Applebee's lunch menu offers a variety of choices starting at only $5.99, as of November 2010. The lunch menu, also known as Pick 'n Pair lunch combos offers customers a choice of two items with a side of bread. Soups, salads, pastas and sandwiches are served on the lunch menu. The Pick 'n Pair lunch combo is served Monday through Friday until 3 p.m.
Options
When choosing the Pick 'n Pair combo you have the options of two items. Soups available include French onion, tomato basil, chili or the soup of the day. The soup of the day may include black bean, potato, chicken noodle, broccoli and cheddar, clam chowder, baked potato or chicken tortilla soup. Applebee's salads include the Asian crunch, grilled shrimp 'n spinach, oriental chicken or the Caesar salad. Three-cheese chicken penne is the pasta item available during the Pick 'n Pair lunch special. The three sandwiches on the menu are a Reuben, turkey club and French dip sliders. A breadstick is served with all meals not including a sandwich.
Calories
The chicken noodle and chicken tortilla soups are low-calorie options; one serving contains 160 calories or less. The chili contains 480 calories and the baked potato soup has 380 calories, making them the highest calorie soups on the menu. Salads vary in calories from 220 to 390 with the Caesar salad containing the least calories and the oriental chicken salad with the most calories. Of the three sandwiches on the menu, the California Turkey Club has the least calories with 460 calories. The Applebee's Reuben contains the most calories at 620. The breadstick side contains 300 calories.
Trans-fats
Applebee'scChili, broccoli and cheddar soup, clam chowder, Reuben sandwich, French dip sliders and three-cheese chicken penne all contain trans-fats. Trans-fats should be limited to no more than 2 g per day. If a food item has less than .5 mg of trans fats they label may read zero. Be aware eating many food items throughout the day that contain trace amounts of trans fats can still place you over the 2 mg per day limit. Increased intake of trans fats may increase cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association.
Considerations
Many items on the Pick n Pair lunch menu contain 900 mg of sodium or more, which equals to nearly 38 percent or more of the recommended daily value. Items with the lowest sodium amounts include the Caesar and Oriental Chicken Salads. The Caesar salad has 360 mg of sodium, or 15 percent of the daily recommended value. The Oriental chicken salad contains 560 mg, or 23 percent of the daily recommended value. Only three items on the menu contained 9 mg or less of total fat. These include black bean, chicken tortilla and chicken noodle soup. The Applebee's Reuben contains the highest amount of total fat with 46 g.
Healthy Options
Choose chicken noodle soup and a Caesar salad for a total of 360 calories; add the side of bread and increase total calories to 660 at lunch. Choose the California turkey club sandwich and the Caesar salad for a hearty meal containing 680 calories. Remember to opt for a healthy beverage when eating. Some sodas can add an additional 100 calories to your diet. Drink water or iced tea for a calorie-free option.
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