Cracker Barrel knows how to satisfy a craving for comfort food.
While chowing down on some mac and cheese may not be the best thing for your diet, enjoying a home-style country-cooked meal can leave you feeling satisfied.
There are handful of gems on the Cracker Barrel menu that won't leave you feeling ashamed to tell your trainer about, but you're more than likely to run into dishes that are calorie-packed and sodium-heavy.
These are the dishes to avoid when skimming over the menu at Cracker Barrel.
Baked Apple Dumplin'
While every dessert on the Cracker Barrel menu packs a crazy amount of sugar, this one seriously takes the cake for the most concerning.
These delectable desserts come covered in pecan streusel, vanilla ice cream and apple sauce. The sugar count on this treat is a 118 miligrams- a whopping 5 times the average amount a woman should have in a day!
The calorie count will make you shutter too, at 1,720 per portion.
The Cracker Barrel's Country Boy Breakfast
This signature dish is one of the heartiest meals you will find at the restaurant, and it's also one of the worst for your health. Even the dish description starts with "Just loosen your belt..." so we know what we're in for.
The platter comes with 3 eggs, fried apples, a hash-brown casserole, your choice of meat, gravy buttermilk biscuits, butter and jam.
If you consume your entire plate, you will be eating a total of 1,615 calories, 74 grams of fat and 140 grams of carbs.
Fried Chicken Salad
Not all salads fall within your Weight Watchers meal plan, and this one certainly doesn't. With a base of healthy lettuce, this salad is topped with fried chicken that brings the calorie count to 790 and 62 grams of carbs. You can substitute for the grilled chicken for a slightly healthier choice, but watch your dressing choice. While the Honey French dressing may be delicious, it will add another 25 grams of sugar, 580 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of fat and 350 calories to your meal.
Grilled Reuben
Looking at this meat sandwich, you may wonder, it's not deep fried, or a crazy amount of food, how bad can it be? Well at 900 calories, and 67 grams of fat, the sandwich alone would be enough for your swear of carbs for the rest of the week. The meal also comes with the side of your choosing which could add up to as many as 470 additional calories, plus your side of slaw, you're best to move on to a different dish.
Based on a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet, the FDA recommends that you get no more than a total of 65 g of fat, 20 g of saturated fat, 300 mg of cholesterol and 2,400 mg of sodium. It is also recommended that you get at least 50 g of protein, 300 g of carbohydrates and 25 g of dietary fiber.
If you up your calorie intake to 2,500 calories a day, it's recommended that you should aim to get less than 80 g of total fat, 25 g of saturated fat , 300 mg of cholesterol and 2,400 mg of sodium. You can also up your carbs to 375g per day and 30 of dietary fiber.
Sunday Night Homestyle Chicken
With a different special for each night of the week, many families flock to the restaurant to skip cooking for the evening. Well don't skip Sunday dinner at Grandma's to go to Cracker Barrel because the Sunday Night Special will make your shutter to think of the effects.
Chefs fry up 2 chicken breasts in buttermilk batter, and that alone adds up to 1,350 calories and 3,200 milligrams of sodium, which is 900 more than doctors recommend in a day. The platter is also served with 2 sides and a biscuit or muffin. Depending on your choices, this could add another 1,000 calories to your meal.
Maple Jam n' Bacon Double Cheeseburger
Okay, so this one screams greasy spoon, but how bad can it be? The two patties, topped with maple bacon will cost you 930 calories and 49 grams of carbs. When the fries, coleslaw and corn muffins come, you can only imagine how much worse it gets for your waistline.
Clam Chowder Soup
Sure you may think you're doing a good thing for your waistline with you sip back a soup, but this one will stop you in your tracks!
A bowl of this seafood soup has 1,800 grams of sodium, 54 carbs and 880 calories. It also comes with 2 packs of crackers, which together have half as many carbs as just the soup.
Fresh Fruit 'n' Berries Yogurt Parfait Breakfast
So you may be wondering, how can something with Fresh Fruit make the list? In spite of finding it on the Cracker Barrel's Wholesome Fixin's menu, there is nothing wholesome about this menu item. The low-fat vanilla yogurt is topped with so much fruit and granola, it added up to 41 grams of sugar. Better to skip your parfait and head straight for the turkey sausage patty and 2 egg whites if you are watching what you're eating.
What is your favorite thing to order when you go to Cracker Barrel?
