When I go out to eat at a restaurant, I usually order an appetizer so I don’t get as much food. I don’t eat a lot in one sitting, and I don’t like being wasteful, especially for a meal that isn’t so yummy reheated. Lately, appetizers are looking more and more like entrees, huge chunks of food filling my plate- and my stomach! It can be even worse for some diners that order an appetizer in addition to their main meal- they can consume between 500-600 calories by choosing to get both! So how can you avoid this situation? The writers of the best-selling book Eat This, Not That! have put together a list of some of the worst starters you can order at restaurants. Be prepared before you order, and if you just have to order both and appetizer and entrée, try splitting the entrée in half right when you get it. Put one half in a to-go box, that way it won’t be on your plate so you can mindlessly pick at it even when you are full. Yahoo! Health also helped list some appetizers you should think twice about before ordering. Check out these worst appetizers:
Worst Kid’s Side
Bob Evans Smiley Face Potatoes
524 calories
31 g fat (6 g saturated)
646 mg sodium
Worst Drive-Through Side
Arby’s Large Mozzarella Sticks
637 calories
42 g fat (19 g saturated)
2,047 mg sodium
Worst Chicken Appetizer
Denny’s Buffalo Chicken Strips
730 calories
32 g fat (0 g saturated)
2,940 mg sodium
Worst “Healthy” Starter
P.F. Chang’s Chicken Noodle Soup
759 calories
24 g fat (4 g saturated)
4,135 mg sodium
92 g carbohydrates
Worst Dip Appetizer
Chili’s Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Chips
930 calories
77 g fat (34 g saturated)
3,130 mg sodium
Worst Potato Side
Dairy Queen’s Chili Cheese Fries
1,240 calories
71 g fat (28 g saturated, 0.5 g trans fat)
2,550 mg sodium
Worst Appetizer in America
On the Border’s Firecracker Stuffed Jalapenos with Chili Con Queso
1,950 calories
134 g fat (36 g saturated)
6,540 mg sodium
Check out Eat This, Not That! or head to Yahoo! Health for some healthier alternatives!
Photo Credit: Yahoo! Health
