Olive Garden Is Probably Worse For You Than McDonalds

[Dr. Strange]

New research suggests that food at so-called "sit down" restaurant chains are actually less healthy than food at their "eat out of lap in car" fast food counterparts, thanks to ungodly portions and rosters of fatty, salty ingredients that could choke a Paula Deen cookbook.

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]

1. I don't eat at either one.

[Capt. Obvious]

2. There's a really nice Olive Garden in Grand Forks

[Dr. Strange]

3. Shut up Mrs. Hagerty!

[KamaAina]

22. Is that what they're calling Times Square these days?

[MissMillie]

4. I heard the most unhealthful dish came from Cheesecake Factory

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/01/17/cheesecake-factorys-3000-calorie-bistro-shrimp-pasta-tops-list-of-xtreme-gut-busters/

[hollysmom]

5. you always have to think about what you order -

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]

6. I won't hate anyone for where they choose to eat personally I don't care for those chain places

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]

7. Oh how I miss you Olive Garden thread

[dionysus]

18. +10000

[Shandris]

8. If you're interested in watching what you eat and not reading the nutrition guide before...

...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]

9. A big-ass serving of fettucine alfredo is going to be a heart attack

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]

10. I only breastfeed at McDonalds.

But Olive Garden lets me bring my pit bull.


I'm so conflicted.

[Dr. Strange]

12. And the jury is in.

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

REASON FOR ALERT:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

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.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT and said: I can't stand Orrex and his incessant pontificating.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Orrex is a good egg. Apart from his disrespectful attitude towards the Dune series, he's alright.
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT and said: STFU Juror #2. Orrex must be destroyed!
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: I can't find my underwear. Has anyone seen it?
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Gom Jabbar, baby. Gom Jabbar.

Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Stop with the stupid alerts, toots.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Why am I on this jury? There's already six jurors! LOL

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[Orrex]

15. Well played, sir!

[RC]

11. I eat at Cracker barrel, El Maguey on Noland Road, Zio's and occasionally at Olive Garden.

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]

13. I eat 99.9% of the time at home. Much cheaper and healthier too!

[RandiFan1290]

14. I only eat there when I'm in NYC

Now that's Italianish!

[gollygee]

16. I hate Olive Garden, but who eats a whole entree at a restaurant like that?

Is one entree even expected to be one meal?

[dionysus]

17. we went there a lot as broke college students.fill upon the unlimited salad and breadsticks and take

most of the entrée home.

meh, I've eaten at worse places....

[Packerowner740]

19. Not me, too many carbs.

[Cirque du So-What]

20. I live in the midst of one of the largest Italian populations in the country

It would be absolute madness on my part to patronize an Olive Garden...well, that, coupled with my contempt for its corporate owners.

[SoCalDem]

21. Fact:

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.