Applebees Healthy Options

Today, an increasing number of people are becoming health and weight conscious.  Such people are concerned about the calorie content of the food they eat.  To cater to the demands of such diners, Applebee’s has included a number of low calorie, healthy options in its menu in a special section titled the Under 550 Calories Menu.

What makes these dishes even more appealing is that the serving sizes are substantial and filling despite the low calories.  Besides, Applebees makes smart substitutions, like grilling the fish or chicken instead of frying it; serving a salad, fruit or vegetables instead of the usual fried onion rings, or mashed or French fries; substituting whole-wheat buns for white bread; and offering dressings and sauces on the side.

Consider this.  At Applebee’s you can even enjoy a beef dish, generally considered fattening, with less guilt.  The Asiago Peppercorn Steak is high on flavor, not calories.  Here, the lean, 7-oz. sirloin steak is grilled and topped with melted Asiago cheese and cracked peppercorns.  The sides include seasonal vegetables and steamed potatoes and these are not drowned in butter or a cream sauce.  The entire dish adds up to just 390 calories and though it has 14g fat, this is a whole lot lesser than in most other steak options.

The Grilled Dijon Chicken and Portobellos has marinated and grilled chicken breast that is topped with roasted onions, red peppers, Portobello mushrooms, aged cheddar cheese and Dijon sauce and served with seasonal vegetables and herb potatoes.  This meal has under 550 calories.  What makes this dish healthy, is: the grilled chicken, peppers, mushrooms, and onions, instead of them being creamed or fried; a Dijon sauce with a low-calorie mustard base; and the inclusion of herbed, boiled potatoes and assorted vegetables in place of creamed or buttery versions.  The dish has lower than one fourth of the fat in the Fiesta Lime Chicken.

Applebee’s Spicy Shrimp Diavolo features shrimp and chopped tomatoes mixed with a tomato-basil, diavolo sauce that is spiced up with chili-seasoning.  The shrimp mixture is spread over whole-wheat penne pasta, and then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.  This dish is full of flavor and since the hot diavolo sauce contains diced tomatoes cooked without any meat, it is also low in calories.  The use of whole wheat pasta and shrimp without any breading or frying makes this dish even healthier.

Then, the Asian Crunch Salad, an original Applebee’s creation, has grilled chicken breast and lots of crunchy salad greens accompanied with roasted red peppers, sugar snap peas, onions, and cucumbers.  A tangy Asian vinaigrette dressing, and a sprinkling of cilantro and sliced almonds completes this crunchy, 490 calories Asian dish.  Antioxidant-rich almonds and wholesome ingredients are the high points of this meal.

Applebee’s was incorporated in the early 1980s as a family-friendly, casual dining restaurant. Since then, it has expanded to almost 2,000 restaurants across the US and abroad.  Providing healthy and tasty low calorie meals has only added to its popularity.

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