Everyone knows that Fast Food is bad for you, low quality food, high in sodium and fat and way to many calories per meal.

Did you ever stop to think about your favorite restaurant? I am sure you would like to think that you are choosing higher quality, healthier food when you eat at a nice restaurant.

Today I am going to pick on my what used to be my parents favorite restaurant, Earls. We use to go their all the time when I was a kid, I even worked their as a server for 2 years.

I just found out they posted their nutrition information so I thought I would take a look! (I included the link as the tab is tucked away in the bottom corner of their home page)

And I can see why, they tucked it away in a corner, If it was my restaurant I would be horrified to find out that my nutritional content of my menu looked like EARLS

Here’s why:

Fat content is outrageous with only 3 items that contain less then 20 g of fat, unless of course you include a few of the accompaniments.

(Hot Chicken Ceaser has 76.5 g of Fat)
Sodium levels on alot of items are really high

There isn’t much point in trying to balance your choices as the fat content is so high in everything, It just doesn’t work.

Salads – so you thought it was healthy

899 calories for a Sante Fe Chicken Salad

1120 calories for a Hot Chicken Ceaser
(add a  pan bread +700)

Pizza ranges from 750 – 1150

The Sandwiches and Burgers start at 700 calories

Pasta starts at 1100 calories per entree

The Big bowls 1000-1300 calories

Chicken starts at 540
With ribs starting at 1100
Note: that doesnt include your sides which add anywhere from 300 to 775 extra calories per side. With the exception of the mediteranean vegetables at 120.

And the deserts start at 400 calories

If we picked their lightest fare:

Calories
Shared by 2 people Los Cabos Chicken Tacos = 282/2
Rocket Beet and Pear Salad = 445
Brownie with Toblerone Chocolate = 404
Total calories for 1 person = 990
Protein = 29.7
Carbs = 97.25
Fat = 57.05 Saturated (24.5 g)
Sodium = 897.5

My recommendations if you still want to eat there! Split your entree 4 ways, skip the starter and dessert and only drink water

or just eat the starter size Chicken Tacos, a side salad with no dressing and have it with a glass of water.

So ask yourself is Earls making you FAT???? Or is it choosing to eat there that is making you fat!

Yours in Fitness

Lynnell Ible, NSCA-CSCS