Chili’s is one of those restaurants that isn’t particularly my favorite, but I tend to go there a lot because it’s conveniently located everywhere, is very reasonably priced and is never too packed. In fact, this is the restaurant that my brothers, dad and I used to go out to eat for family dinners once a week for about a year straight (back in the day when I was like 16…). You know what I used to order back then when I was a lot heftier and a bit crankier? The chicken crispers. Mmmm chicken crispers are like sweetly battered chicken tenders that are more soft and fluffy than traditional fried chicken (can you tell I’m drooling?). But that, my friends, is a thing of the PAST, ‘cuz guess how many calories are in one serving, NOT including the fries they come with? 1880. Yes, you read correctly. Pretty much my daily calorie intake was in one measly serving of those little fried death bites and I can guarantee you that, back then, that meal was just a dent in my daily calorie intake.

So now I either order off of their “Guiltless Grill” section, which has options that are intentionally less calories and fat (and their nutritional content is listed on the menu), or I search online calorie guides for healthier options that I can personalize.

Last night I tried the chicken fajita pita for the first time. I saw that it had 380 calories without the fries, as listed on Calorie King, and that is actually less calories than any of the meals listed on their Guiltless Grill section, so I didn’t know if it was tiny or just wouldn’t taste any good. I ordered it without the chipotle sauce it comes with (since sauces are always questionable and I never know if they are included in the calorie counts or not, so I play it safe!). I also asked for black beans instead of fries — a swap that saves me 315 calories. The order arrived with fries anyway, as if some one was trying to test me. Bastards. *Sigh* When life gives you French fries, remember what Bob Harper, personal trainer from The Biggest Loser always says, “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels” (which I sometimes conjure up even if it’s just to say “yea right” as I pop chocolate-covered toffee into my mouth, but still…).

A note about the calorie counters: They are never 100% right. Even the online calorie stats vary from site to site. What was listed as 380 on www.CalorieKing.com was then listed as 450 on http://caloriecount.about.com, so you have to pretty much guesstimate. Plus, a lot of times restaurants will unintentionally sabotage your food! Don’t freak out or anything, but you really should make a habit of asking for your bread “dry” (without mayo, butter, etc.) and making sure they cook your food in as little oil as possible (ask for olive or canola oil instead of corn oil).

So back to the chicken fajita pita: delicious! The bread is really like Greek flat bread instead of a pita and man is it delicious even without any sauce! And it’s huge and filling. I am definitely sticking to this option.

Here’s to healthy eating and the hot bod that ensues!

Tags: calories, dining out, fast food, healthy food, nutritional information