As I opened the menu, I was greeted with pages and pages of options - all which sounded delish. Now this is not my first rodeo at CF. But we hadn't been there in a while and it seemed as though there were even MORE options than I remembered. Excess. Huge portions. Yep, that's the Cheesecake Factory!
As I thumbed through the menu I found very little that was healthy. Pages of appetizers, "glam burgers," pastas, pizzas, salads, drinks and even breakfast. Whew!
What I did find was that they had some tapas style small plates at the front of the menu and some "weight management salads." All very questionable when it comes to eating healthfully. You just never know what is in that stuff - hidden oils, creamy ingredients, butter, etc.
As all the choices loomed ahead, I just panicked and went with a favorite versus really studying ingredients and what might have hidden calories. I ordered the sweet corn tamale cakes. And Ad Man, not caring a lick about healthy, ordered the Memphis burger.
Here is the Memphis burger in all it's glory. A burger topped with mayo, cheese, pulled pork, pickles, bbq sauce and coleslaw + fries.
When I got home, I wanted to check in on how many calories I consumed and was curious about the damage that Ad Man had done. I was appalled and quite frankly disgusted. I knew it wasn't great, but oh dear, it was worse than I thought.
My sweet corn tamale cakes were 1500 calories! Thank goodness I had only eaten half. So a whopping 750 calories for my lunch. And I did eat a slice of bread, too.
Ad Man's was 1,970 calories! Eeek!
Oh and did I mention that we split a piece of cheesecake? Well it was splurge day since I taught two classes that morning and burned 1,072 calories.
Our lovely spice of heaven was 861 calories and 62 grams of fat! Argh! So we packed about 430 calories a piece.
We ate this lunch pretty late and did not eat dinner, but still. Astounding.
Ok, so what are your best bets when eating at Cheesecake Factory? Know before you go so that you don't get a big shock and realize that you undid all the good from your workout. Here's what I found...
Appetizers
Ahi Carpaccio (serves 2), 260 cals per serving
Edamame (serves 204), 320 cals per serving
Salads (and these are big, they totally serve a whole meal!)
Boston House Salad, 310 cals
Endive, Pecan & Blue Cheese Salad, 330 cals
French Country Salad, 390 cals
Tomato & Mozzarella Salad, 490 cals
Tossed Green Salad, 190 cals
Vegetable Chopped Salad, 280 cals, with chicken 390 cals
Lunch
Simply Grilled Salmon, 480 cals
One half chicken sandwich, 550 cals
Chinese Chicken Salad, 540 cals
Cobb Salad, 570 cals
Luau Salad, 510 cals
Santa Fe Salad, 540 cals
One hald turkey sandwich, 470 cals
Caesar Salad sandwich, 450 cals
Dinner
Weight Management Grilled Chicken (not including sides), 580 cals
Grilled Mahi (not including sides), 470 cals
Grilled Tuna (not including sides), 520 cals
Dessert
Low Carb Original Cheesecake Sweetened with Splenda, 570 cals
Goblet of Fresh Strawberries, 110 cals
Dish of Ice Cream. 280 cals*
Slim pickings, I know. I didn't find any nutrition facts for their new small plates. But my guess is that they are just smaller portions of heavy items.
So what do you eat? My recommendation is to order a simpled grilled item - chicken or fish - and ask for sauce on the side. You can always dip a little. Add the green salad per above (with dressing on the side) and you have a lovely meal. If you need a treat, get the strawberries or ice cream. *Although the dish of ice cream surprised me. With their portion sizes, I'd be shocked if it was a small dish. Use your judgment!
And if it is a special occasion. Opt for a light dinner and then get your cheesecake.
Don't be surprised the next time you go out to eat. Look up the nutrition facts first!
No comments:
Post a Comment