Cheesecake Factory: Weight Management Salads

Note the menu says the salads are "under 590 calories each." They don't tell you how MUCH under, just under. What are they doing to salads to make them that many calories?

And who goes to Cheesecake Factory expecting health food anyway?

LOL, it sounds like medicine and not something you'd eat..."weight management". And if their salads are "under 590 calories" (which is still really high for a salad), what's the rest of their food like? Lucky for me, we don't have a Cheesecake Factory by us, so I never go there.

If I am going to have 590 calories it isn't going to be salad it's going to be rib eye steak!

I feel that restaurants should provide a healthy menu for consumers today because many people are watching what they eat and are having less calories per meal. If the Cheesecake Factory includes a weight management menu of salads, then their sales will increase. People will enjoy their meal a lot more because they will feel more comfortable being notified how many calories they are consuming. Restaurants try to make their customers happy and satisfied. If you do not want to eat what they have, then don't go there. I feel they are trying to move toward more of a healthy approach, so customers are not eating junk and their food is a lot more nutritious.

the thing about the cheesecake factory is that most of their portions are made 2-3 times bigger than they need to be.. it's almost that you're expected to take a doggie bag home. it's a nice restaurant so you'd expect to get a good amount of food for what you're paying, so yeah, the salads are nearly 600 calories, but if you eat half for dinner and half tomorrow for lunch, it's less than 300 calories each.

I rather miss having a nearby Cheesecake Factory -- it was a guaranteed 3 meal purchase (dinner, and two subsequent lunches at home). It shouldn't be surprising that their "small" options are still (at least) twice the size as an actual serving SHOULD be.

Oh my god. I can't tell you how many times over the years I have complained about cheesecake factory's lack of nutritional information. I've called them and e-mailed them and complained to friends. I know for a fact that they use standard recipes for their meals (hence why you get the same food at every location), so I don't understand why they can not provide nutritional analysis like so many other chains do.

It has gotten to the point where I refuse to eat there. If I'm with a large party of people, I talk them out of going there. A 590 calorie salad isn't going to change my mind.

LISTEN UP Cheesecake Factory: I will not eat at your resterant and I will TALK OTHERS OUT OF EATING THERE until you start to provide full nutritional information on at least a portion of your menu items. Period. End of story.

I don't understand why people eat at restaurants that don't offer healthy fare. I ate a wonderful grilled salmon, wild rice dish at Macaroni's Grill the other week. Of course most of their entres are super calorific, but it is possible to eat healthy. After all, us displined eaters want to enjoy life a little with some vino, no?

No matter what you eat, it has to be done in moderation.

I'm not going to The Cheesecake Factory to diet.

And 590 Calories is hardly low-Cal.

If that's the issue, make your own salad before you go (You can make a huge one for under 200 Cal, esp. if you don't like dressing) and have what is worth going there for-- a slice of cheesecake!

Still, can't criticize a restaurant for at least making some move in that direction. More need to go that way. I wish some ethnic restaurants did... tired of being stuck at Applebees or Chili's!

The new salads are really good. Its great they are offering healthy choices. 590 calories is truly not a lot for the amount you get! honestly, split that into two meals. Its not that hard. I dont know why people are being so critical. Weird.

I tired the California one this weekend. The salad is HUGE - so if is not like you will eat the whole things anyway. I personally am on a 1500 calorie diet - do if I have a normal breakfast and lunch - this amount of calories for dinner is great - plus I can go out & eat w/ my friends to a fun place.

C. Froggenhall said:
Note the menu says the salads are "under 590 calories each." They don't tell you how MUCH under, just under. What are they doing to salads to make them that many calories?[...]

Did you ever think of asking your server if he/she fat,etc. info?

I think "under 590 calories" is a great bargin for a meal at Cheesecake Factory. My friends and family all love Cheesecake Factory and like to frequent it for lunches and dinners. Since eating out is not all about me, I go along willingly knowing that there are several options on the menu that will help keep me within my daily caloric goals.

I can guarantee you that many of the "salads" at CF are over 1000 if not 2000 calories, so 590 is a meaningful difference. I had the California for lunch today. I can tell you they keep it under 590 by making it 90% lettuce with 10% of the "yummy" stuff. I agree that it can easily make 1.5 meals -- maybe 2 if you're a real light eater -- but truly for someone on a "weight management" nutritional plan, 590 for a lunch (especially if as in my case lunch is the biggest meal of the day) is a very livable number even if you do eat the whole thing.

