Love/Hate Relationship: Taco Bell

I love a good taco or some nachos.  I usually make them at home using ground turkey and all the fixings, but every now and then, I would head straight over to "yo quiero Taco Bell" and place my order.  Le Sigh.  Since starting this blog, having to actually look at the nutritional information of fast food restaurants has been an eye opening experience.  Seriously, I don't think most people realize how many calories the average combo has when they are going through a drive through and ordering the same old, same old.  If they did, they would keep on going.  And they wonder why so many Americans are obese.


Love it! (usual orders)

• Nachos BellGrande and Crunchy Taco Supreme (980 cal)
• Fiesta Taco Salad-Beef  (780 cal)
• Grilled Steak Soft Taco and Two Crunchy Tacos (590 cal)
• Caramel Apple Empanada (310 cal)

 By the way, I haven't even added the other 600-800 or so calories for that big old cup of soda that comes with the meal!

Try it! (healthier options)
Here are some lower calorie options that are a little easier on your waistline.

• Two of these with a diet soda or water for lunch
• Fresco Chicken Soft Taco (150 cal)
• Fresco Crunchy Taco (150 cal)
• Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco (150 cal)
• Fresco Soft Taco (180 cal)
• Crunchy Taco (170 cal)
• Chicken Soft Taco (180 cal)

• One of these with Mexican Rice (120 cal) for dinner
• Fresco Bean Burrito (350 cal)
  
• Fresco Burrito Supreme Chicken (350 cal)
  
• Fresco Burrito Supreme Steak (340 cal)

The Fresco items are part of Taco Bell's Diet Menu and are prepared with Fiesta Salsa – a mix of diced tomatoes, white onions and cilantro – that replaces the shredded cheese and sauce for only 5 calories!


Hate it!
XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito - Beef (880 cal)
XXL Grilled Stuft Chicken - Beef (840 cal)
XXL Grilled Stuft Steak - Beef (820 cal)
Volcano Nachos (990 cal)  Really!?!?

You can see more nutrition information on Taco Bell's website.

Love/Hate Relationship: O'Charley's

Scenario:  My friend and I decided to run to a shoe store during lunch last week.  Unfortunately, it had been so long since either of us had been to the store that we didn't know that it had closed.  Two years ago.  Oh well...

I had a bright idea.  "Let's go to O'Charley's for lunch!"  It was close by and I hadn't been there in a while.  She agreed and I drove on over.  We entered, were seated and were given menus.  We both pulled out our phones and started checking calorie counts.  **Crickets**  

Their lunch menu, with items starting at $6.49, lets you choose an entree and a pairing (calories):

• Entrees include: 1/2 BLT (410), Cheese & Bacon Quesadilla (710), 1/2 Club Sandwich (480), Chicken Tacos (620), Chicken Fajita Sandwich (740) and Cajun Chicken Pasta (840).
• Pairing include: Soup of the Day, Overloaded Potato Soup (170 cup), House Salad w/o Dressing (130), Caesar Salad (280) and a Loaded Baked Potato (590)

Oh-kay... moving on to the more expensive options.

• Good Time Nachos (Not a real option, but they looked good!) - 1030 cal
• Bayou Tilapia - 880 cal (w/o the sauce and 1/2 the serving of the rice pilaf - 435 cal)
• Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken - 680 cal
• Cedar Planked Salmon - 530 cal
• Cedar Planked Tilapia - 280 cal
• Grilled Turkey Burger - 890 cal
• Sweet Potato Fries - 470 cal
• Yeast Roll - 130 cal

