Red Light!

For many eating out has become a regular aspect of life. Busy schedules, fatigue, shuttling kids to and from make eating out even more appealing. However, despite your best efforts to choose healthy items, restraunts are not on your side. Food prepared outside of the home is laden with salt and hidden calories in the form of large poition sizes, added fat and added sugars. To lose weight and improve health the answer is simple, eat out less. And remember, if it is not healthy for you it is not healthy for children either. Just because they are younger and may not struggle with weight, does not mean that these foods do not not have an impact on their present and future health. Check out the caloric content of these "red light" foods.

Chili's
Quesadilla Explosion Salad 1400 calories, 88 grams of fat Classic Turkey Sandwich w/French Fries 1340 calories, 63 grams of fat. Even without the fries, the sandwich has about 1,000 calories!

Olive Garden
Tour of Italy 1450 calories, 74 grams of fat Fettuccine Alfredo 1220 calories, 75 grams of fat Pork Milanese 1510 calories, 87 grams of fat

Applebee’s
Oriental Chicken Salad 1130 calories, 95 grams of fat Three Cheese Chicken Penne 1470 calories, 79 grams of fat Quesadilla Burger WITHOUT fries 1240 calories, 103 grams of fat. Fries add an additional 400 calories

1 Slice of Small (8"-9") Pizza
Lou Malnati's Sausage Thin Crust 240 calories, 15 grams of fat Lou Malnati's Pepperoni Deep Dish 540 calories, 32 grams of fat Papa John's Original Crust Cheese 210 calories, 8 grams of fat Pizza Hut Supreme Stuffed Crust 420 calories, 21 grams of fat

Now you must be wondering "what can I eat?" Check out the blog Thursday for some "green" light options that won't set you back in your weight loss journey! -Mallory Piontkowski, dietetic intern