In 2018, the United States implemented a law that changed restaurant menus – instead of just displaying meals, many restaurants (if they had 20 or more locations) were then required to put the calorie count on their menus.
On Tuesday, Tufts University released a study that predicted the move would prevent at least 28,000 people from dying from obesity-related cancer cases, according to Euronews. The study’s lead author, Mengxi Du, said, “It’s important for us to continue to show consumers, policymakers and industry how small changes can lead to big benefits.
Calorie counts on menus can influence consumers to make healthier choices. More people are eating out or getting takeout than before. There are still healthy choices that can be made in restaurants. Here are some healthy options to try at restaurants.
Healthy meals from fast food restaurants
Although home-cooked meals tend to be healthier and lower in calories than fast food meals, here is a list of some meals you can try. These meals are lower in calories and, where possible, they avoid fried foods and incorporate more vegetables.
Wendy’s
What to order:
- Grilled chicken sandwich.
- Avocado and chicken salad.
- Baked potato with sour cream and chives.
- A child’s meal.
Chick-fil-A
What to order:
- Grilled chicken sandwich with fruit cup or side salad.
- Grilled chicken nuggets with fruit cup or side salad.
- Spicy Southwestern Salad (use half the dressing).
- Market salad.
- Chicken tortilla soup with a side salad.
- Grilled chicken with egg whites.
McDonald’s
What to order:
- A cheeseburger with apple slices.
- Four Chicken McNuggets with apple slices.
- Egg McMuffin.
Taco Bell
What to order:
- Sweet taco (fresco style).
- Fiesta Veggie Burrito.
- Supreme crispy black bean wrap (fresco style).
- Electric menu bowl.
Chipotle
What to order:
- Salad with lettuce, any of the salsas, fajita vegetables, beans and/or meat, and guacamole.
- Bowl with lettuce, half the rice or no rice, fajita vegetables, any of the salsas, beans and/or meat, and guacamole.
- Tacos with flour tortilla, beans, fajita vegetables and any of the salsas.
Inside and outside
What to order:
- Cheeseburger or burger.
- Cheeseburger or burger wrapped in lettuce.
Cafe Zupa
What to order:
- Nuts on berry salad.
- Mango salad.
- Strawberry harvest salad.
- Thai chicken salad.
- Tomato and basil soup.
- Chili chicken enchilada.
- Chickpea and vegetable soup.
- Chicken noodle soup.
- Turkey bacon avocado on old grain (you can ask to hold the bacon).
kneaders
What to order:
- Half a coffee sandwich.
- Avocado salad with turkey bacon.
- Sunflower salad with cranberries and turkey.
- Large green avocado salad.
- Salad of chicken nuts with raspberries.
- Chicken noodle soup.
- Chili Chicken White Beans.
- Beef stew.
Metro
What to order:
- 6 inch ham sub with any vegetable garnish on wheat.
- 6 inch turkey sub with any vegetable filling on wheat.
- 6 inch deli combo with any veggie toppings over wheat.
- 6 inch vegetable sub on wheat.
- 6 inch roast chicken sub with any veggie topping on wheat.
Healthy meals from chain restaurants
Applebee’s
What to order:
- 6 ounce sirloin with vegetable sides.
- Chicken and shrimp from Bourbon Street (under the potatoes for a vegetable).
Longhorn Steakhouse
What to order:
- Fillet of Flo or renegade sirloin with broccoli or green salad or asparagus or strawberry salad or crispy Brussels sprouts.
- LongHorn Salmon with Broccoli or Green Salad or Asparagus or Strawberry Salad or Crispy Brussels Sprouts.
- Parmesan-crusted chicken with broccoli or green salad or asparagus or strawberry salad or crispy Brussels sprouts.
- Grilled red prawns with broccoli or green salad or asparagus or strawberry salad or crispy Brussels sprouts.
- Farm fresh vegetables with grilled salmon.
- Sirloin salad with 7 peppers.
Chilli’s
What to order:
- Ancho salmon.
- Grilled Chicken Margarita.
- Classic 6 oz sirloin with vegetable sides.
- House prawn salad.
- House salad with ancho salmon.
- Chilli cup with salad.
olive garden
What to order:
- Langoustines with prawns.
- Grilled Chicken Margherita.
- Grilled chicken parmigiana with a side of broccoli.
- Grilled salmon with herbs.
- 6 ounce sirloin with a side of broccoli.
- Minestrone soup with house salad.
- Pasta and fagioli soup with house salad.
Cracker Barrel
What to order:
- Southern smoked grilled chicken with vegetable sides.
- Grilled chicken fillets with vegetable side dishes.
- Grilled sirloin steak with vegetable sides.
- Grilled rainbow trout with lemon pepper and vegetable side dishes.
Texas Truck Stop
What to order:
- Grilled chicken salad.
- Steakhouse fillet salad.
- Sirloin with vegetable sides.
- Dallas fillet with vegetables.
- Steak skewers.
- Grilled BBQ chicken with vegetable sides.
- Herb-crusted chicken with vegetable sides.
- Grilled salmon with vegetables.
- Grilled prawns with side vegetables.
PF Chang’s
What to order:
- Spicy tuna roll.
- California roll.
- Crispy mandarin salad.
- Wonton soup.
- Beaten egg soup.
- Hot and sour soup.
- Wagyu Steak.
- Chang spicy chicken, steamed.
- Pepper steak.
- Beef with broccoli.
- Miso glazed salmon.
- Shrimps in lobster sauce, steamed.
- Steamed kung pao prawns.
- Ginger chicken with broccoli.
- Lo mein prawns.
- Lo mein vegetables.
cheesecake factory
What to order:
- Chicken with lemon-herb parmesan.
- Spicy shrimp pasta.
- Grilled turkey burger.
- SkinnyLicious Chicken Soft Tacos.
- Tuscan chicken.
- Lemon-garlic shrimp.
- Grilled salmon.
- Sautéed green salad.
red lobster
What to order:
- Shrimp surf and turf.
- Live steamed lobster with vegetable side dishes.
- Bowl of sesame-soya salmon.
- Grilled rainbow trout with vegetables.