Le sigh.  The pickings were indeed slim.  Let's just say that our waitress had to come back to our table three times before we ordered.  I finally settled on the Bayou Tilapia with the sauce on the side (435) with rice pilaf (190) and a house salad (130) with Balsamic dressing.  Removing the sauce from the fish basically made it a nice blackened tilapia.  We couldn't resist the rolls, so we decided to split one.  But, hold on for a moment.  I ordered the Balsamic dressing because they didn't have Italian and I though it would be better than Ranch.  I was shocked that it had 240 calories!  Oil based salad dressings were supposed to be better than cream based, right?!?  Apparently not in every case, so I was glad I got that on the side as well.  I ended up dipping the fork in the dressing in order to eat the salad.  How they came up with 130 calories for a bowl of lettuce with ONE cucumber slice and an actual PINCH of shredded cheese is beyond me, but whatever.  I guess it was all of the croutons (which I removed).  The Bayou Tilapia "sauce" was really an oily Creole sauce that looked like a gravy of some kind with red and green peppers in it.  I was so glad that I asked that it be put on the side.  The seasoned fish was perfect all by itself.  The meal came with about two servings of rice pilaf so I left half of it uneaten.  Restaurant portions are so large that you have to be mindful of just how much you are eating or their nutritional info goes right out of the window.  All in all, it was a good lunch and a good day!  

You can find more of O'Charley's nutritional information here.  They have a few decent options, but not as many as I expected.  When you consider how restaurants are beginning to cater to those who want healthier options, O'Charley's seems to be a little behind the curve.

 Bayou Tilapia (Photo courtesy of O'Charley's)

Love/Hate Relationship: Chik-fil-a

I have already mentioned that Chik-fil-a is my favorite restaurant, but I need to go over their whole menu to give you a few more ideas about what's good to order and what's not when you are planning to head through their drive through.

Love It! (usual orders)

• 4 piece Chik-n-Minis (370 cal)
• 8 piece nugget meal (260 cal)
• 4 piece chicken finger (470 cal)

These menu items aren't too bad as long as you don't get the combos with tater tots/fries (290 cal for a medium fry) and a soda.  Make it a habit to ask for the fresh fruit cup (50 cal) or side salad (70 cal) instead and you can have almost anything on the menu.  I told you they're my favorite!

Try it! (healthier options)

• Yogurt parfait (180 cal - add granola and it jumps to 290)
• Multigrain oatmeal with toppings (290)
• Sunflower Multigrain Bagel (220 cal w/o spread) 
• Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich w/med. Fruit Cup (360 cal)
• Southwest Chargrilled Salad (240 cal w/o dressing) 
• Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad (180 w/dressing)
• Chargreilled Chicken Cool Wrap (410)
• Chicken Soup (140 cal)
• Ice dream cone (170 cal)

Not for everyday (again, skip the fries, tots and coleslaw) 

• Chicken, Egg, & Cheese on Sunflower Multigrain Bagel (480 cal)
• Sausage Breakfast Burrito (500 cal)
• Chicken Biscuits (reg and spicy - 460 cal)
• Chicken Salad Sandwich (510 cal)
• Carrot and raisin salad (260 cal - not bad by itself, but not ok with a meal)

Skip it!

• Fudge Nut Brownie (370 cal)
• Chocolate Chunk Cookie (320 cal)
• Milk shakes (660-770 cal)

More nutritional information for Chik-fil-a can be found here.

Love/Hate Relationship: Zaxby's

Once again, I have been looking at the nutritional information of restaurants I visit on a somewhat regular basis. This time it was Zaxby's.

Le Sigh.  The bun alone has the same calories as Chik-fil-a's Grilled Chicken Sandwich, cup of fruit and a diet soda combined.  I guess my new order will be the Grilled House salad with no Texas toast or fried onions.  That's 345 calories w/o dressing.  All I can say for Zaxby's is - iCan't. 

MEALS

Chicken Finger Nibbler Meal (1330 cal)

Crinkle Fries 360, 3 Chicken Fingers 260, Zax Sauce 180, Nibbler Buns (3) 530

Cajun Club Sandwich Basket (1140 cal)

Crinkle Fries 360, Brioche Bun 360, Green Leaf Lettuce 0, Ranch Sauce 130, 2 pc Bacon 50,  Blackened Breast Fillet 190, American Cheese 50, Tomato 0, Pickle Spear 0

Grilled Chicken Sandwich Meal (1130 cal)

Crinkle Fries 360, Brioche Bun 360, Lettuce 0, Grilled Breast Fillet 190, Honey Mustard 220

Chicken Sandwich Salad Meal (1020 cal)

