In the post-pandemic world, we’re all a bit more conscious of our health these days. And many of us remain focused on watching our weight as well. That’s one reason why you may feel a tug at your conscience when you’re at Chili’s and you’re in the mood to indulge your preference for Southwestern-inspired taste.
But there are some safer options at Chili’s, which means you don’t overload on too many calories and too much sodium and saturated fat. If you’re looking to keep healthy and maintain your slim waistline, do yourself a favor and stick to the following healthy choices:
Original Chicken Crispers
This may not seem like an obvious choice, but it’s the best you can go with if you’re looking for Chicken Crispers. It may be fried, but it only contains 510 calories, 5g of saturated fat, and 1,489mg of sodium.
That’s a lot better than going with anything else in this category. In contrast, the Honey-Chipotle Crispers with Waffles bombards you with 2,510 calories, 40g of saturated fat, and 4,480mg of sodium.
Mini-Molten Chocolate Cake
For dessert, this is the healthiest choice. It’s still a bit high on sugar, but the other dessert options are worse. This gives you 570 calories with 56g of sugar, but that’s not really too bad.
Chili’s Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie has 1,420 calories, along with 116g of sugar. That’s the same amount of sugar that you get from 3 cream donuts!
1975 Soft Tacos
If you’re taking your lunch at Chili’s then this order of classic tacos is great. Just say no to the fries and go with a side salad or avocado. It doesn’t offer too many calories or too much sugar, and the sodium content isn’t bad.
This is much better than the Chicken Fajitas, which contains a whopping 1,300 calories along with 26g of saturated fat.
Chipotle Shrimp Fresh Mex Bowl
It’s true that the sodium content here is a bit high at 2,900mg. But it’s still a healthier option comparison, with the avocado and other greens. You can also make it healthier by reducing the dressings, and by going with more greens while foregoing the tortilla strips.
It’s definitely better than the Cajun Chicken Pasta, which has 300 extra calories, 10g more saturated fat, and 600mg more sodium.
Regular Combo with Smoked Brisket + Crispers, With Side of Steamed Broccoli
Combos, by their varied nature, will really heap on the calories. But it’s not impossible to minimize the damage by going with this option. Just keep it simple with the smoked brisket and original crispers, then go with the side of steamed broccoli instead of the corn or fries. Other healthier sides include fresh guacamole and avocado slices.
The regular combo gives you 1,235 calories, but that’s not bad considering that the Ultimate Smokehouse Combo really pours it on with 3,085 calories. That’s not even counting the 54g of saturated fat, 68g of sugar, and 7,010mg of sodium!
Buffalo Chicken Ranch Sandwich
If you’re just hankering for a sandwich, then this is what you get. It’s the sandwich with the fewest calories, and you only get 9g of saturated fat with no trans-fat.
It’s better than the Bacon Avocado Chicken Sandwich, which has 260 more calories. But it may be great for muscle-builders since it provides 79g of protein in one go. But for most people, that’s just too much protein even for the entire day.
Spicy Shrimp Tacos
The Tacos and Quesadillas category doesn’t really have any low-cal options, but this order has the fewest calories at just under 1,000 calories. It also contains the lowest total fat at 46g, and only 12g of saturated fat.
For the health-conscious, the Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadillas simply doesn’t work. It saddles you with 1,850 calories. You also get 48g of saturated fat, and that’s too much. Don’t forget, you ought to limit your saturated fat intake to just 20g per day.
Grilled Chicken Salad
This is a terrific choice for grilled chicken, with just 430 calories. You still get 36g of protein, with plenty of veggies as well. That’s better than the Margarita Grilled Chicken, with 630 calories and no veggies.
Caesar Salad
It only has 240 calories, along with 410mg of sodium and 3.5g of saturated fat. The other salads have more fat.
Conclusions
When it comes to taste, it’s all a matter of opinion. That’s why the so-called “best” menu items at Chili’s will be different for everyone. But nutritionists and dieticians at least have scientific, quantifiable standards to use when determining the real “best” Chili’s items for your health. Stick with these healthier options, if you want what’s good for you!
