Weight Watchers Restaurant Guide For When You Need A Night Out

Eating out at sit-down restaurants may feel tricky when you’re on a Weight Watchers diet, especially if you don’t know the points amounts for menu items. However, with a little mindful planning, you can still enjoy a delicious meal while staying within your daily points limit. Whether you’re meeting up with friends or family or treating yourself to your favorite restaurant, you can still make healthy choices and stay on track with your goals.

There are many ways to enjoy low-point meals while eating out. Although some restaurants are more Weight Watchers-friendly than others, you can always modify the menu options slightly to make them lighter if needed. Today, we’ve put together a list of some of the most popular sit-down restaurant chains and provided suggestions for what you can order when you visit. Make sure to click the links to view a description or nutritional information about the item, giving you a better idea of what it entails! Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Olive Garden

Olive Garden is a beloved Italian restaurant that offers a wide range of appetizers, entrees, and sides to satisfy your cravings. What’s more, Olive Garden provides a fair amount of healthy options for you to enjoy.

Whether you prefer soups, salads, or chicken dishes, you can find some great ideas below to help you make healthier choices when visiting the restaurant. Additionally, you can pair your meal with low-point sides like steamed broccoli, which has zero points! And don’t forget to indulge in a breadstick, which is only 4 points per stick.

• Minestrone Soup – 0 Points
• Famous House Salad with Low Fat Italian Dressing – 2 Points
• Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce (Lunch) – 8 Points
• Chicken Margherita (Lunch portion) – 9 Points
• Chicken Fingers (appetizer) – 6 Points

And if you are craving Olive Garden at home be sure to check out my Olive Garden Chicken Marsala Copycat.

Outback Steakhouse

As a fan of Outback Steakhouse, you may want to know about some of the best menu items you can count on when visiting. Our top options are those that feature salmon or chicken, as they can make for a low-point meal when paired with the right sides.

You can also consider having a House Salad with Light Dressing or a cup of hearty Tasmanian Chili Soup. Below, you can find the points and nutritional information for each option. If you’re looking for accompaniments, try having fresh steamed broccoli, which is 3 points, or grilled asparagus, which is 1 point.

• 7 oz Perfectly Grilled Salmon with Fresh Mixed Veggies – 9 Points
• Grilled Chicken on the Barbie with Fresh Mixed Veggies – 8 Points
• House Salad with Light Balsamic Dressing – 7 Points
• Tasmanian Chili Soup (cup) – 7 Points

And if love Outback be sure to check out my air fryer bloomin onion.

The Cheesecake Factory

Are you in the mood for The Cheesecake Factory? It’s a great restaurant to go to with family, as they offer an extensive menu that might be overwhelming at first, but it also means you have plenty of options to choose from.

Although many dishes are lightened up, we highly recommend the following fantastic options, many of which come from the Skinnylicious section of the menu. Besides that, you can add a ton of 0-point veggies to the “Create an Omelette” dish to make it a completely zero-point meal for brunch! Doesn’t that sound amazing?

• Tuscan Chicken with Vegetables and Farro – 5 Points
• Skinnylicious Grilled Salmon – 7 Points
• Skinnylicious Chicken Soft Tacos – 8 Points
• The Cheesecake Factory Create an Omelette  – 0 Points (Asparagus, Spinach, Peppers, Onions, etc.)

Buffalo Wild Wings

When ordering food at Buffalo Wild Wings, opting for patties without a bun or grilled chicken instead of fried is a good idea. This can significantly reduce the WW points for your meal, as the buns and meat breading can make points add up quickly! However, if you ordered fried wings with no sauce, it isn’t too bad.

We recommend trying either the Black Bean Patty or the classic Hamburger Patty and pairing it with the carrot and celery sticks, which are zero points. Here are the points for each dish:

• Naked Tenders (no sauce) – 0 Points
• Hamburger Patty (no bun) – 7 Points
• Traditional Wings (no sauce) – 12 Points
• Black Bean Burger Patty (no bun) – 4 Points

TGI Fridays

Next time you visit TGI Fridays, you can choose from a variety of low-point menu options. These include soups, fish, and salads that are as low as 2 points. This means that you can enjoy a delicious meal without exceeding your daily allowance.

