If you're going out to dinner, don't "save up" your calories. That's the exact strategy Sumo wrestlers use to pack on the pounds! Not eating all day slows down your metabolism, then when you overeat at night, your body stuffs all those excess calories into your fat cells.
- Look past fancy-named menu items. They're one of the biggest restaurant booby traps. A Cornell study found that when menu items are given descriptive names (like home-style potatoes instead of mashed potatoes) sales increase by 27%.
BOSTON MARKET
Calorie Bomb:
Half rotisserie chicken
Side of mac & cheese
Side of market chopped side salad
Corn bread
Chocolate chip fudge brownie
Total: 2,090 calories
Cynthia's Picks:
¼ white rotisserie chicken, no skin
1 side steamed veggies
1 side new potatoes (See
creative ways to cook new potatoes)
1 side fresh fruit
Total: 470 (savings of 1,620 calories)
Fast Facts:
- Roasted chicken skin from half a chicken has 23 g of fat. That's twice as much as the mac & cheese.
- If you're full but you're tempted to have a few more bites, keep in mind that most of us only burn about 100 calories per hour when we're sitting. That's the amount in one tablespoon of butter. Any calories you eat that you don't burn off are going to add a little extra padding to your seat!
- Order several smaller sides instead of one big entree. Studies show that the huge entree portions at restaurants condition us to think we need that much food at home, too. When your brain sees BIG, normal-sized portions seem inadequate by comparison, even though they're not!
More ways to eat smart at restaurants:
Biggest Loser tips for eating out
