THE | DIET DETECTIVE^®

The following is an excerpt from The Supermarket Diet Cookbook, by Susan Westmoreland.

Good Choices at the Chains

Here are examples from national chain restaurants of meals that fit right into The Supermarket Diet plan. Since companies change both dishes and formulations, check their websites to see whether calories have changed.

Applebees. For a 500-calorie dinner, have the Tortilla Chicken Melt. Or order any of the following accompanied by a side salad (no cheese or croutons) with 1 tablespoon dressing: Tango Chicken Sandwich, Confetti Chicken, Teriyaki Steak and Shrimp Skewers, or Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa.

Baja Fresh. For a 400-calorie lunch, order the Savory Pork Carnitas Ensalada with Salsa Verde Dressing or the Charbroiled Chicken Ensalada with one-third of the Ranch Dressing. (Watch it! Don’t get the bigger, more caloric salads that are similar but are served with a cheese-stuffed flauta.)
For a 500-calorie dinner, get the Savory Pork Carnitas Ensalada with 1/2 serving of the Olive Oil or Ranch dressing or the Side-by-Side Charbroiled Chicken with Salsa Verde Dressing.

Chipotle. For a 400-calorie lunch, order a bowl containing 1 serving rice, 1 serving black beans, any salsa except corn, and lettuce.
For a 500-calorie dinner, order a bowl containing 1 serving black beans, 1 serving chicken, any salsa except corn, lettuce, and 1/2 serving rice.

McDonald’s. These meals are so much lower in fiber (and some higher in sugar) than Supermarket Diet meals: please make going to McDonald’s an infrequent event!
For a 375-calorie breakfast, get the Fruit ’n Yogurt Parfait with granola, plus an English muffin (it comes with margarine) and half a “small” (12-ounce) orange juice.
For a 400-calorie lunch, order a hamburger (smallest one), plus a Caesar Salad (no chicken) with a full packet of Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette. Or, the Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken, 1/2 packet of Newman’s Own Creamy Caesar Dressing, and a serving of croutons.
For a 500-calorie dinner, get a cheeseburger (smallest one) plus Caesar Salad (no chicken) with a full packet of Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette and a package of Apple Dippers with 1/2 the Low Fat Caramel Sauce. Or, get the California Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken plus 1/2 packet of Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing, plus a Fruit ’n Yogurt Parfait without granola.

Subway.  Any of the “6 grams of fat or less,” 6-inch subs with 280 to 290 calories is fine. 
For example, for a 400-calorie lunch, you can get the 6-inch Ham, 6-inch Roast Beef, 6-inch Turkey Breast, or 6-inch Turkey Breast & Ham sub; or the 6-inch Veggie Delite sub with an added serving of cheese. Pair the sub with a Veggie Delite salad and 1/4 packet of regular dressing or a full packet of fat-free Italian (or 50 calories of any dressing).

Wendy’s. For a 400-calorie lunch get the Mandarin Chicken Salad with all the add-ins except the crispy noodles and have 1/2 the Oriental Sesame Dressing.
For a 500-calorie dinner, order a plain baked potato topped with a small chili.