How to Eat Healthy at Famous Dave's

"Famous Dave's" is a Minnesota-based national chain restaurant offering several styles of barbecue and a host of side dishes, salads and desserts. The menu offers a number choices of less than 750 calories and 25 grams of fat for the nutrition-conscious diner. Follow these suggestions and eat healthy at "Famous Dave's."

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Grab the Char-Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Tell your server "no pickles" and hold the accompanying corn muffin. The sandwich is 510 calories, with 10 grams of fat.
2. Spice up your chicken sandwich with two tablespoons of "Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy BBQ Sauce" and add just 60 more calories. Two tablespoons of "Famous Dave's Finger Mustard Sauce" packs a lot of flavor for only 20 additional calories.
3. Try "Dave's Sassy BBQ Chicken Salad." This entrée is topped with bacon, cheddar cheese and diced tomatoes, and served with Honey BBQ dressing. It weighs in with 540 calories and 25 grams of fat. Cut calories and fat by asking your server to add extra tomatoes and to hold the bacon and cheese, and then go easy on the dressing.
4. Go for the Grilled Salmon but hold the bed of onion strings and the corn muffin. The flavorful fish is 450 calories with 26 grams of fat.
5. Add "Firecracker Green Beans" as a side for 60 additional calories and 3 grams of fat. You might also choose a four-ounce serving of "Wilbur Beans" for 150 calories and 3.5 grams of fat.
6. Delight in "Drunken Apples" as a sweet side dish or dessert treat. The four-ounce serving is just 140 calories and four grams of fat.
7. Shy away from fried items like onion strings and spicy fries. Barbecue meats are generally lean because much of the fat runs off in the cooking process. Fried sides, cheese and butter add calories, so choose carefully.

Tips & Warnings

• More extensive nutritional information for the above "Famous Dave's" menu items can be found online. See "Sources."
• Consult your physician or nutritionist for specific advice regarding your dietary requirements and restrictions.