Additionally, you can add a side salad with no dressing for just one point or opt for the veggie sides with zero points. Combining one of these sides with the items below lets you feel satisfied and enjoy a guilt-free dining experience at TGI Fridays!

• Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken (lunch) – 9 Points
• House Salad without Breadstick – 1 Point
• White Cheddar Broccoli Soup – 12 Points
• Grilled Salmon with Veggies – 3 Points

Yard House

Yard House offers a number of special menu options for those who follow plant-based or gluten-free diets, which can be helpful for people following a Weight Watchers lifestyle.

But there are also options on the regular menu that are suitable. If you’re looking for ideas, check out the items below!

• Chicken or Shrimp Bowl – 7 Points
• Baja Fish Taco – 7 Points
• Cilantro Lime Chicken – 9 Points
• Cobb Salad (small) – 9 Points

Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse is full of delicious comfort food, so you might be surprised to learn that there are several options between zero and 10 points! The trick is to pick a low-point protein, such as chicken, and either pair it with a healthy side or simply omit some of the extra toppings from it.

For instance, grilled BBQ or smothered chicken are beneficial choices for WW members. However, don’t forget about the classic Texas Red Chili and the USDA Choice Sirloin. Pair them with three-point sauteed mushrooms or two-point green beans!

• Herb-Crusted Chicken (no side) – 0 Zero Points
• Grilled BBQ Chicken – 3 Points
• Texas Red Chili (with beans, cup) – 4 Points
• USDA Choice Sirloin (8 oz) – 6 Points
• Smothered Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions – 3 Points

Red Lobster

From grilled fish to sirloin steak to delicious chicken, you have various options for low-point Red Lobster foods when you’re on WW. You can also order a standard baked potato and customize it to your liking so it remains low point!

For instance, a side of broccoli is 0 points and tastes delicious with the baked potato. You can also order a Side House Salad for just 3 points. Below, you can click on the links to learn more about these dishes and determine if you want to try them out!

• Baked Potato – 7 Points
• Grilled Rainbow Trout – 0 Points
• Grilled Atlantic Salmon – 6 Points
• 7 oz Sirloin Steak (no sides) – 8 Points
• Maple Bacon Chicken (no sides) – 9 Points

And if you love Red Lobster be sure to check out my Red Lobster Brussel Sprout copycat.

Applebee’s

Applebee’s is a restaurant that has many healthy options that you can enjoy! They offer a variety of proteins, such as Blackened Salmon, classic Grilled Chicken Breasts, and Top Sirloin, which are ideal for WW members.

If you want something lighter, you can choose a lunch salad, like the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. As for the sides, we suggest trying the three-point green beans or the mixed green salad with no dressing, which is only one point. And do you want to know a secret? If you ask for the steamed broccoli with no butter, it’s a zero-point food!

• Grilled Chicken Breast (no sides) – 0 Points
• Blackened Cajun Salmon – 1 Point
• 8 oz Top Sirloin – 5 Points
• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (lunch) – 6 Points

Be sure to check out my applebee’s fiesta lime chicken copycat.

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel is a popular restaurant chain known for serving delicious food. If you’re following the Weight Watchers program, you might be interested to know which items on the menu are Weight Watchers-friendly. We’ve got you covered!

From the Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken to the hearty Turkey Noodle Soup, there are plenty of tasty options. If you’re looking for low-point sides, try the whole baby carrots (2 points) or the turnip greens (1 point). And don’t forget to wash it all down with a refreshing, zero-point, unsweetened iced tea.

• Grilled Chicken Tenders (6) – 1 Point
• Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken (no sides, 2 breasts) – 0 Points
• Vegetable Soup (cup or bowl) 1 or 3 Points
• Grilled Pork Chop – 7 Points