Uno's: Shame on you
So, I haven't visited Pizzeria Uno's in a long while. Yesterday, Bree, Harry and I had lunch there. We have become far more conscious about calorie intake these days and pay more attention to what is in the foods we eat. The first thing I noticed was that, other than salads, I was hard pressed to find an entree under 1,000 calories. There were no entrees specifically labeled as low fat or low calorie.In fact, we found a pizza, designed to serve 2 or 3, listed as over 5,000 calories. SHIT! Bree then noticed that the menu proudly stated that Uno's had been labeled America's #1 healthiest chain restaurant. Hmmm, based on what? Health Magazine had this to say:
... nutrition has become the word of the day with a completely trans fat-free menu and plenty of grilled entrees (including antibiotic-free chicken). Adding to the healthy variety: whole-grain pasta and brown rice, organic coffee and tea, and flatbread pizzas that have half the calories of deep-dish ones. Plus, you can add a salad to your pizza for half-price because, according to the menu, “We want you to get some greens in your diet.” Now that’s a blue-ribbon commitment to health. Another reason Uno’s is at the top of our list: You know what you’re eating. In the lobbies of most of the restaurant’s locations, there are Nutrition Information Centers that detail ingredients, fat and sodium contents, and calories and fiber of every item, in addition to gluten-free options.
Well yes, those things are all true but with very limited choices for entrees under 1,000 calories, I wouldn't call it healthy. Just goes to show how anything can be slanted.
Anyway, another thing I noticed is how the nutritional information presentation, in this case the calorie count, varies on the website and the menu. On the menu there is no serving size, just the calorie count. On the website, however, they break it down into serving size, which ends up being misleading. The pizza skins that we shared has 8 slices and has a whopping 2400 calories. On the website, it tells you that the calories per serving is 480 calories but they think this 8 slice appetizer serves 5. Uh huh. The prima pepperoni pizza has 1830 calories with a whopping 1,040 mg of sodium and 610 calories per serving and half the calories from fat. Damn.
Add to that that our service was bare minimum acceptable, none of the food came out hot and I have intestinal upset this morning and I think I'll be staying away from Uno's for a long while. My choice for a casual dining, family restaurant chain? Applebee's. They have quite a few entrees specifically geared towards the health conscious diner. They have Weight Watcher's options, which I don't follow, but it's nice to find entrees in the 500-600 calorie range. One downside of Applebee's is that their site does not have nutritional info. However, their in store menu does. I think I'll be choosing them over Uno's for the foreseeable future.
... nutrition has become the word of the day with a completely trans fat-free menu and plenty of grilled entrees (including antibiotic-free chicken). Adding to the healthy variety: whole-grain pasta and brown rice, organic coffee and tea, and flatbread pizzas that have half the calories of deep-dish ones. Plus, you can add a salad to your pizza for half-price because, according to the menu, “We want you to get some greens in your diet.” Now that’s a blue-ribbon commitment to health. Another reason Uno’s is at the top of our list: You know what you’re eating. In the lobbies of most of the restaurant’s locations, there are Nutrition Information Centers that detail ingredients, fat and sodium contents, and calories and fiber of every item, in addition to gluten-free options.
Well yes, those things are all true but with very limited choices for entrees under 1,000 calories, I wouldn't call it healthy. Just goes to show how anything can be slanted.
Anyway, another thing I noticed is how the nutritional information presentation, in this case the calorie count, varies on the website and the menu. On the menu there is no serving size, just the calorie count. On the website, however, they break it down into serving size, which ends up being misleading. The pizza skins that we shared has 8 slices and has a whopping 2400 calories. On the website, it tells you that the calories per serving is 480 calories but they think this 8 slice appetizer serves 5. Uh huh. The prima pepperoni pizza has 1830 calories with a whopping 1,040 mg of sodium and 610 calories per serving and half the calories from fat. Damn.
Add to that that our service was bare minimum acceptable, none of the food came out hot and I have intestinal upset this morning and I think I'll be staying away from Uno's for a long while. My choice for a casual dining, family restaurant chain? Applebee's. They have quite a few entrees specifically geared towards the health conscious diner. They have Weight Watcher's options, which I don't follow, but it's nice to find entrees in the 500-600 calorie range. One downside of Applebee's is that their site does not have nutritional info. However, their in store menu does. I think I'll be choosing them over Uno's for the foreseeable future.