Choosing Carefully Pays Off at Denny's

Denny's menu can be a nutritional nightmare but we've got the right choices for you and your family.

byline: Robin Vietta-Miller, M.S.

If you dine at family-friendly restaurants on a regular basis, you should know that many items on these menus are brimming with calories, fat and sodium. For example, head to Denny's for breakfast and order their Fabulous French Toast Platter if you want 1,261 calories, 79 grams of fat and 2,495 mg. of sodium. Not exactly a healthy start to the day. Order what appears to be a simple Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich for lunch and you'll down 610 calories, 38 grams of fat and 862 mg. of sodium. If you're feeling particularly self-destructive, come back for dinner and order the Mini Burgers with Onion Rings for a whopping 2,044 calories, 122 grams of fat and 3,834 mg of sodium. Do the math—that's one heart-palpitating day. The good news is, not all Denny's menu items are catastrophic. Heading to Denny's armed with the following nutritional information can help you make choices that will keep your heart beating and waistline in check. As an added plus, these choices make great "family" choices, meaning all family members (even the little ones) will enjoy them!

* Applebee's, Arby's, Burger King's, Chick-fil-A, Chili's, Dairy Queen's, Denny's, Kentucky Fried Chicken's, Pizza Hut's, McDonald's, Taco Bell's, and Wendy's are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. SHAPE's use of these trademarks are for informational purposes only and are not intended to imply any endorsement by or affiliation with any particular trademark owner.