….Where should we go out to dinner?
Thursday night after work Michael and I headed to IKEA.
We needed to replace our chipped bowls and pick up another set of dishes before Thanksgiving. Our odd-number set and mis-matched dishes just weren’t going to cut it.
It was rainy and dark after work and we couldn’t decide where to stop for dinner on the way.
I wanted sushi…Michael didn’t want sushi unless we got GOOD sushi (read: expensive) which we couldn’t afford.
He wanted pizza…which I had leftover pizza for lunch and didn’t want it for dinner.
Subway? Couldn’t agree on it.
Finally we settled on Red Robin near the IKEA. I’m not a fan of Red Robin. There’s very little there I can order without feeling like I’ve totally broken the Calorie Bank. It’s frustrating and causes me anxiety. Silly, I know. Even their salads (the old healthy stand-by at restaurants) and insanely high in calories.
I agonized over the menu and used the MyFitnessPal app to figure out if I wanted the French Onion Soup or the chili. It really annoys me that Red Robin makes me so anxious. I have no idea WHY because I don’t go through the same agony at other restaurants.
In the end, I settled on the chili because it was something I don’t eat often.
When I eat chili at home I top it with shredded cheese and a dollop of light sour cream. Since Light wasn’t an option at Red Robin I skipped it. I asked for the cheese on the side.
Which was clearly pointless by the time the meal was over because I’d used almost all of the cheese. 😛
It was tasty and not too much food. It was actually a serving size! Shocker! I ordered a Blue Moon beer too (and snagged a few of Michael’s fries).
I left feeling satisfied but not stuffed. We went over to IKEA then and it was pleasantly empty. 8pm on a Thursday is apparently the best time to go to IKEA. We had a great time strolling through the store, trying to figure out the best options for storage dilemmas, checked out the dining room tables, and then picked up our dishes.
There was hardly anyone there and it was a relaxing experience! Quite a change from going to IKEA on a Saturday afternoon, for sure.
I even picked up a Christmas gift for someone.
Final Stats:
Red Robin Chili Bowl with cheese: 537 calories
Blue Moon Beer: 170 calories
Not too atrocious.
QUESTION: Are there any restaurants that you just don’t like going to because they don’t offer healthy options?
kalin
ikea exhausts me-whenever we go we’re there for hours and hours. if i don’t eat mid trip i generally start to get… less than pleasant.
the ikea restaurant actually has some decent choices. you can get a kids meal even if you’re an adult (i have no shame in ordering a kids meal). for 2.49 i get a little bowl of pasta with marinara sauce, a bowl of veggies, and a bowl with a few meatballs. it’s enough to fill me up, it’s cheap, and it has veggies (something you don’t always get a ton of eating out)
Lisa Eirene
I actually enjoy IKEA’s food and that was one of the options we had last night.
Nicki
LOL! Red Robin, yuuuuummmm… 😉 .. I agree, Red Robin, and over here on the east coast, I don’t recall seeing it on the west, is Five Guys Burgers, everyone thinks it’s a great lunch place… No i’m sorry, I don’t have a marathon tomorrow, it’ll take me a week to burn off those calories..
Lisa Eirene
That’s funny because Michael did suggest Five Guys, lol!
Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin
I’ve never been to a Red Robin before. Eating out can be so hard because you have no idea what they are putting into your food. Mexican restaurants tend to stress me out a bit because I always go to town on the chips and salsa no matter what. But since i know this, I only go when I’m ok with pigging out on chips, adn I try to order a healthy dinner. I also have started making more Mexican at home so I can fill the void that way.
Lisa Eirene
Ah yes….Mexican Restaurant Death! Been there many, many times. I tend to OD on chips and salsa.
Carbzilla
I’m having IKEA envy although I have no reason to go. Maybe after the new year.
I think you did a great job ordering. That’s awesome that you looked it up too. Your dedication is admirable as always.
I think the cabin we stayed in this summer had those dishes. They’re pretty great!
We just don’t eat out a lot but when we do I either get two apps or just an entree. The other night I ordered my dish with extra veggies and no mashed potatoes. And I never order dessert. I’m usually too full anyway.
Lisa Eirene
I never order dessert either. We usually skip the appetizers and often split an entree. Michael wanted to split a burger at Red Robin but I just wasn’t in a burger mood…
Lisa
Red Robin is a nightmare for me because I LOVE their steak fries! Luckily there isn’t one nearby.
After I checked out the nutrition info, Longhorn is a place that we won’t go to. The sodium content on everything is through the roof, which is a problem with many chain restaurants.
Lori (Finding Radiance)
I lurve Red Robin. Or I should say I used to. There is not one nearby. When we lived in IL – we used to go all the time. The clucks and fries (buffalo style) was the dish I almost always got. With extra fries. Hello 100 pounds.
I get nervous at a local place called the FishFry Cafe – any guesses why? Every single thing on the menu is fried. It’s good, but we rarely go there. Only when John wins football picks and chooses that LOL.
I find that I actually get a little nervous at Chinese restaurants because it takes me days to get rid of that sodium bloat, even if I choose a healthy meal. What is up with that?
Lisa Eirene
I stopped eating Chinese food almost entirely. I used to love Thai food too, but once I start eating Pad Thai I cannot stop….
Alan (Pounds Off Playoff)
I used to love Red Robin…when I was huge and growing, of course. Now, I go there with my family sometimes. About two years ago, King County (WA) required them to publish nutritional info. AHHH! Holy crap, the calories were obscene and sodium was (and is) off the charts. But now they have a Simply Grilled Chicken Salad. It actually kind of tastes like something you’d make at home. I get it with oil and vinegar dressing and get out of there without feeling too bad. If you skip the flat bread, the calories are pretty reasonable, too.
Lisa Eirene
I saw that salad on the menu and almost ordered it!
blackhuff
Here where I live, most restaurants have mixed menu’s, so I and others, have to really know our food, to make a informative decision.
I always just make sure that I ask the waiter what goes into the item and how it’s prepared and then ask for substitutes and other ways of preparing the dish.