Smarter Choices at Longhorn Steakhouse

There are several options for eating low-calorie at Longhorn.  You may start with one of the side salads and order soup as your main course.  You might opt for one of their lower-calorie entrée salads.  If you choose a protein-packed entrée, then stick with one of the leaner entrees that I have suggested.  Keep in mind that it comes with a salad and a side.  The lowest calorie salad is the mixed green side salad (110 calories) with fat-free ranch dressing (45 calories).  Skip the starchy sides and order green vegetables.  If you are craving the loaded baked potato (430 calories) or the sweet potato (370), then order it as your entrée.  Be strong and skip the bread loaf (510 calories) so that you don’t break the calorie bank.  Try not to go over 650 calories with your order combination.  There is nothing wrong with getting a box, because you have leftovers.  If you enjoy your meal, then you can enjoy it twice!


Starters
Chilled Shrimp Cocktail with Cocktail Sauce 190
French Onion Soup (bowl) 320
Ranch House Chili (bowl) 210
Shrimp & Lobster Chowder (bowl) 250
Loaded Baked Potato Soup (bowl, order as a meal.) 470

Dinner Entrees - Salads
Grilled Salmon Salad – Mixed Green with Fat-Free Ranch 605

Dinner Entrees – Legendary Steaks
Flo’s Fillet 7 oz. 450
Fire-Grilled Bone-in Sirloin 470
Flat Iron Steak 440
Flo’s Fillet & Lobster Tail (Calorie Splurge!) 500

Dinner Entrees – Seafood
Grilled Trout Topped with Shrimp & Lobster 490
Redrock Grilled Shrimp 130

Dinner Entrees - Flavorful Under 500
Flo’s Fillet 7 oz. 420
Renegade Sirloin 6 oz. 400
Sierra Chicken lighter portion 340
Grilled Fresh Rainbow Trout 380
Salmon 7 oz. 410

Ribs, Chops & More
Cowboy Pork Chops 400

Side Dishes
Fresh Seasonal Vegetables 90
Fresh Green Beans 36
Mixed Green Side Salad 110
Caesar Side Salad with Caesar Dressing 350
Fresh Steamed Asparagus 80
Steakhouse BLT Salad with Dressing 320
Strawberry Pecan Salad with Dressing 380

Low-Calorie Dinner Options at Chili's

Chili’s Grill & Bar

Salads (Dressing included unless otherwise indicated.)
Caribbean Salad with Grilled Chicken 610
Caribbean Salad with Grilled Shrimp 590
House Salad No Dressing 150
Dressing, Honey Mustard No Fat 70
Dressing, Low Fat Ranch 80
Soups (without crackers)
Chicken Enchilada Bowl 380, Cup 190
Chili’s Terlingua Chili with Toppings Bowl 360, Cup 180
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Bowl 410, Cup 210
Southwest Chicken & Sausage Bowl 330, Cup 160
Lighter Choices (as served)
Classic Sirloin 260
Grilled Chicken Salad 420
Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Steamed Broccoli 610
Lighter Choice Grilled Salmon 480
Margarita Grilled Chicken 550
Not “Just” Sides
Black Beans 100
Black Bean Patty Only 200
Rice 190
Steamed Broccoli 80
Sweet Corn on the Cob with Butter 200

Low-Cal Options at California Pizza Kitchen

I have blogged in the past about how I like the small frozen pizzas from California Pizza Kitchen.  Rather than repeat myself, this time I just want to cover low-cal options to order from CPK restaurants.  I went through the nutrition facts on the CPK website, and these are the options that I came up with.  I hope they have a restaurant in your neighborhood.

California Pizza Kitchen

Small Cravings
Spicy Chicken Tinga Quesadilla 510
Korean BBQ Steak Tacos 440
Asparagus & Arugula Salad 189
Mediterranean Plate 368
The Wedge Salad 278

Appetizers
Dynamite Shrimp 547
Lettuce Wraps with Chicken 543
Lettuce Wraps with Shrimp 527
Sesame Ginger Chicken Dumplings 465

Soups
Artichoke & Broccoli Soup Bowl 203, Cup 101
Sedona Tortilla Soup Bowl 500, Cup 273
Dakota Smashed Pea & Barley Soup Bowl 347, Cup 174

