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Eating out guilt-free doesn't have to mean ordering a plate of lettuce. Check out HG's latest rockin' list of guilt-free restaurant options that taste almost too good to be true -- and some super-secret tips you won't read about on any menu....
Romano's Macaroni Grill - Pollo Magro (Skinny Chicken)
(entire entree with sides: 410 calories, 6g fat, 990mg sodium, 26g carbs, 8g fiber, 39g protein)
Most of the items on Macaroni Grill's menu wind up on one of our lists of shockingly high-cal and fattening restaurant dishes. But we're super-excited to tell you about this slimmed-down option at the pasta-happy place. Grilled chicken breast with a sweet honey balsamic glaze is served up with sides of grilled asparagus and broccoli. And 410 calories for a meal at an Italian eatery is mere pocket change from your calorie piggy bank. But don't confuse this diet-friendly dish with their ordinary Honey Balsamic Chicken. That entree's packing an insane 1,190 calories and 59 fat grams!
Applebee's - Italian Chicken & Portabella Sandwich
(entire entree w/ sides: 360 calories, 6g fat, 11g fiber) 
Wowowow! The 'Bee's recently added a few new items to their Weight Watchers menu. The standout newbie is this marinated chicken breast on a whole-wheat bun, complete with sauteed portabellas and chunky marinara dipping sauce. Plus, it comes with a side of fresh fruit. We recommend this one for people on Weight Watchers, people who count calories, and people who simply dig delicious chicken sandwiches. Go, Applebee's!
Chili's - Guiltless Black Bean Burger on a Whole Wheat Bun
(entire entree w/ sides: 410 calories, 8g fat, 1,490mg sodium, 57g carbs, 25g fiber, 29g protein)
This is definitely one of the best veggie burgers ever to be served at a restaurant. It's packed with filling fiber and tons of flavor; even meat lovers will dig this meatless wonder. Plus it comes served with heaps of tasty steamed veggies topped with parmesan cheese. The trick here is ordering the massive (and massively delicious) black bean patty on one of their unbuttered whole-wheat buns instead of the "Big Mouth Bun". That right there saves you 240 calories and 4 grams of fat! Serious calorie-counters can skip the bun altogether and the whole meal will clock in at only 320 calories and 6 grams of fat. Just don't use this low-cal platter as an excuse to order dessert at Chili's; each one of those crazy things has 720 to 1,600 calories and 44 to 78 grams of fat. Eeeks!
Applebee's - Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake
(entire serving: 230 calories, 3g fat, 3g fiber)
Yay... Right smack in the middle of our list of guilt-free restaurant picks lands a crazy, layered, chocolate dessert! This cream-cheese-frosting-covered slice of chocolate cake, complete with raspberry sauce and a powdered sugar topping, is a steal at just 230 calories and 3g fat. The kicker? 3 whole g's of filling fiber! This low-fat, cake-tastic treat is a rare find. Pair it with their Grilled Shrimp Skewer Salad and you've got yourself a huge, filling meal that has a grand total of just 440 calories and 5g fat!
P.F. Chang's - Cantonese Shrimp
(entire entree: 330 calories, 12g fat, 21g carbs, 33g protein)
P.F. Chang's is another place where high-calorie dishes run rampant (a fairly common trait when it comes to Chinese food). We usually order everything steamed with sauce on the side to avoid a calorie catastrophe. This dish consists of marinated shrimp served in a white sauce with sesame, garlic, and snow peas. If you're looking to lower that fat count, order the dish steamed with the sauce on side. But if you feel like splurging on a decadent dish with a super-low calorie count, enjoy this one exactly as is!
The Cheesecake Factory - Weight Management California Salad
(entire salad w/ dressing: 560 calories, 28g fat, 43g carbs, 25g fiber, 15g sugars, 38g protein)
Okay, despite the fact that this salad has a snoozefest of a name, it's actually pretty exciting. Just like a Cobb salad, it has rows of grilled chicken, bacon, bleu cheese, tomato, beets, asparagus and chopped hard-boiled eggs -- but it has far less fat and calories than the average Cobb contains. Sure it's still a little high in fat, but it's also gigantic (scoop off some of the bleu cheese and bacon if you want to downsize the fat count). The best part may very well be the delicious low-calorie dressing. The Mustard Vinaigrette is sweet and tangy with less than 11 calories per tablespoon and very little fat. There is also a Spicy Vinaigrette (which, oddly, is more sweet than spicy) and a Sesame-Soy Dressing available for the same impressive stats. So feel free to use those with any of the salads at the CF, and just leave off the fatty ingredients.
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