Outback Nutrition; Can you eat a healthy meal at Outback?

Outback Steakhouse is an Australian themed steakhouse chain that was founded in 1988 in Tampa, Florida. The chain has more than 1000 locations in 23 countries throughout North and South America, Asia and Australia. Since they specialize in steaks, most of the outback nutrition is animal based and more specifically meat based.
Outback prides itself on serving Australian cuisine like Kookaburra wings and Aussie twisted ribs but their menu also consists of other regular dishes. Their other dishes include;

• Burgers and sandwiches
• Chicken
• Seafood
• Salads
• Soups
• Desserts
• Non-alcoholic beverages

Outback Nutrition

Outback does not deal in the healthiest of foods but it manages to compensate for it by trying to provide nutritious options. The restaurant has smart dining tips that are intended to help customers balance taste and good nutrition. Even better, the nutrition tips are provided by Registered Dietitians. The tips include choosing smarter options such as low calorie and low Sodium dressings, splitting a meal and choosing veggies over fries. Lastly, they also provide healthy options for kids on their Kids Live Well Menu which has delicious dishes with veggies and fresh fruit juice.

• Outback Nutrition; Allergy information

Outback has a very allergy friendly menu. Their meat dishes do not contain sesame, peanuts or eggs. Some of their bread may contain sesame but you would have to inquire to confirm. The bread too does not have eggs in it. For those allergic to dairy, you can opt for wood grilled options where no butter or oil is used.

Gluten

Being a steakhouse, one might think the restaurant isn’t concerned about gluten but it is actually very thorough with its gluten free menu. The restaurant worked with dietitians to develop a gluten free menu that includes several foods for example salads, steaks, seafood and desserts. All spices used are gluten free so those with celiac disease do not have to worry about that.

• Outback Nutrition; Calories

Outback offers a range of dishes that are under 600 calories. These low calorie meals include appetizers, entrees and a few desserts. The restaurant has dishes that are wood grilled without butter or oil therefore making them lower in calories. They also carry light dressings like balsamic vinaigrette and tangy tomato dressing that are lower in calories than other heavier ones such as ranch and Caesar dressings. Finally, they have the option of splitting your meal into two and taking the rest as takeaway which would be effective in spreading calories across multiple meals.

Fat in Outback steaks

It is no surprise that their food has quite a bit of fat being that it is a steakhouse. A significant portion of the fat is saturated fat and more importantly, traces of trans fat is found in some dishes. We must do our best to completely avoid trans fats therefore one should opt for dishes that do not have them if possible.

Outback Steaks and their nutrition

The steaks from Outback are quite high in calories but they also have lower calorie options dipping as low as 200 calories. You should keep in mind that the calories do not include the accompaniment to the steak unless stated otherwise. If in need of an even lower calorie option, you can order wood grilled versions of some steaks since they do not use oil or butter to cook them. The nutrition composition of Outback’s signature steaks is shown in the table below.

Steak	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carbs	Sodium	Cholesterol	Trans fat
Chargrilled ribeye, 12oz	890	68	65	0	160	250	0
Melbourne, 22oz	860	57	80	8	710	185	4.5
New York strip, Bone in, 16oz	710	29	104	2	2320	300	0
Outback center-cut sirloin, 6oz	210	7	38	0	520	95	0
Ribeye, 13oz	710	45	75	0	530	165	3.5
Victoria fillet mignon, 6oz	240	9	40	0	580	90	1

From the table, it is clear that the steaks have close to zero carbs which certainly makes them an excellent option for those who follow low-carb diets. Those on keto should however watch out for the protein content. The sodium and cholesterol content of some dishes is incredibly high so these should not be a staple in one’s diet.

Outback Sides

Outback serves a variety of sides including fries, mashed potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes and veggies. Most of the sides are carbohydrate rich foods so they may not be suitable for those on low-carb diets or low calorie diets. Therefore, these groups of people should opt for veggie or salad sides. The table below shows the nutritional information of some of Outback’s sides.

Side	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carbs	Sodium	Cholesterol	Trans fat
Aussie Fries	410	20	5	52	530	15	1
Baked Potato (Includes All Toppings)	420	16	14	58	1010	30	0
Homestyle Mashed Potatoes	240	15	5	20	1280	10	0
Sweet Potato (Includes All Toppings)	410	11	5	72	240	0	0
Green beans	130	11	2	10	370	0	0
Steamed rice	310	0	6	14	500	0	0
Caesar salad	260	22	6	10	540	45	0

Seafood

If you are looking for something with healthier fats, Outback has a wide selection of seafood dishes. The seafood is much healthier with lower calorie options for example the Tilapia with only 390 calories per serving. It also has higher protein amounts, little to no trans-fat and much lower sodium. These certainly make a much healthier meal.

Desserts and Beverages

In addition to the food they serve, they also offer desserts and beverages to accompany the food. They are however all high in calories and not very nutritious so it would be wise to skip them and go for water instead. Of course, they can be enjoyed once in a while but they should not be part of one’s regular diet.

Is it possible to have a healthy meal at Outback?

Yes, it is very possible to have a complete healthy meal at Outback but one should be wary of the Sodium, fat and cholesterol as beef is their main dish. The restaurant however does an excellent job of providing options that can provide more nutrients to their customers. It is possible to assemble a complete meal and stay at around 700 calories.
A meal of mashed potatoes, green beans and center-cut sirloin is less than 650 Calories. For a steakhouse, that is incredible since some steaks can have upwards of 1000 Calories on their own without additions.

How does Outback nutrition rank out of 5?

In conclusion, I would give Outback a four-star rating. The good rating is not because of the food they serve. They serve steak and that is not the healthiest food out there but they have worked to ensure that one can have a satisfying meal without foregoing nutrition. This is especially true when a comparison is made between Outback and competitors like LongHorn. The review is for appreciation of their efforts towards good nutrition. Secondly, they have a very allergy-friendly menu and service. Lastly and most importantly, they work with qualified registered dietitians to create their menus and this earns them points on its own.
If you want to eat healthy, can you eat at Outback every day? No, but you can eat at Outback regularly (2 – 3 times a week) if you eat healthy every day.

Chain restaurants are not known for nutritious foods but some have made an effort to provide nutritious food. Outback is one of them and others include IHOP and Chili’s.

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