Order This, Not That: Red Robin

Here's what to order — and what to avoid — when visiting Red Robin.

This sit-down burger joint has an extensive menu with thousands of options. An online nutrition calculator can help make sense of the best and worst choices, but it’s pretty safe to say it’s nearly impossible to eat healthy here.

Burgers, Wraps & Sandwiches

Order: The Keep It Simple burger still has more than 600 calories and 33 grams of fat but is by far the least offensive choice on the menu. (pictured above)

Not: The D.G.B. This Black Angus burger topped with roasted tomatoes and lemony oil dressing may seem tame, but it packs in nearly 1,200 calories, 81 grams of fat and 1,770 milligrams of sodium.

Order: Skip the ranch dressing and the tortilla strips on the Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap and you’ll save 300 calories and cut the fat by almost 50 percent.

Not: There’s nothing redeeming about the Caesar’s Chicken Wrap, with 765 calories and 42 grams of fat.

Sides

Order: Supplement your meal with some high-fiber Steamed Broccoli for only 32 calories and no added fat.

Not: The Classic Creamy Mac 'n' Cheese has more fat and calories than some folks need in an entire meal — save the 506 calories and 33 grams of fat by not ordering it.

Order: The popular Steak Fries are the least offensive fries on the menu, with 371 calories, 17 grams of fat and 224 milligrams of sodium per order.

Not: On the other hand, the Chili Cheese Fries dish up 834 calories, 55 grams of fat and more than half a day’s worth of sodium.

Soup, Salad and Entrees

Order: The Chicken Tortilla Soup Bowl has 408 calories and 20 grams of fat — but 1,784 milligrams of sodium. This along with a side salad would be more than enough food, but you may want to watch your salt intake for the remainder of the day.

Not: Buzz Clucks and Mac. This dish of fried chicken and cheesy pasta serves up an astounding 2,123 calories and 153 grams of fat (that’s not a typo) plus a whopping 5,800 milligrams of sodium — that’s more than two entire days’ worth!

Order: The Banzai Salad contains chicken, pineapple and mandarin oranges with teriyaki sauce for 439 calories and 12 grams of fat.

Not: The Insane Romaine Caesar adds up to 790 calories and 55 grams of fat.

Dessert

Order: Sharing is the only way to go here. Most of the desserts come in around 800 calories per serving, so splitting them four ways is the only sensible option if you must have dessert. The Freckled Lemonade Cake comes in with the lowest calorie count, just under 550 calories.

Not: The Mountain High Mud Pie shows no mercy even if you do split it. It has a staggering 1,400 calories and 60 grams of fat.

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.

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