Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Home & Garden
  • Style & Culture
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021

      The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. Read More Next
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More Next
    • The Right Way to Heat a Pre-Cooked Ham

      It's so easy, trust us. Read More Next
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food

    Lost Cakes of the South

    These simple and spectacular Southern cakes deserve a comeback
    • All Food
    • All Recipes
    • Holidays & Occasions
    • Quick Fix Suppers
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Casseroles
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining

    70 Wedding Vow Examples That Will Melt Your Heart

    Fight writer's block and find ways to express your love with these romantic, funny, and short wedding vow examples.
    • Christmas
    • Entertaining
    • Thanksgiving
    • Southern Weddings
    • Easter
    • Kentucky Derby
    • Valentine's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Mother's Day
  • Home & Garden

    Home & Garden

    See All Home & Garden

    7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020

    ‘Tis the season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something a little bolder and brighter.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Before & After
    • Inspired Communities
    • Curb Appeal
    • House Plans & Builders
    • The Grumpy Gardener
    • Plant Names A-Z
  • Style & Culture

    Style & Culture

    See All Style & Culture

    50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime

    Curl up with a classic!
    • Southern Culture
    • Hair
    • Travel
    • Beauty
    • Pets
    • Southern Fashion
    • Healthy Living
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. food
  3. 24 Things You Should Never Order When You Eat Out

24 Things You Should Never Order When You Eat Out

By Jessica Migala
January 13, 2018
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet

1 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Menu items to avoid

Credit: Getty Images

You know to pass on the deep-fried onion, and the slice of cheesecake the size of your head—but what about the green smoothie, or the yogurt parfait? Restaurants have a way of loading calories and sugar into even healthy-sounding orders. And then there are food safety issues to consider: Some menu items carry a higher risk of foodborne illness than others. To help you order smarter the next time you eat out, we’ve compiled this list of dishes to rule out.

1 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Medium-rare burger

Credit: Getty Images

When ground beef isn’t cooked to the proper temperature (160 degrees F) nasty bacteria may remain (think: “fecal contamination”). (That's why it's on our list of the 14 most dangerous summer foods.) An undercooked burger is riskier than an undercooked steak, according to a recent Consumer Reports study, because harmful microbes tend to be mixed throughout ground beef—whereas with whole cuts of meat, the microbes are more likely to stay on the surface and die off when exposed to heat. Ask for your burger cooked to at least medium.

2 of 25

3 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Rum (or vodka) and diet soda

Credit: Getty Images

Pairing booze and a diet drink may actually enhance the health effects of alcohol, a small 2015 study from Northern Kentucky University found. Subjects who drank that combination had a 25% higher breath alcohol concentration than when they drank cocktails with a non-diet mixer. The researchers point out that the lower calorie count isn’t worth it. In addition to the obvious risks, eating while buzzed makes it harder to resist temptations (like the breadbasket).

3 of 25

Advertisement

4 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The value meal

Credit: Getty Images

It can be tempting to order off the value menu at a fast food restaurant to get the most bang for your buck. But one double cheeseburger, fries, and drink could add up to 1,100 calories and nearly 50 grams of fat. And chowing down may have immediate consequences. After healthy people ate a high-fat meal, their blood pressure was higher when faced with a stressor compared to when they ate a low-fat one, found research from the Journal of Nutrition.

4 of 25

5 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Water with lemon

Credit: Getty Images

Order the water—but you may want to hold the citrus. In a study published in the Journal of Environmental Health, researchers tested 76 lemons from 21 restaurants and found that 70% of them were contaminated with bacteria. Ick. The Family Health Team at the Cleveland Clinic recommends that unless you actually see the bartender prepare your lemon wedge safely—meaning, she’s wearing gloves and using tongs—stick to plain H2O. Save the lemon water trend for home, when you can be sure your lemons are properly washed.

5 of 25

6 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

A large popcorn

Credit: Getty Images

At movie theatres, the bigger the popcorn tub, the better the deal. But a large popcorn can have as many as 1,200 calories and three days worth of saturated fat, according to an analysis by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)—and that’s before you add a butter topping. If you can’t picture a flick without munching on something salty, order a small popcorn (which will probably set you back 400 to 700 calories) and share it with your date. Or make one of our healthy popcorn recipes at home, and sneak a bag into the theater.

6 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Bread with olive oil

Credit: Getty Images

If you can dip responsibly, feel free to ignore this tip. But most of us are mopping up olive oil with hunks of bread, polishing off hundreds of calories before the meal even starts, says Joan Salge Blake, RD, a clinical associate professor at Boston University and the author of the textbook Nutrition & You. Because olive oil is good for your health, you may think of it as a “free” food, she points out. However, tablespoon for tablespoon, it contains more calories than butter. “And you tend to go easier on butter,” she says.

