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Eating out healthy?

Find out if the most nutritious dishes at your favorite local eatery are what you think

BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Monday, Aug 6 2007 9:05 PM

Last Updated: Monday, Aug 6 2007 9:10 PM

How much do you know about the food you eat when you're eating out? Not as much as you might think, some dietitians and nutrition experts warn.

"I have a Ph.D. in nutrition and think about restaurants and nutrition a lot," said Margo Wootan, the nutrition policy director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest. "And I can't remember all those nutrition numbers."

Wootan's group is behind legislation that would require restaurants with 10 or more facilities in the state to list calories on menu boards and other nutritional information on menus by 2009.

Think you know your way around a menu? Test your knowledge with the following questions, the first four of which were culled from a poll conducted by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy in March.

1. Which of the following breakfast items at Denny's has the fewest calories?

A. ham and cheddar omelet

B. country fried steak and eggs

C. three slices of French toast with syrup and margarine

D. three pancakes with syrup and margarine

2. Which of the following items at Chili's has the least salt?

A. Cajun chicken sandwich

B. Classic Combo steak and chicken fajitas

C. Guiltless Chicken platter

D. smoked turkey sandwich

3. Which of the following items at Romano's Macaroni Grill has the most fat?

A. traditional lasagna

B. chicken Caesar salad with dressing

C. Pasta Classico with sausage and peppers

D. BBQ chicken pizza

4. Which of the following items at McDonald's has the most calories?

A. two Big Macs

B. two Egg McMuffins

C. one large chocolate shake

D. four regular hamburgers

5. Which of the following Wendy's food has the highest fat content?

A. Southwest taco salad

B. Junior Bacon Cheeseburger

C. 10-piece chicken nuggets

D. medium french fries

6. Which of the following items from Taco Bell has the lowest amount of cholesterol?

A. beef Gordito Supreme

B. crunchy taco

C. chicken quesadilla

D. nacho cheese and steak Chalupa

7. Which of the following KFC items has the most salt?

A. three Crispy Strips

B. Famous Bowl -- rice with gravy

C. Crispy Twister sandwich

D. three chicken wings

Now let's see how you did.

1. B. country fried steak and eggs (543 calories)

2. A. Cajun chicken sandwich (2,220 milligrams sodium)

3. B. chicken Caesar salad (76 grams fat)

4. C. one large chocolate shake (1,160 calories)

5. C. 10-piece chicken nuggets (30 grams of fat)

6. D. nacho cheese and steak Chalupa (20 milligrams)

7. B. Famous Bowl -- rice with gravy (2,150 milligrams sodium)