Nutrition Showdown:Homemade vs. Restaurant Lunch

Restaurant Meal: Moe's "Fat Sam" Fajitas―$8.99
Homemade Alternative: Southwestern Steak, Corn, and Black Bean Wraps―$1.87

Our delicious spin on steak fajitas will work for nearly every budget. Plus, they've got just 327 calories and 10.4 grams of fat (4.7 grams saturated) per serving. Compare that to the aptly named "Fat Sam" steak fajitas at Moe's: 1,591 calories, 86 grams of fat (31.3 saturated), and 4,306mg sodium if you opt for rice, black beans, queso, sour cream, chipotle ranch, guacamole, pico de gallo, and veggies.

 

Restaurant Meal: Outback Classic Roasted Filet Salad―$11.95
Homemade Alternative: Steak, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Mozzarella Couscous Salad―$3.45

It's tough to find a restaurant-style steak salad with so much good nutrition in so few calories. But this couscous-based salad, which could be served over greens, delivers fresh veggies, fiber, calcium, protein, and healthy carbs―all for about $3.50 and just 332 calories. Compare that to the restaurant version: 562.5 calories, 29.7 grams of fat (10.2 grams saturated), and you'll feel great about this recipe.

Having a ham on hand is always smart because it provides so many options. Typically less expensive per pound than beef and lamb, ham is sold in large pre-packaged portions, so you can't ask the butcher to cut it down. That's OK, because it freezes beautifully―just cube or chop it first. Then add it to quesadillas, stir it into mac and cheese, and use it to add substance to soups, salads, fried rice, and more.

Restaurant Meal: Panera Smoked Ham and Swiss―$6
Homemade Alternative: Ham and Cheese Toasted Sandwich―$1.49

A good ham and Swiss sandwich is a comfort-food classic. By making your own, you'll benefit your budget as well as your taste buds. Our homemade version comes in at 246 calories, 4.3 grams saturated fat, and 859mg sodium. The restaurant alternative featured here is a bit harder on your wallet and your waistline at 690 calories, 10 grams saturated fat, and 2,320mg sodium.

Restaurant Meal: Pizza Hut Ham & Pineapple 6-inch Personal Pan Pizza―$4.06
Homemade Alternative: Ham and Pineapple Pizza―$1.90

Premade pizza crust and commercial pasta sauce make this pizza a cinch to assemble, and chipped leftover ham makes it tasty. With just 298 calories and 7.9 grams of fat (3.7 grams saturated) for 2 slices, it's a more nutritious choice than the slices you'll find at most pizza parlors. As one example, Pizza Hut's Ham & Pineapple 6-inch Personal Pan Pizza has 550 calories and 20 grams of fat (8 grams saturated).

Turkey is not just for the holidays. When you cook a big bird, it can be surprisingly economical because of the large volume of leftovers. Plus, turkey offers endless options. Use it any place you'd use chicken. If you're not feeding a huge group, consider buying a breast (not a boneless cut; look for bone-in breasts, which typically have the leg removed).

Restaurant Meal: Cheesecake Factory's "The Club"―$11.95
Homemade Alternative: Turkey Reuben Sandwich―$2.33

Bacon aside, a club sandwich sounds like a fairly good choice, right? Don't assume so. The Cheesecake Factory's sandwich "The Club" weighs in at 1,432 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat, and 3,196mg sodium. Our Turkey Reuben Sandwich is a better choice for your belly and budget, with just 255 calories, 4.8 grams of saturated fat, and 865mg sodium. Here's what you save: $9.62 in your pocket, plus 82 percent fewer calories, 75 percent less saturated fat, and 73 percent less sodium.

 

Restaurant Meal: Applebee's Santa Fe Chicken Salad―$8.99
Homemade Alternative: Romaine and Turkey Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing―$3.69

This is another example of a seemingly healthy option―grilled chicken salad―that can be deceiving. Guacamole, sour cream, and Mexi-ranch dressing pack Applebee's Santa Fe Chicken Salad with 1,270 calories, 24 grams saturated fat, and 3,460mg sodium. Our homemade version uses avocados in a creamy dressing and subs your leftover turkey meat for 80 percent fewer calories, 82 percent less saturated fat, and 69 percent less sodium.

 

Restaurant nutrition data was culled from publicly available information provided by each restaurant. Some chains do not disclose nutrition data in most states, but are required by law to do so in Washington state. In those cases, we verified the nutrition content with a Washington branch.

Recipe costs were calculated using supermarket prices (from Peapod.com) in the Milwaukee area. Recipe ingredient costs were calculated by dividing the full cost of the grocery item by the amount of the ingredient required for the recipe. Total recipe cost was divided by the number of servings per recipe to arrive at the cost on a "single serving" basis. Grocery items selected were generally mid-to-lower-priced brands. For example, we used olive oil that was $10.49 per 17-ounce bottle. Some brands were a few dollars less, others substantially more expensive for the same amount. Restaurant prices were taken from the St. Louis and Milwaukee areas. We used single serve entrée, sandwich, salad etc. costs for comparison with the single serving cost of our recipes. For both groceries and restaurants, we used medium-sized cities with moderate pricing/cost of living. Restaurant prices do not include tax or tip.

About the author: Cooking Light contributor Katherine Brooking is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition education from Columbia University. Additional reporting by Kirsten Soelling.