The Cheesecake Factory, the dream of cheesecake impresario Evelyn Overton, started out as a small cheesecake shop in Detroit. When the Overtons retired in 1975, they moved the business to Los Angeles. In 1978, son David Overton expanded the desserts-only business into a full-scale restaurant experience, which is now a chain at nearly 150 locations. Cheesecake is a decadent dessert that is high calorie and high in carbohydrates, as are many of the menu items offered there. However, the restaurant does offer some lower calorie and lower carb options to the diner.
Appetizers
The Cheesecake Factory offers Ahi Carpaccio as an appetizer. This dish, made from slices of raw Ahi tuna, serves two and has a total carbohydrate count of 11 g, according to NutriSoft. If the dish is spilt in two, each half-serving would contain 5.5 g of carbohydrate. The next two lowest-carb dishes on the appetizer menu are Edamame and the Crab Cakes, both of which serve two to four people. Each dish contains 31 g of carbohydrate, which if shared by two people, would be 15.5 g of carbohydrate per person.
Carbohydrates are the main source of nutrients for the body. As they are digested, carbohydrates are converted to glucose and sent into the cells to be used for energy. Any leftover glucose is stored in the liver and muscle cells for later use. The Harvard School of Public Health warns against eating too few carbohydrates each day, and states it is healthier to choose more complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, for the daily diet.
Salads
There are several lower carbohydrate salad offerings available at The Cheesecake Factory. The lunch special Green Salad and Caesar Salad each provide 9 g of carbohydrate. At 11 g of carbohydrate, there is the Boston House Salad. The Calorie Lab lists their BLT Salad at 15 g of carbohydrate and their Endive, Pecan And Blue Cheese Salad at 16 g. The lowest carb dressings are the Bacon Dressing, Caesar Dressing, Thousand Island Dressing, Shallot Vinaigrette, and the Lo-cal Sesame Soy and the Low-cal Mustard and Low-cal Spicy Vinaigrettes, at 1 g of carbohydrate per tablespoon.
Entrees
The breakfast menu has the Plain Omelet and Steak And Eggs with 3 g of carbohydrate, and the Spinach, Mushroom and Cheese Omelet with 6 g. The Simply Grilled Salmon available on the Cheesecake factory's lunch menu only has 2 g of carbohydrate. The Grilled Tuna and Grilled Mahi contain 3 g of carbohydrates each, and the Herb-Crusted Filet of Salmon has 8 g. For a low-carb meat option, there is Steak Diane at 10 g of carbohydrate.
Accompaniments and Desserts
The side dishes at The Cheesecake Factory are listed as accompaniments. The low carb accompaniment items include broccoli at 4 g of carbohydrate, along with green beans and sauteed spinach at 6 g.
The Low-Carb Original Cheesecake, which is sweetened with Splenda, has 39 g of carbohydrate. For a lower-carb dessert option, they do offer a dessert called Fresh Goblet of Strawberries that contains 15 g of carbohydrate.
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