Eating Out- Applebee's

Before I began my journey of losing weight, I would eat out multiple times a week with no problem. Now, I try to go only 1-2 times a month. These last few weeks, however, I've had to go a lot more than usual because of going home, friends moving back, and meeting up with family. Last night, my friend, Natalie, and I met up for dinner in Austin, and we went to Applebee's since I had a random gift card I needed to use. I hadn't been in years, so took a look at their menu before we went.

I'm glad that more restaurants, like Applebee's, are putting their nutrition information online, and I was happy that Applebee's had a 550 calorie or under menu. However, I decided to get one of their salads that was a bit more higher in calories, but I knew I ate pretty light earlier that day.

I ordered the Seasonal Berry & Spinach Salad, but asked for the dressing on the side. The salad had spinach, blueberries, strawberries, pecans, blue cheese crumbles, and grilled chicken, and the dressing was a strawberry vinaigrette. It came out to 620 calories, 53g protein, and 6g fiber. It also had 53g carbs and 31g of fat, but I figured most of the fat was from the nuts and cheese. Lastly, the part I hate the most about eating out, was 1,610mg of sodium. However, compared to many other options, this was a healthier choice. One of the dishes under 550 calories I was originally looking at had over 3,000mg! However, the salad was delicious, and I only used about 1/3 of the dressing. Next time, I might also ask for the nuts and cheese on the side as well.

I've known Natalie for 9 years now, and last night we were discussing how crazy it is that it's been that long! We grew up dancing together, and she's always been one of my great friends. We don't get to see each other too often, but since we go to universities that are only about 30 minutes away, I have a feeling we'll be getting together more this semester. She's one of the sweetest people I know, and each time we're together, we can pick up where we left off, and we never stop laughing. Love you, Nat! P.S. Is it true, or is it false? I think it's copper! ;)

<3 Stephanie