THE RIGHT STUFF (to eat)

Hop to It

IHOP isn’t exactly synonymous with healthy food.  A stack of 5 Original Buttermilk Pancakes without syrup, for example, supplies roughly 750 calories’ worth of white flour and two-thirds of a day’s saturated fat (13 grams).  Most pancake combos (2 pancakes, 2 eggs, hash browns, and 2 bacon strips or sausage links) and omelet-plus pancake meals hit 1,000 to 2,000 calories and deliver one to three days’ worth of sodium and sat fat.

But you can bypass all that…by flipping to the IHOP For Me menu, which features about a dozen “smarter everyday selections under 600 calories”.  Thanks to egg substitute and a side of fresh fruit, the “Just Right” Omelets – Veggie, Turkey Bacon, or Spinach, Mushroom & Tomato – slash the calories (to 350 to 470), the sat fat (to 2.5 to 11 grams), and the cholesterol.  Sodium (510 to 890 milligrams) isn’t low, but it’s far lower than IHOP’s regular omelets.

The Whole Wheat French Toast Combo For Me is topped with sliced bananas and side of scrambled egg substitute and turkey bacon.  The sodium is 970 mg, but the calories (470) and sat fat (3.5 grams) are reasonable.  The Two-Egg Breakfast For Me (egg substitute, turkey bacon, whole wheat toast, and fresh fruit) lowers all three numbers, and the Oatmeal For Me drops the sodium to just 170 mg.

If IHOP isn’t IHOP without pancakes, head for the Blueberry Harvest Grain ‘N Nut Combo For Me.  It’s only part whole-grain, but it’s full of blueberries and topped with sliced bananas, so you can skip the syrup.

“Come hungry.  Leave happy,” says the menu.  Now at least you don’t have to leave heavy.

Nutrition Action Healthletter – January/February 2010