Outback Steakhouse Nutrition Choices

Outback Steakhouse Nutrition Choices
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Introduction

Finding good Outback Steakhouse nutrition choices is possible, especially if you are on a low-carb diet. Steaks and salads are usually healthy options when dining out, as long as you leave off the croutons, excess cheese and avoid side items like baked potatoes.

But some foods at Outback are not really wise to eat, even if you’re not watching your weight. A few of its menu items are extremely high in calories and saturated fat, and one of them even got dubbed one of the 20 worst foods in America, health-wise, by Men’s Health magazine.

The “Worst” Food

The Aussie cheese fries with ranch dressing was named the worst dining out nutritional choice in America. The appetizer is 2,900 calories, and even if shared with dinner companions is still a lot to wolf down before the main course arrives. The fries, which are also loaded with bacon, has a shocking 182 grams of fat along with 240 grams of carbs.

Men’s Health recommends diners consider other appetizers such as seared ahi or shrimp on the barbie, as these are not deep-fried and are protein-rich. A 2010 review of Outback Steakhouse nutrition guidelines reveals that a small order of seared ahi has nearly 325 calories and 21 grams of healthier fat. If split with another person, the appetizer has even less impact on your heart and waistline!

Dessert Dangers

Outback advertises “irresistible” desserts and let’s face it, most people can’t resist dessert whether they’re dining at Outback or a fast food joint. But this is another area to watch out for. A single serving of cheesecake adds about 990 calories to your daily intake, along with a stunning 171 grams of carbohydrate. The fat content is about 34 grams.

The seemingly lesser-evil of carrot cake is actually even worse for you than cheesecake. Outback’s version says it serves four, but when was the last time four people actually shared a regular-sized dessert? The entire serving is 1185 calories, nearly 227 carbohydrate grams and 28 grams of fat.

Perhaps even more disconcerting is the dessert’s sodium content. At nearly 1,614 mg this is nearly two-thirds of the maximum USDA daily recommended sodium intake of 2,400. And this recommendation is for the average person, not someone watching their weight or concerned about high blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic notes the minimum daily sodium intake should be about 1,500 mg. It’s also a lesser-known fact that eating a huge amount of sodium at once spikes the blood pressure of even the healthiest person, which puts you at a short-term elevated risk of heart attack or stroke.

References

“Outback Steakhouse Nutrition Information.” https://www.outback.com/foodandmenus/nutritionalinfo.aspx

“Sodium: Are you getting too much?” https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

“The 20 Worst Foods in America.” https://www.menshealth.com/20worst/worstfood.html