Half Salads (Fat-Free Vinaigrette available on request.  Calories reflect standard dressing.)
Chopped Half Salad, No Avocado 585
Carmelized Peach Half Salad 471
Camelized Peach Half Salad with Grilled Shrimp 567
Roasted Vegetable Half Salad 298
Roasted Vegetable Half Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast 536
Roasted Vegetable Half Salad with Grilled Shrimp 394
Roasted Vegetable Half Salad with Sauteed Salmon 528
Original Chopped Half Salad with Garbanzos 494
CPK Cobb Half Salad with Ranch Dressing 475
CPK Cobb Half Salad with Ranch Dressing & Beets 495
CPK Cobb Half Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 508
Classic Caesar Half Salad 253
Classic Caesar Half Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast 490
Classic Caesar Half Salad with Grilled Shrimp 349
Classic Caesar Half Salad with Sauteed Salmon 482
Chinese Chicken Half Salad 331
Miso Shrimp Half Salad 437
Thai Crunch Half Salad, No Avocado 544
Field Greens Half Salad 402
Field Greens Half Salad with Gorgonzola 502
Field Greens Half Salad with Grilled Shrimp 498

If you cannot fathom going to California Pizza Kitchen without ordering pizza, then stick with eating only HALF of the thin crust pizza.  You can split it with a friend or take the rest home as leftovers.
Half Roasted Artichoke & Spinach Thin Crust Pizza 478
Half Roasted Artichoke & Spinach Thin Crust Pizza with Chicken 515
Half Pesto Chicken Thin Crust Pizza 518
Half Margherita Thin Crust Pizza 519
Half Four Seasons Thin Crust Pizza 497
Half Tricolore Salad Pizza 501

The pastas and sandwiches at CPK break the calorie bank so if you order from these menus only eat half your entrée and take the rest home.

Carrot Cake Protein Shake — From Colourful Palate

 I wanted to share with you this great post from my fellow blogger pal, Charissa.  Happy Easter!

Carrot Cake Protein Shake — Colourful Palate

Easy 150 Calorie Desserts

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis

 
I must admit I do not always crave dessert, but when I do have a sweet tooth I indulge it during my mid-afternoon snack.  I always save around 150 calories for my snack.  Normally I try to make a smart choice that offers a balance of carbs, fat, protein, and fiber.  However, every once in awhile that goes completely out the window to satisfy a craving.

There are several portion-controlled, low-calorie dessert options available at the grocery store.  The following is a list of some of my favorite options.  If your grocer doesn't carry a product on the list that interests you, then make a request!  Be sure to share your favorite low-cal desserts in the comments.

The Betty Crocker Minis are generally located in the baking aisle.  They are super easy to make.  You just follow the instructions and nuke 'em.

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis Molten Chocolate Cake 150  My Favorite!!!!

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis Molten Caramel Cake 150

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis Decadent Dark Chocolate 150

The Skinny Cow and Smart Ones desserts are generally available in the frozen ice cream/dessert section.

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Snack Cups, Assorted Flavors 150 to 170

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, Assorted Flavors 140 to 160

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cones, Assorted Flavors 150

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Bars, Assorted Flavors 100

Skinny Cow Mini Fudge Pops 40

Smart Ones Smart Delights Brownie A La Mode 130

Smart Ones Smart Delights Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae 140

Smart Ones Smart Delights Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae 140

Smart Ones Smart Delights Key Lime Pie 150

Smart Ones Smart Delights Peanut Butter Cup Sundae 140

Smart Ones Smart Delights Strawberry Shortcake 120

Smart Ones Smart Delights Turtle Sundae 140

550 Calories & Under at Applebee's

As research for the book I am writing, I tried the Garlic Sirloin off the 550 Calorie & Under Menu at Applebee's last night for dinner.  I must say it was delicious.  However, one of my clients had warned me that he didn't really buy that those entrees are actually under 550 calories.  Now I can see why.  The caramelized onions underneath the steak were really greasy, delicious, but greasy.  I would also say that 7 oz. of steak is a hefty portion for someone on a diet regimen.  Applebee's claims in their nutrition facts that their 7 oz. House Sirloin is 250 calories.  However, I looked up  7 oz. of lean broiled sirloin on CalorieKing.com, and it showed that size portion would be 373 calories. Not cool.

I have a more positive take on the sides.  As you can see from my pic, the portions of the potatoes and the portabella mushroom with creamed spinach are small.  Kudos to Applebee's on that.  I'm persuaded to believe the sides were actually low-calorie.  The potatoes tasted more like butter than herbs, but at least there wasn't a large portion.  They tasted like they had been boiled, and they were not greasy with oil.

With my client's opinion in the back of my mind I saved roughly half the steak and onions.  After looking up the facts today I am glad that I did that.  You can see some of the remaining grease on the plate.

I would also like to point out that Applebee's does post the following disclaimer on their website:

"Variations in ingredients and preparation, as well as substitutions, will increase or decrease PointsPlus™ values and any stated nutritional values, such as calories."

