Restaurants with Heart-Healthy Menus

Nowadays, restaurants have modified their menus to include a variety of healthier options for their customers to choose from. Some restaurants follow a specific diet plan, while others have created more reasonable portions or added whole-grain options at no cost to the customer. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Applebee's

Applebee's low-fat menu options appear under the Weight Watchers program, featuring both calorie counts and point breakdowns. Order grilled options to keep meat lean and the flavors in, such as the Garlic Herb Chicken, served with steamed potatoes and fresh vegetables, or a flame-broiled 4 oz. sirloin steak topped with mushrooms. Enjoy an individual dessert shooter after dinner, where you can savor the flavors of strawberry cheesecake or hot fudge sundae in a shooter glass without overindulging.

T.G.I.FRIDAY'S

Friday's created the right portion, right price and the better-for-you options on their menu, smaller portions that would not overwhelm you and healthier choices. Choose salad or sandwich options like a Strawberry Fields salad, with a bed of mixed greens, pecans and marinated strawberries, or a California turkey burger on a whole-wheat bun. Opt for Dragonfire chicken, a grilled chicken breast, covered with Chinese kung pao sauce and served with brown rice and pineapple salsa.

Outback Steakhouse

This steakhouse offers recommendations to its customers on how to maintain a heart-healthy diet. Order your steak or chicken and tell your server to prepare it without butter. This will save you some fat calories, as will ordering your bake potato plain and only adding margarine as needed. Stick to the Victoria's Fillet, the Outback Special, or a shrimp and vegetable griller. When ordering your salad, select a noncreamy dressing, such as tomato or Italian, and only eat one slice of bread before dinner to save room for your steak and fresh vegetables.

Chicago Uno Grill

This restaurant features several menu options for customers to choose from. Select a flatbread pizza instead of a deep-dish pizza and you will shave off 330 calories and 29 grams of fat. Add a salad to your meal for half of the menu price when you select any pizza or entre. Choose to substitute whole-wheat penne in the pasta dishes and stick to combinations that include vegetables and grilled chicken like Tuscan Chicken Penne, which is tossed in a sun-dried tomato sauce.