RealAge Food Bites
Best and Worst Choices at Five Restaurant Chains

"Casual dining" chains -- from Chili's to The Cheesecake Factory -- are finally getting on the anti-supersize-me bus. Smart, since nearly half of today's customers say they want to eat more healthfully, according to a recent TGI Friday's survey. Although a few chains -- notably, Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday -- have offered healthier options for several years, the growth in good-for-you choices is great for weight-watching happy-hour goers, vacationers, and weary parents looking for a kid-friendly night out of the kitchen. That said, we're still talking menu extremes. Here are some of the best and worst bets.

APPLEBEE'S

Best: They’ve adapted their menu to include a steadily expanding list of Weight Watchers–approved items, which are going strong after 3 years on the menu. Among the newest items:

* Steak and Portobellos -- 330 calories, 10 grams fat
* Italian Chicken and Portobello Sandwich -- 360 calories, 6 grams fat
* Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake -- 230 calories, 3 grams fat

Worst: There's a reason the menu lists only fat and calories for its Weight Watchers items. You don't want to know the sat-fat content of, say, the Grilled Cheese BLT, a double-decker that includes jack, cheddar, and Swiss cheeses; bacon; and mayo.

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY


Best: We can't tell you that this popular deli-and-dessert place has managed to create a delicious 50-calorie cheesecake -- or even that it provides much nutrition info -- but it has added a group of new "Weight Management" salads, like the three below. All are slimmed down with low-cal dressings and smaller amounts of cheese, nuts, and avocado, so they come in at around 590 calories each.

* Chinese Chicken Salad
* California Salad
* Seafood Salad

Worst: The name says it all: Outrageous Chocolate Cake -- 1,380 calories a slice.

CHILI'S

Best: This is the only brave chain to show sodium counts online; unfortunately, the numbers would turn a cardiologist clammy. Even the otherwise-healthy "Guiltless Grill" suggestions below contain staggering amounts of salt: 2,720 mg for the chicken meal and 1,080 mg for the fish dish. But the calories are nicely under control.

* Guiltless Chicken Sandwich with steamed veggies and black beans -- 490 calories, 8 grams fat
* Guiltless Grill Salmon with similar sides -- 480 calories, 14 grams fat

Worst: At 2,710 calories and an artery-clogging 203 grams of fat, Chili's Awesome Blossom deep-fried onion is a fright.

RED LOBSTER


Best: Flip the menu to the "Lighthouse Selections" and you'll discover a whole page of appealing choices, including:

* A great happy-hour find: a glass of white wine and the Garlic-Grilled Jumbo Shrimp -- 300 calories
* Fresh fish dinners: half portions of grilled or broiled tilapia, salmon, or rainbow trout with seasonal vegetables or a garden salad -- 400 calories, tops

Worst: It's hard to make seafood totally bad for you, but some of the battered-and-fried fish entrees on the regular menu top 2,000 calories.

RUBY TUESDAY


Best: Kudos to Ruby T for this bit of forward thinking: The restaurant has cooked with trans-fat-free oils since 2003. And there are now several menu options that won't leave you buried in dieter's remorse -- though note that these calorie counts don't include sides or dipping sauces. Still, they'll get you off to a nifty start.

* Grilled Chicken Salad -- 380 calories
* White Bean Chicken Chili -- 257 calories
* Creole Catch -- 312 calories

Worst: You could blow an entire day's calories on the Colossal Burger, which weighs in at 1,943 calories and a shocking 141 grams of fat.

TGI FRIDAY’S

Best: Even though the company doesn't give exact nutrition facts, a handful of dishes are flagged low fat/low carb, which means about 10 grams of fat or no more than 17 carbs, and 500 calories a dish.

* Dragonfire Chicken
* Shrimp Key West
* Sizzling Chicken with Vegetables

Worst: Don't even think about old TGIF standards like Stuffed Potato Skins -- or insane new ones like Fried Mac and Cheese(!). Both scream heart attack.

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