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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOlive Garden Is Probably Worse For You Than McDonalds
The analysis, published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, involved more than 2,600 menu items at all sorts of suburban hellscape staples like Red Lobster and TGI Friday's and Chili's and Olive Garden and Patrick O'Depression's Neighborhood Despair Hoedown. Researchers found that most old fashioned plate-and-fork restaurants are guilty of overfeeding their patrons big time the average shared appetizer, adult entree, and side dish contained 1495 calories, 28 g of saturated fat, and 3,312 mg of sodium. Drink or dessert pushed most meals over 2,000 calories. Nutritionists recommend that adults consume a maximum of 2,000 calories per day, so unless a person is literally Michael Phelps, the offerings along the frontage road are probably overkill.
More at http://jezebel.com/olive-garden-is-probably-worse-for-you-than-mcdonalds-1497392724
When you're here, you're family. But really, who eats at Olive Garden?
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)Dr. Strange
(25,923 posts)KamaAina
(78,249 posts)MissMillie
(38,580 posts)hollysmom
(5,946 posts)When I eat at local restaurants I always ask them to go easy on the sauce or gravy, if possible, in a separate container.
Years ago I read the healthiest thing you could buy in fast food was roy rogers roast beef (before when it was real roasts not shaped) with out the au jus. The salt and fat was mostly in the au jus. Lots of times I don't order entrees but 2 appetizers - you have to look at stuff and see what sounds best - small crab cake and asian cole slaw sounded good to me, but don't really know the ingredients.
Arcanetrance
(2,670 posts)As much as I rack my brain I can't figure out what restaurant they're skewering here "Patrick O'Depression's Neighborhood Despair Hoedown"
giftedgirl77
(4,713 posts)dionysus
(26,467 posts)Shandris
(3,447 posts)...you go, you're definitely going to be in for a surprise (and not a good one!).
Some of the things you think would be 'best' are enough to call for a triple bypass, and some of the things you think are worst are startlingly low (by restaurant standards, which of course is completely relative). One thing I noticed is that at Red Lobster, some of the fried platters come in at fewer calories/sodium than some of what I would have consider a 'safer' dish. But if you're going out to eat expecting to escape the sodium monster without preparation, you're deluded...no matter -where- you go.
bullwinkle428
(20,630 posts)on a plate whether you order it at Olive Garden, the local neighborhood Mom & Pop Italian restaurant, or make it at home. It's all about the dish itself, how much of it you eat, and how often you choose to eat it!
Orrex
(63,224 posts)But Olive Garden lets me bring my pit bull.
I'm so conflicted.
Dr. Strange
(25,923 posts)At Thu Jan 9, 2014, 05:30 PM an alert was sent on the following post:
I only breastfeed at McDonalds.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4266941
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Ain't nobody got time for Orrex's ridiculous comments.
You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu Jan 9, 2014, 05:40 PM, and the Jury voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT.
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Orrex
(63,224 posts)RC
(25,592 posts)I try not to let other people think for me, thank you.
And I tip at least 20% too. 10% at the buffet's.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)RandiFan1290
(6,243 posts)Now that's Italianish!
gollygee
(22,336 posts)Is one entree even expected to be one meal?
dionysus
(26,467 posts)most of the entrée home.
meh, I've eaten at worse places....
Packerowner740
(676 posts)Cirque du So-What
(25,980 posts)It would be absolute madness on my part to patronize an Olive Garden...well, that, coupled with my contempt for its corporate owners.
SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)Even though the Olive Garden is NOT a "favorite" of many here (self included), it is an OCCASIONAL restaurant... a place where many will go for a special night out..as is CoCos, Appplebees, Australian Outback, and any other chain style restaurant where you are seated by a hostess & have waiters who bring you your food. Most people do not go to these places daily or even weekly.
Portion sizes are too large, but if those calories are divvied up between the meal out AND left overs eaten as a second meal the next day, it might not look as dangerous..
An occasional splurge will probably do you little long-term damage, BUT a daily drive thru at the dozens of fast food places that are done many times a week, just might.