Dining out at a restaurant known for its Texas-size portions may seem like you have to throw in the towel when it comes to your health goals. With appetizers alone that provide a day’s worth of calories, making low-calorie choices at Texas Roadhouse can feel daunting. But rest assured, it’s possible to enjoy your meal while keeping calories in check when you go in with these eight better-for-you menu picks in mind.
As a registered dietitian, I’m sharing my go-to orders I recommend to my clients, along with tips on what to keep in mind nutritionally when dining out. While calorie control is key for weight management, there’s more to a balanced diet than just counting numbers.
In this article, we’ll explore just what and how to order the eight best low-calorie Texas Roadhouse orders to fill you up without filling you out. And, for more healthier menu items, be sure to check out The Healthiest Texas Roadhouse Orders—and What To Skip.
How Many Calories Are in ‘Low’ Calorie Texas Roadhouse Dishes?
Your calorie needs are based on your individual activity level, age, and gender. While some individuals may require more calories due to active lifestyles, others may need less. Consulting a dietitian is the best way to determine your specific needs.
A general rule-of-thumb when dining out is to aim for about 500 calories per meal and 250 calories per snack to help keep you within a 2,000-calorie daily intake. However, don’t just focus on the calories alone! You need to check the nutrition facts to ensure the dish in mind has some dietary fiber and limited amounts of the trio of S’s (saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.)
What To Look For in Healthy, Low-Calorie Orders
In addition to choosing menu items low in calories, we also considered additional nutritional criteria to ensure these were the healthiest and most well-balanced options.
- A Dose of Dietary Fiber: Fiber keeps you fuller for longer, minimizing between meal bites that can contribute excess calories to your daily intakes. Ordering items with fiber can support your health goals when dining out. The more, the merrier is my motto when it comes to fiber, especially since most Americans aren’t eating enough of it. Aim for menu options that contain at least 3 grams of fiber, and add vegetables (sans butter or salt) to increase fiber whenever possible.
- Limit Saturated Fat: High saturated fat intake is linked to health risks, including those that coincide with obesity. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest limiting saturated fat to no more than 10% of daily calories, which translates to less than 7 grams per main meal and under 3 grams per side dish.
- Watch Sodium Levels: The recommended daily sodium intake is less than 2,300 milligrams. To stay within this guideline, aim to choose main meals with less than 800 milligrams of sodium and side dishes with under 400 milligrams to help manage overall intake.
- Minimize Added Sugars: While added sugars aren’t called out in most online menus, aim to select those items without heavy sauces, or skip the dressing and ask for olive oil and vinegar instead (a naturally sugar free dressing). The Dietary Guidelines recommend keeping added sugars to under 6% of total calories per day.
The Best Low-Calorie Orders at Texas Roadhouse
- Grilled Salmon with Fresh Vegetables
- Texas Red Chili with Beans
- Grilled Salmon Salad
- Kid’s Grilled Chicken with Fresh Vegetables & Diet Coke or Water
- California Chicken Dinner
- House Salad with Low-Fat Ranch Dressing (Omit Cheese)
- Fresh Steamed Vegetables
- Grilled Shrimp
Grilled Salmon with Fresh Vegetables
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 430
Fat: 29 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 750 mg
Carbs: 14 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 30 g
We all need to be eating more seafood, like salmon, to reap the omega-3 fatty acid benefits. The Grilled Salmon with Fresh Vegetables at Texas Roadhouse is a great way to do so. With 30 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and just 430 calories, it delivers a grand slam when it comes to nutrition. Just be sure to ask your waiter to hold the lemon butter to keep your saturated fat and total calories in check.