7 of 25

8 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The all-you-can-eat pasta dinner

Credit: Getty Images

“Be careful about ‘bargains,’” says Blake. “Pasta is inexpensive and it’s easy for restaurants to make a profit, but that comes at the expense of your waist." If you’re tempted to get a refill, you’re better off avoiding restaurants that offer that deal (and making a healthy version dish at home, like this seafood pasta recipe). Still, any place you order spaghetti, the portion will likely be huge—remember, one serving of pasta is the size of half a baseball—so aim to take half the dish home in a doggie bag. Think of it this way, says Blake: “If it was so delicious, wouldn’t it be fun to enjoy it again the next day? You want to stretch it to two wonderful eating occasions rather than having memories from just one.”

8 of 25

9 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

A doggie bag—if you’re not headed straight home

Credit: Getty Images

“Cooked foods should not be at room temperature longer than two hours,” says Blake, who is also a food safety expert. When cooked foods are between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F, that’s when “bacteria rapidly multiply to the point where you can get sick,” she explains. If you’re going out to a concert or a movie after dinner, don’t bother packing up your leftovers. Leaving the doggie bag in the car is just asking for trouble.

9 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

An entrée over 700 calories

Credit: Getty Images

“The average person shouldn’t consume more than 700 calories per meal,” says Deborah Cohen, MD, a senior natural scientist at the policy think tank the Rand Corporation, and author of A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces of the Obesity Epidemic—and How We Can End It ($16; amazon.com). Really, this includes beverages, an entrée, and dessert. But when you eat out it’s not hard to exceed 700 calories with just your main dish. Consider that an omelet can ring up at 1,300 calories, and a prime rib entrée is about 2,400 calories, 700 almost seems like a drop in the bucket. “Every time you eat too much and don’t compensate [for it], you’re increasing your risk for chronic diseases,” says Dr. Cohen.

10 of 25

11 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Drinks with free refills

Credit: Getty Images

Having seltzer? Fine. Black coffee? Also good (just limit yourself to about three cups). But soda or sweetened iced tea? Not so much. A soda at a popular restaurant chain packs around 120 calories. Not bad—until you consider it has 33 grams of sugar, the equivalent of more than 8 teaspoons of the white stuff. Get one refill or two, and you’ve suddenly sucked down 24 teaspoons of sugar. That’s four times the amount of added sugar the American Heart Association recommends women have in an entire day.

11 of 25

12 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Diet soda

Credit: Getty Images

Speaking of soda, diet soda is not a good idea either. There are many reasons why you should stop drinking diet soda: first, there's strong evidence that diet soda doesn't help people lose weight—in fact, it piles on the pounds. In a 2015 study from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, people who drank diet soda daily saw their waists grow more than three inches over nine years. Study participants who shunned the stuff gained just 0.8 of an inch over the same period.

12 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Chips and salsa

Credit: Getty Images

The problem isn’t eating a few chips—or dipping them in salsa, which is actually loaded with healthful antioxidants. It’s that, at many restaurants, the basket is bottomless. “Our natural inclination is to eat and drink what is in front of us, but with such an abundance of food, we need to build in restraints that prevent us from overdoing it,” says Dr. Cohen. “We are designed to be able to consume more than we need.” Since it’s exhausting to battle biology, ask the server to hold the chips and salsa.

13 of 25

14 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Entrée salads

Credit: Getty Images

It’s amazing what some restaurants can do to a once-innocent pile of greens, especially when they serve your salad with the dressing on, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, author of Doctor’s Detox Diet ($17; amazon.com). Case in point: an Oriental grilled chicken salad at a popular chain clocks in at nearly 1,300 calories and 84 grams of fat. The worst offenders are usually Asian chicken salads, cobb salads, and Buffalo chicken salads, says Dr. Gerbstadt. If you order one of these, ask for the dressing on the side, and take half the salad home for lunch the next day.

14 of 25

15 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Sprouts

Credit: Getty Images

They dress up a sammie nicely, but can come with a pretty miserable side effect. The warm, moist environment in which sprouts grow is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. The FDA is currently investigating two multi-state outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to alfalfa sprouts—one involving E. coli, the other Salmonella. The agency suggests avoiding raw sprouts altogether when you eat out. Bottom line: If you love the crispiness spouts add to your sandwich or salad, decide if the risk is worth it to you. But know that if you’re pregnant, you’re more susceptible to illness.

15 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

More than one margarita

Credit: Getty Images

We hate to be a buzzkill, but the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that women stick to seven drinks per week—and no more than two per day. But one margarita (which is 33% alcohol in just 3 ounces) actually counts as 1.7 drinks, according to the NIH’s cocktail content calculator. Order a second and you’re already over your daily limit. Piña coladas are even stronger: A single piña colada counts as two alcoholic drinks.

16 of 25

17 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Shark

Credit: Getty Images

There are two reasons to skip shark on the menu: First, because most types are on the Seafood Watch “avoid” list because of unsustainable fishing practices that put the species at risk; second, because as large predators, sharks (along with swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish) contain especially high levels of mercury. The neurotoxin, which can build up in your body over time, poses the greatest risk to pregnant women. Better choices of fish include farmed Atlantic salmon and farmed Atlantic cod.