True, nobody goes to the Cheesecake Factory *expecting* to find "healthy" food, however there are times when YOU are not the one in control of where you're going to eat. It's not like you can agree to go to your sister's birthday dinner and talk her out of the place that *she* wants to go to on *her* birthday. So while I am happy that they at least gave me the option of eating a salad that is probably a quarter of the calories of anything else they serve, this place still sucks. I don't want to eat there and wouldn't chose to on my own because for *some * of us, it's hard to control the portions that you eat when it's just sitting in front of you. And of COURSE it tastes good which makes it even harder to STOP EATING IT. What pisses me off the most is that i'll actually have to say in my order "weight management"! That's ridiculous! I eat healthy already, now when I order "weight management" salads in front of a bunch of people who already think i'm "healthy looking" they'll start to suspect me of an eating disorder! Weight management sounds less like you're trying to eat healthy and more like you have a problem. Who came up with that B.S.?!??!

Mari said:
Who came up with that B.S.?!??![...]

Do you know why their salads are 590 cal? It's because their portions are very large. So, you get the salad, eat half or less and then take the rest home for the next day. I've eaten there many times in the past. I will say that their food is very tasty, but it is in large portions. I haven't been there as of late because I've lost some weight and am trying to take off more. I've never been able to eat a whole slice of their cheesecake, which I totally love, in one sitting. It's very rich. It usually takes me about 2 to 3 days to finish it. Remember you don't have to finish our whole plate, leave some there.

Does anyone else remember that salads never used to have meat or cheese in them and dressing was mostly Italian (not creamy Italian) or French, and people used it by the drop? Now "salad" has come to mean something with fried chicken and melted cheese in it. It's freaky.

Hi
I am a salad lover(the ones with chicken)! I have had cheese cakes's salad (both wieght managment and the regular one), I am telling you, it is very good and it just like a regular meal. I usually end up taking some home!

Has anyone every tried the Spicy Chicken Salad on their Weight Management menu???

The so-called "Weight Management" salads are not as friendly as one might seem. While the # of calories are relatively low, if you look at the # of fat grams... well, you might as well go eat that juicy burger you've been craving. The one saving grace is that Spicy Chicken salad with "only" 14 grams of fat.

jj said:
Oh my god. I can't tell you how many times over the years I have complained about cheesecake factory's lack of nutritional information. I've called them and e-mailed them and complained to friends. I know for a fact that they use standard recipes for their meals (hence why you get the same food at every location), so I don't understand why they [...]

I completly agree with you on this one. I've just recently been to a cheesecake factory for the first time because I told a friend I have never been. Of course we only went for cheesecake, but i've heard a rumor some months back that one slice of cheesecake is 1,000 calories....and someway it is really not that hard to believe. But I figured that I would at least try it to end my curiosity. And i'm glad to say that I will not be going back, as good as it may be. It scares me to think of how much I really put in my body and the simple fact that the website refuses to give out "nutritional information" which is a load of crap, pushes me away even more. Maybe it will draw customers away, but i'd rather be informed of what i'm eating before I quickly kill myself.

From what I've read, the Cheesecake Factory people don't know what "moderation" means. They also don't know what "nutrition" means. Don't any of them pay attention to the concerns of their customers--or what some of the other restaurant chains--such as the notorious McDonald's are doing? That's right--McDonald's provides NUTRITION INFORMATION, as do Burger King, Wendy's, Arby's and other chains. So why can't the Cheesecake Factory? Are they trying to keep from having to pay civil damages in a lawsuit or criminal case?

I work at the Cheesecake Factory. EVERY thing there is bad for you and your diet. The portions are huge and should translate into more than one meal, but even the weight management salads are not low fat. They are not going for healthy, they are going for taste, and as someone who has probably served over a thousand people there, they are doing a good job at it. It's a company that has made billions in the 30 years its been open. Lets put this in perspective...first as others have stated, what do you expect from something named the cheesecake factory. second, as long as you eat there infrequently you are fine!! eating there once a month or less will help you get your "bad" food fix, and not add too much to your hips.

I asked the waitstaff & management, who proceeded to tell me to call the corporate office. The following is the response from the corporate office:

Thank you for speaking with me about the nutritional information for our dishes. Although we do not currently calculate nutritional information on most menu items, we are working towards doing so in the future. As a prelude to this project, we have introduced a variety of Weight Management Salads as well as low calorie salad dressings. Below is the nutritional information for these dishes:

Weight Management Asian Chicken Salad

Total Calories......574

Carbohydrates(g).....68

Protein(g)...........39

Total Fat(g).........31

Sugar(g).............20

Weight Management Spicy Chicken Salad

Total Calories......490

Carbohydrates(g).....61

Protein(g)...........33

Total Fat(g).........14

Sugar(g)..............7

Weight Management Pear Endive Salad

Total Calories......500

Carbohydrates(g).....50

Protein(g)...........28

Total Fat(g).........23

Sugar(g).............18

Weight Management California Salad

Total Calories.......560

Carbohydrates(g).....43

Protein(g)...........38

Total Fat(g).........28

Sugar(g).............15

JUST AN FYI....

The food at CF is gross! It tastes stale, and it should be no surprise considering the size of the menu. Death to the gaudy!

Does anyone know if the "weight management salads" nutritional information includes the dressing and if not, where you get the informational information on those? Thx.