Texas Red Chili With Beans
Nutrition (Per 1-cup serving):
Calories: 210
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 640 mg
Carbs: 14 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 16 g
Whether you order this for a main meal with a house salad or opt for this to crush your snack time hunger, a cup of chili is a great option that packs both fiber and protein. For instance, a 1-cup serving of the Texas Red Chili with Beans packs 16 grams of protein and 4 grams of filling fiber. I always opt for chili with beans because those beans deliver both plant protein and a heart dose of fiber that will keep your hanger at bay. Don’t fear the red meat in this chili for even with its addition the saturated fat content is just 4 grams, fitting in nicely to a balanced meal plan.
Grilled Salmon Salad
Calories: 460
Fat: 27 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 470 mg
Carbs: 19 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 38 g
Another great option to help you meet your omega-3s is adding that grilled salmon to a salad. Just ask to hold the bacon and cheese, as that will put you over 22 grams of saturated fat and at 1310 milligrams of sodium in the meal. Instead, you’re left with just 6 grams of saturated fat and 470 milligrams of sodium to pair perfectly with the 38 grams of protein and 5 grams of filling fiber. Believe me, you’ll walk out satisfied and ready to power through whatever the day has left in store.
Kid’s Grilled Chicken with Fresh Vegetables & Diet Coke or Water
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 300
Fat: 17 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 580 mg
Carbs: 13 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 27 g
There’s no shame in ordering off the kid’s menu. In fact, if it’s allowed, it’s one of my go-to swaps for clients to keep their calories in check while still satisfying their hunger, especially at restaurants like Texas Roadhouse who serve such large portions (even on their kid’s menu). With 27 grams of quality protein for just 300 calories and 580 milligrams of sodium in the Kid’s Grilled Chicken with Fresh Vegetables, you will be pleasantly satisfied when you ask for this pick.
California Chicken Dinner
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 390
Fat: 18 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 620 mg
Carbs: 6 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 55 g
Leave it to the West Coast to serve up a powerful combination of protein and fiber in this exclusive menu item. The California Chicken Dinner (available in Californian locations) is a top recommendation to my clients because not only does it contain 55 grams of high quality protein, but it’s also relatively moderate in saturated fat at 7 grams and keeps your sodium in check for an entree with just 620 milligrams. Skip the honey lime dressing (a source of added sugars), and ask for salsa on the side to pair with the avocado. With only 390 calories, this low-calorie choice is hard to beat.
House Salad with Low-Fat Ranch Dressing (Omit Cheese)
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 280
Fat: 23 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 660 mg
Carbs: 12 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 8 g
It may seem simple and plain, but I’m here to argue that a traditional house salad is really a great snack option that shouldn’t be ignored. In fact, when you order the Texas Roadhouse House Salad with a Low-Fat Ranch Dressing, sans cheese, you get a whopping 8 grams of protein and 2 grams of dietary fiber. While the sodium is still a bit high for a snack at 660 milligrams, you can lower this even more by asking to keep the dressing on the side and using only what you need. Plus, you can even hold the croutons and ask for an extra helping of tomatoes to boost the fiber even more.
Fresh Steamed Vegetables
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 190
Fat: 15 g (Saturated Fat: 4.5 g)
Sodium: 480 mg
Carbs: 13 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 3 g
With a whopping 5 grams of dietary fiber and just 190 calories, the dietitian’s favorite side, steamed fresh vegetables, is a win-win in my book. While you can always ask the waiter to omit the lemon pepper butter (which will shave off most of the fat and sodium), just be sure you then ask for a side of olive oil. You want some dietary fat to help you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in the broccoli and carrots, so adding a little oil can go a long way.
Grilled Shrimp
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 70
Fat: 1.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 1,080 mg
Carbs: 1 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 13 g
Here’s the deal, sometimes when you dine out you may need to go over one nutrient you’re trying to limit (like sodium here) in the name of increasing another (in this case, protein.) While I don’t love the fact this appetizer, or snack, has such a large amount of sodium, I do appreciate the 13 grams of protein and low-fat and low-calorie snack alternative that will provide you some serious staying power between meals. Just be sure to limit your sodium intake the remainder of the day, opting for freshly prepared produce at home so you can control how much salt you consume.
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