17 of 25

18 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Fro-yo

Credit: Getty Images

Frozen yogurt has a reputation as a healthier alternative to ice cream. And you can make it a smart dessert if you do it right. However, know that a serving size is a measly 4 ounces. And that small amount can pack as many as 32 grams of sugar (the equivalent of 8 teaspoons) even before you add toppings like carob chips (another 20 grams of sugar), coconut flakes (11 grams of sugar), or yogurt chips (20 grams of sugar). Compared to a half cup of ice cream—which has just 14 grams of sugar and a similar amount of calories—fro-yo isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. If you want a frozen treat that's actually low-calorie and good for you, try this recipe for dairy-free chocolate and banana "ice cream."

18 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Raw oysters

Credit: Getty Images

Slurp up this delicacy at your own risk, says Libby Mills, RDN, a nutritionist and cooking coach in the Philadelphia area. Raw oysters can carry hepatitis A and a bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus, the latter of which can make you sick with vomiting and diarrhea. If you have certain conditions like diabetes, an infection can be fatal. The FDA notes that oysters from fancy restaurants or slathering hot sauce on the half shell doesn’t protect you. Your best bet is to order them cooked.

19 of 25

20 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The chicken dish

Credit: Getty Images

Chefs criticize chicken entrees as “overpriced” and the “least interesting” menu choices. But Blake has another issue with them: “People think chicken is a free food, but some sizes of the breasts are huge. They can be 9 ounces!” she says. (A serving of chicken is just two to three cooked ounces—about the volume of a deck of cards.) “The key, no matter what you’re ordering, is not over-consuming portions,” she adds.

20 of 25

21 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Cheese fries with ranch dressing

Credit: Getty Images

Aside from the obvious problems (calories, fat), this side is a salt bomb. According to the CSPI, it can contain nearly 5,000mg of sodium. (The American Heart Association recommends most adults consume no more than 1,500mg of sodium per day.) And the effects can be immediate: One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that blood vessel function is impaired within 30 minutes of eating a high-salt meal.

21 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Green smoothies

Credit: Getty Images

Yep, those veggie-laden beverages can be quite deceptive. One popular chain combines kale and avocado—plus frozen yogurt, juice, and sugar. No wonder it’s got 70 grams of sugar and nearly 500 calories. “Sometimes these places will have to put so much fruit and fruit juice into the smoothie to compensate for the green flavor,” explains Mills. “This is a dessert. It’s not a snack.” A smoothie snack shouldn’t be more than 250 calories, she says.

22 of 25

23 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Foods high in trans fats

Credit: Getty Images

You’ve heard that the FDA has banned trans fat—a type of fat harmful for your heart, found in some restaurant and packaged foods. But what you might not realize is that companies have until 2018 to get trans fats out of their foods. So some of your favorite dishes might still be loaded with this dangerous fat. A few bad offenders: Applebee’s Triple Bacon Burger (3 grams), Chili’s Guacamole Burger (2 grams), and IHOP’s Mega Monster Cheeseburger (5 grams). Notice a theme here?

23 of 25

24 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

A bowl of creamy soup

Credit: Getty Images

Research shows eating soup before a meal leads people to consumer fewer calories overall. Make sense, since soup fills you up, so serve yourself a smaller entrée and perhaps skip dessert. But the study involved broth-based soup, Blake points out—not the creamy variety. A bowl of creamy soup is a meal altogether, and can rack up as much as 500 calories. If you’re ordering a soup for an appetizer, choose a veggie option or chicken noodle.

24 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The breakfast special

Credit: Getty Images

A classic diner breakfast might include eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes, and a side of pancakes. That’s an awful lot of carbohydrates in just one meal, Gerbstadt points out. Plus, those foods make for a pretty beige plate—which is a sign you’re missing out on the vitamins and minerals in colorful produce. Gerbstadt recommends subbing the potatoes and pancakes for sliced tomatoes, a side salad, or a fruit cup to balance out the breakfast.

25 of 25

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Jessica Migala

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 25 Menu items to avoid
2 of 25 Medium-rare burger
3 of 25 Rum (or vodka) and diet soda
4 of 25 The value meal
5 of 25 Water with lemon
6 of 25 A large popcorn
7 of 25 Bread with olive oil
8 of 25 The all-you-can-eat pasta dinner
9 of 25 A doggie bag—if you’re not headed straight home
10 of 25 An entrée over 700 calories
11 of 25 Drinks with free refills
12 of 25 Diet soda
13 of 25 Chips and salsa
14 of 25 Entrée salads
15 of 25 Sprouts
16 of 25 More than one margarita
17 of 25 Shark
18 of 25 Fro-yo
19 of 25 Raw oysters
20 of 25 The chicken dish
21 of 25 Cheese fries with ranch dressing
22 of 25 Green smoothies
23 of 25 Foods high in trans fats
24 of 25 A bowl of creamy soup
25 of 25 The breakfast special

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Southern Living

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Books from Southern Living
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

View image

24 Things You Should Never Order When You Eat Out
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.