The Healthiest Entrées At Your 10 Favorite Chain Restaurants

Chain restaurants tend to get a bad rap from a nutrition standpoint. For the most part, this is justified: Burgers, ribs, and salads bogged down with fried chicken and mayo-heavy dressings are going to be unhealthy wherever you order them. But more and more chains are making a real effort to have healthy options on their menus, and we've tracked down the healthiest entrées at 10 of the most popular chain restaurants in America. 

One of Fridays' "Spiked Plates," introduced last October is Bourbon Barrel Mahi Mahi, a flame-grilled mahi filet served on bourbon-infused wood planks. It contains only 260 calories; the Bourbon Barrel Chicken contains just 270. 

If you're looking for a healthy entrée at Olive Garden, we suggest you opt for the Baked Tilapia with Shrimp, which only contains 360 calories and is served with parmesan-garlic broccoli. 

Applebee's has a "Lighter Fare" menu, featuring items that have less than 600 calories. The pepper-crusted sirloin with whole grains, sliced steak on a bed of whole grains, spinach, roasted grape tomatoes, portobellos, and a light broth, only contains 350 calories. 

All of the options on Chili's Lighter Choices menu clock in at less than 600 calories, and the healthiest option of all is the Classic Sirloin with Grilled Avocado, a small six-ounce steak topped with grilled avocado slices and served with roasted tomatoes and a side salad, which contains just 410 calories. 

Red Lobster's "Lighter Fare" menu highlights items with fewer than 600 calories, and the Lighthouse Maple-Glazed Chicken (which is brushed with a maple-cherry glaze and served with rice pilaf and broccoli) contains just 370 calories. If you want a seafood fix, the Lighthouse Garlic Grilled Shrimp contains just 390 calories, and the Lighthouse Snow Crab Legs 430.

If you're looking to eat healthy at Red Robin, skip the burger (which average more than 800 calories)and instead opt for the Ensenada Chicken platter, two chicken breasts with Mexican seasoning, topped with salsa and served with a side salad. A regular order of two chicken breasts contains 345 calories and 14 grams of fat, but if you order it with just one breast it contains just 216 calories and nine grams of fat. 

If you're craving a steak at Outback but still want to eat healthy, opt for the six-ounce sirloin, which contains just 254 calories and 13 grams of fat, or the six-ounce filet mignon, which contains 218 calories and nine grams of fat. 

There are plenty of entrées at Uno Chicago Grill (formerly Pizzeria Uno) that clock in at less than 500 calories (no pizza, unfortunately). Herb-rubbed chicken contains 490 calories (but be careful, because it also contains 37 grams of fat), the grilled chicken sandwich contains 12 grams of fat, a 10-ounce top sirloin contains 340 calories and 10 grams of fat, and lemon basil salmon contains 490 calories and 34 grams of fat. 

Just like at Red Robin, if you skip the burger at Ruby Tuesday there are plenty of healthy options to be found. Sirloin and lobster tail contains just 441 calories (top sirloin) or 373 calories (petite sirloin); Hickory Bourbon salmon contains 250 calories; and the Chicken Fresco (topped with tomatoes, lemon butter, and balsamic vinaigrette), Chicken Bella (topped with roasted mushrooms, artichokes, and parmesan cream sauce), and Hickory Bourbon Chicken all contain less than 400 calories.  

As a part of Cracker Barrel's Wholesome Fixin's menu, diners can choose between a handful of options that have a surprisingly low amount of calories. The lowest-calorie one of all is pecan-crusted catfish, glazed with orange marmalade. It contains just 300 calories, and mixed seasonal vegetables are the suggested side.