Eat This, Not That!: Chain Restaurant Options With Less Sugar
Eating out does not have to put a dent in your healthy eating
— -- There is no sugar-coating the impact sugar can have on your body. Too much sugar is the number one driver of obesity, which can lead to other health problems ranging from diabetes to cancer to heart disease.
Dave Zinczenko, ABC News’ nutrition and wellness editor, appeared on “Good Morning America” today to talk about the restaurant menu options we may not think of as sugary that actually have several days’ worth of sugar hidden in them.
Zinczenko, also the editorial director of Eat This, Not That! magazine, revealed the sugar-filled foods to avoid, and the less sugar-filled menu items to choose instead.
NOT THAT:
The Berry Blueberry Pancakes from Perkins (with 2 oz syrup) contain 1,000 calories and 105 g sugar - or the sugar equivalent of 13 Dunkin’ Donuts Apple ‘n Spice Donuts!
EAT THIS:
A better alternative is Perkins’ Buttermilk Five Short Stack with Twinberry Syrup that has 540 calories and 34 g sugar, a savings of 460 calories and 71 g sugar over the Berry Blueberry Pancakes.
NOT THAT:
Applebee’s Sweet Potato Fries & Dip (8 oz) contain 1,070 calories and 51 g sugar, or the sugar equivalent of 51 Kellogg’s Eggo Homestyle Waffles.
EAT THIS:
Instead, try Applebee’s side of Crispy Red Potatoes with 2T ketchup. With 240 calories and 12 g sugar, the Crispy Red Potatoes will save you 830 calories and 39 g sugar.
NOT THAT:
Cheesecake Factory’s Teriyaki Chicken has 1,320 calories and 96 g sugar. That is the sugar equivalent of 16 Vanilla Breyers' Carb Smart Ice Cream Bars
EAT THIS:
Try Cheesecake Factory’s Skinnylicious Tuscan Chicken, which has 590 calories and 7 g sugar. That is a savings of 730 calories and 89 g sugar.
NOT THAT:
Friendly’s Honey BBQ Chicken Strips contain 1,580 calories and 73 g sugar, or the sugar equivalent of 12 Chips Ahoy! Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
EAT THIS:
Friendly’s Turkey Tip Entree with barbecue sauce has 630 calories and 29 g sugar, a savings of 950 Calories and 44 g sugar.
Statements From the Chains:
From Applebee's:
“Applebee’s serves a million guests a day, all with their own unique desires. To meet the diverse tastes and health goals of all of our guests, we offer a wide variety of bar-and-grill favorites, from flavorful, well-balanced dishes to more indulgent choices.”
From Friendly's:
"Although Friendly’s has indulgent options on our menu that taste great, we believe in choice for our guests - - so we also offer lower calorie, customizable menu options. Friendly’s array of food offerings provide the perfect meal for everyone at the table."
From Cheesecake Factory:
“With more than 250 menu items and more than 50 legendary desserts, The Cheesecake Factory has always been about choices. Many of our guests come in and want to celebrate without being concerned about calories. Others want to share their meals and their desserts – and we love it when guests share – that’s a great sign that our portions are generous – and a large percentage of our guests take home leftovers to enjoy the next day. For our calorie conscious guests we have our award-winning SkinnyLicious® Menu featuring more than 50 delicious choices with 590 calories or less – which is actually larger than many restaurants entire menus. We believe there is truly something for everyone on our menu.”
Perkins did not reply to ABC News' request for comment.
Dave Zinczenko, ABC News Nutrition & Wellness Editor, is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. The Eat This, Not That! magazine is full of food swaps, meal plans and the latest food controversies - sign up for the newsletter here.