Taking the nutrition facts posted on the Applebee's website with a grain of salt, here are the calories on their 550 calorie and under entrees:

Great Tasting & UNDER 550 Calories™ - includes sides
Asiago Peppercorn Steak 380
Signature Sirloin with Garlic Herb Shrimp 500
Grilled Dijon Chicken & Portobellos 470
Roasted Garlic Sirloin 450
Sizzling Asian Shrimp & Broccoli 470
Sizzling Chili Lime Chicken 470

Applebee's also has a Weight Watchers PointsPlus™ menu which features low-calorie entrees as well.  Personally I think they should just combine the two menus and tell us both the calories and the points.  The menu at the Applebee's I went to listed 550 calorie entrees and Weight Watcher's entrees on two totally separate pages.  It probably has something to do with their agreement with Weight Watchers.  It would be nice if both menus were on one page.  Anyway, here are the calories and points on those entrees:


WEIGHT WATCHERS® includes sides

Weight Watchers® Cabernet Mushroom Sirloin 460, 12 pts.
Weight Watchers® Creamy Parmesan Chicken 470, 12 pts.
Weight Watchers® Grilled Jalapeno-Lime Shrimp 300, 8 pts.

To sum up I would definitely order the Garlic Sirloin again.  It was delicious, and I appreciate that Applebee's is trying to offer some healthier options.  The next time I will probably skip the onions altogether.  They seemed to be the source of the grease.  Now if you will excuse me, there is a leftover steak with my name on it.  Lunch?  Yes, please!

Sara

P.S.  Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow! 

Freschetta, I want Pizza By the Slice Back!

In a previous post I said how awesome the Freschetta Pizza By the Slice was, and now they have discontinued it.  Go figure!  I sent in an inquiry to the company when I noticed it was removed from their website.  I am pleasantly surprised that someone actually did get back to me with the scoop.  For your entertainment here is the inquiry that I sent:

"What happened to the info about By the Slice on the website? Please don't tell me you have discontinued it!!! I loved the chicken, spinach, and mushroom slice. I loved that it was calorie controlled and portion controlled. I blogged about it on lowcalorieeating.com. If it didn't sell, then please think about promoting the calorie content to make it work. I would much rather eat a big flavorful slice than try to cut myself off after one serving of a large pizza. I would also rather have a slice of your pizza than a bland lean version that leaves me feeling deprived. Sara"

I realize the fact that I bothered to write to Freschetta about their product is an indicator that I either have way too much time on my hands or that their pizza was heavenly compared to the bland low-calorie pizzas I have been eating.  I am guessing it's both.

Michelle from Freschetta was kind enough to respond back to me and inform me that my comments would be passed onto the Marketing Team.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will come out with a new line of single portion pizzas that tout the calorie content.  It seems like a no-brainer.  However, in the meantime I am not going to hold my breath. 
 
The best way to have a delicious, easy low-calorie pizza is to make it yourself.  There are several different ways to go about this.  For the crust I would suggest using a 100-calorie English Muffin, Pita Bread, Flat-Out Flat Bread, or a single serving frozen crust.  I like to get Cascone's pizza sauce, but if you don't have it in your city you can use Pizza Quick or Contadina pizza sauce.  It keeps for quite awhile in the fridge.   

For the toppings I like to scour the salad bar at the grocery store for fresh toppings like spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, onions, grilled chicken, artichokes, and olives.  I like to top my pizza with Hormel Turkey Pepperoni or Original Pepperoni.  Hormel Original Pepperoni is 10 calories per slice.  To eliminate some of the grease I lay the pepperoni between two paper towels on a plate and nuke it in the microwave for a 15 to 20 seconds.  Dab the grease out of the paper towels.  Limit the pepperoni to 4 -5 slices (about 50 calories).  As far as cheese I would suggest limiting yourself to 1/4 cup of 2% Mozzarella or 5-Cheese Italian Blend.  It is very important to measure the cheese, because it is too easy to go overboard. 

Depending on your time-frame/resources you can either microwave the pizza or bake it until the cheese is melted.  I recommend baking your pizza.  It always creates a crispier crust.  The oven temperature depends on the type of crust you use, but a safe bet is 350 degrees.  Keep an eye on it, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese melts.  If you want the cheese to turn a golden brown, then broil it on high for 1 minute at the very end.  Just don't walk away from the oven.  Even a matter of seconds under the broil can make a difference between golden brown and burnt.

If making your own pizza is just too much work, then the low-calorie versions from the grocer's freezer will have to suffice.  That's what I had to do today.  I was in a time crunch after writing my blog so I nuked a California Pizza Kitchen Small Margherita Pizza, 430 calories.

If you have a favorite frozen pizza or flat bread that's around 400 calories or less, then please post it to the comments.  A client told me the Archer Farms (at Target) flat bread pizzas are quite good and low-calorie friendly.  It's on my list of things to try next.

On a side note Freschetta has come out with new packaging that is more environmentally friendly, and I do applaud that.  I don't know when it will hit stores.  When it does I will check the calories.