Bottomless fries won’t keep you bottomless
Possibly the best thing about eating out is being able to try and enjoy so many different things, but embarking on that adventure too often can set you up on a road of frustration with your health and your weight.
You have to make an effort of ordering smart and modifying the dishes to cut down on calories, just as the case is in this newly-opened restaurant I recently checked out, Red Robin at The Shops at Wiregrass . Ordering real smart is what you have to do at Red Robin.
One thing they flaunt is their “bottomless fries.” Ha! Eat those often and you certainly won’t be “bottomless,” I tell you! French fries are among the restaurant foods with the highest calorie content even though they used to be my favorite food. It is rather sad to be offering and boasting about these bottomless fries, considering the obesity of our country.
On a good note, they do offer some great options, helping you to choose wisely. You can request whole grain buns when you order any sandwich. They are known for gourmet hamburgers and I like a hamburger every once in a while, but hardly order it in restaurants since I know I can cook hamburgers at home for 90 percent less fat. Since I’ve been used to these healthier hamburgers if I eat one out they don’t taste as appetizing; they’re just way too greasy. That sounds ironic coming from an ex-food addict who used to gobble up greasy, fattening food. So instead I got something I haven’t had in a long time, a Gardenburger.
Now if you have never had one, don’t knock it until you try it just the way I ordered it because it was actually delicious! These are the things I did to make it a healthy and great-tasting meal: I ordered the Gardenburger with a whole grain bun, had the mustard sauce on the side since I didn’t know how much fat was added to it, added a slice of Mozzarella cheese with sautéed mushrooms and onions and substituted a refreshing salad for those fattening fries. The trick is to tell them to use a very light amount of oil on those sautéed veggies. If you want to be really disciplined, eat the salad and only half of the sandwich. You will be satiated and pleased, knowing that you made a healthier decision that you shall be happy with later.
Red Robin also has a location at the Citrus Park mall.