Crinkle Fries 360, Lettuce 0, Mayo 230, Tomato 0, Chicken Salad 260, Honey Wheat Bread 170

Big Zak Snak Meal (950 cal) - One of my usual lunch orders, SMH

Crinkle Fries 360, 3 Chicken Fingers 260, Zax Sauce 180, Texas Toast 150

SALADS

The Zensation Salad (1115 cal)

Salad Base 25, 4 Chicken Fingers 350, Wonton Strips 80, Asian Slaw 70, Honey Sesame Sauce 70, Egg Roll 120, Citrus Vinaigrette 400 

The House Salad, Fried (No dressing) (765 cal) 

Texas Toast 150, Salad Base 25, Cheddar Jack Cheese 120, Roma Tomatoes 10, Cucumbers 0, Fried Onions 110, 4 Chicken Fingers 350          

The Caesar Salad, Fried (No dressing) (730 cal) 

 4 Chicken Fingers 350, Caesar Salad Base 20, 2 pc Bacon 50, Parmesan Cheese 110, Croutons 200

The House Salad, Grilled (No dressing) (605 cal)  - The other usual order

 Grilled Breast Fillet 190, Texas Toast 150, Salad Base 25, Cheddar Jack Cheese 120, Roma Tomatoes 10, Cucumbers 0, Fried Onions 110

The Caesar Salad, Grilled (No dressing) (570 cal)

Grilled Breast Fillet 190, Caesar Salad Base 20, 2 pc Bacon 50, Parmesan Cheese 110, Croutons 200

FINGERS/WINGS ONLY

5 Chicken Fingerz w/Sauce (610 cal)

5 Buffalo Wings w/Ranch (540 cal)

5 Boneless Wings w/no sauce (480 cal)

SIDES

Crinkle Fries, regular (360 cal)

Onion Rings, side (500 cal) 

 Cole Slaw (140 cal)

SWEETS

White Macadamia Nut Cookie (170 cal)

Birthday Cake Milkshake (860 cal)

Brownie Batter Milkshake (847 cal)

Vanilla Milkshake (825 cal) 

Build your meal to see just how many calories you have been eating in one meal here.

Do you like Starbucks?

I am not a coffee drinker.  I know that some people cannot make it through the day without a cup, but I do not have that problem.  I have had a nice latte from Starbucks on occasion (as in once a year), but I am definitely not a part of the diehard pack that must go there for a $4.00 cup on a regular basis.  However, I recently found myself to be the winner of a gift card from this lovely establishment as a door prize.  While everyone else was clapping as my name was called, and I stood and walked to the front of the room with a smile on my face, all I could think was, "What the heck am I going to do with this gift card?"  Regifting is always an option, but I decided to branch out a little bit and look up their menu online to see if they had any healthy options that I could enjoy.  I need to prepare before I find myself aimlessly wandering around the store asking for something like a Frappuchino, which I've never even had before.

Considering how often I have heard bad news about how unhealthy the menu is at Starbucks, I was surprised to see that they do offer lighter options for those who prefer it.  While they do have a 490 cal banana nut loaf and a 500 cal double chocolate chip frappuchino, I found a few options that I think I would like to try.  The beautiful photos put me a summertime frame of mind :-)

Petite Vanilla Bean Scone (140 cal) 

 A moist, bite-sized scone flavored with natural vanilla extract and real vanilla beans.

Deluxe Fruit Blend Salad (80 cal)

Medley of seasonal fruit. 

 

Peach Raspberry Yogurt Parfait (300 cal)

Peach-flavored yogurt, raspberry puree, peaches and crunchy granola.

 

Tazo Shaken Iced Passion Tea Lemonade (130 cal)

An infusion of hibiscus and natural tropical flavors, mixed with lemonade and hand-shaken with ice.

                                                            

Tazo Shaken Iced Passion Tea (80 cal)

An infusion of hibiscus and natural tropical flavors, mixed with lemonade and hand-shaken with ice.

 

Tazo Shaken Iced Green Tea Lemonade (130 cal)

Green tea and lemonade, lightly sweetened and hand-shaken with ice.

 

For more nutritional information:

Starbucks Drinks can be found here.

Starbucks Food can be found here.