No one expects a place with "cheesecake" in its name to be a low-calorie establishment. But like most restaurants, there are plenty of great choices at The Cheesecake Factory, as well as some truly horrifying ones! Look what we found...   

Caution: Heavy Appetizers

Seemingly innocent apps with some surprising stats...

Thai Lettuce Wraps
PER ORDER (serves 2 - 4): 1,025 calories, 6g saturated fat, 2,347mg sodium, 114g carbs -- POINTS® value 20 - 26*

This is basically a moveable buffet of calorie-packed insanity. Don't let the lettuce fool you. If you've gotta have it (or if someone else orders it), avoid the noodles and the sauces -- then request a side of the low-cal sesame soy dressing as a sauce swap (only 13 cals per tablespoon!).


Fire-Roasted Fresh Artichoke
PER ORDER (serves 2 - 4): 1,028 calories, 13g saturated fat, 787mg sodium, 62g carbs -- POINTS® value 21 - 28*

No veggie app should be this high in calories. It's served with a creamy dipping sauce and an oily dressing. ACK! If you do get this, request it oil-free and get salsa or low-cal dressing on the side for dipping.

Starter Up

HOORAY for no-guilt nibbles...

Ahi Carpaccio
PER ORDER (serves 2): 260 calories, 2g saturated fat, 1,223mg sodium, 11g carbs -- POINTS® value 5 - 7*

Mmmmm... This is decadent and guilt-free at the same time. WE LOVE TUNA!


Edamame
PER ORDER (serves 2 - 4): 323 calories, 0g saturated fat, 1,261mg sodium, 31g carbs -- POINTS® value 6 - 8*

Simple and to the point. This is a nice, light, and delicious way to take the edge off your hunger while waiting for the main event.


Chicken Pot Stickers
PER ORDER (serves 2 - 4): 377 calories, 2g saturated fat, 2,341mg sodium, 43g carbs -- POINTS® value 7 - 9*

If you crave an Asian-style first course, this is a great way to go. It may be pan-fried, but it still has hundreds fewer calories than those slim-sounding Shrimp Summer Rolls.


Fresh Vegetable Salad
PER ORDER (1 appetizer salad): 275 calories, 6g saturated fat, 515mg sodium, 30g carbs -- POINTS® value 5 - 7*

This crazy-delicious chopped salad includes apple chunks, edamame, and a slew of other veggies, plus a pomegranate vinaigrette. Add chicken for 115 calories. Fun, fun, fun!

HG TIP! Mix 'n match those smart starters, along with a no-guilt side or two, for some delicious meal options!

Fear Factory Entrées

If you're not sitting down already, you might want to brace yourself. These only SEEM guilt-free...

Grilled Chicken Medallions
PER SERVING (1 entrée): 1,409 calories, 7g saturated fat, 1,241mg sodium, 121g carbs -- POINTS® value 28 - 37*

What?! This sounds great. It's chicken, it's grilled, and it's marinated in basic balsamic with five types of veggies. Sure it has rice, too, but over 1,400 calories?! This entrée's for the birds. (Would that make them cannibals? Oh, never mind.)


Wasabi Crusted Ahi Tuna
PER SERVING (1 entrée): 1,750 calories, 58g saturated fat, 1,302mg sodium, 113g carbs -- POINTS® value 39 - 47*

This freaks us out, because it's SO something that we'd order if we weren't aware of the stats. Whether it's the wacky wasabi "crust," that miso sauce, or some hidden element we're not even aware of, a 1,750-calorie price tag is NOT OK.

Safe to Chew

Non-hazardous entrée options...

Weight Management Grilled Chicken
PER SERVING (1 entrée): 583 calories, 2g saturated fat, 1,921mg sodium, 28g carbs -- POINTS® value 11 - 16*

We know, we know. Nobody really wants to order the "Weight Management" ANYTHING. (CF, change that name, for Pete's sake... SHEESH!) Still, we say it's worth swallowing your pride for a brief moment if it means NOT swallowing a cool 1,000 calories for some other entrée. This dinner is "garnished" with rice and asparagus and topped with a little tomatoes-'n-arugula salad. Cute!


Fresh Grilled Mahi Mahi
PER SERVING (1 entrée, not including sides): 466 calories, 5g saturated fat, 394mg sodium, 3g carbs -- POINTS® value 9 - 13*

This is a totally respectable dinner you can get without feeling like you're ordering something too diet-y. Choose a couple of smart sides and enjoy. Yay!


Seared Tuna Tataki Salad
PER SERVING (1 salad): 442 calories, 3g saturated fat, 1,386mg sodium, 24g carbs -- POINTS® value 8 - 12*

One "Weight Management" item on our lineup is enough. This salad is actually lower in calories than ANY of the WM salads, plus it has delicious albacore that's lightly seared (so if you fear fully raw fish, no worries) as well as avocado and a wasabi vinaigrette. Yum!

HG TIP! There are lots of grilled chicken salads on the menu -- with mango and peppers, with black beans and corn, etc. And with a little special ordering, they can all become really good choices. Just avoid fatty and fried toppers (croutons, wontons... basically anything that ends with TONS), and trade the standard dressings for low-calorie ones (there are a bunch). Yay!

Something on the Side

These individually ordered side dishes are twice as large as those that come alongside an entrée. We love them!

Fresh Broccoli - 102 calories, 0g saturated fat, 76g sodium, 15g carbs -- POINTS® value 1 - 2*

Green Beans - 114 calories, 4g saturated fat, 224mg sodium, 12g carbs -- POINTS® value 2 - 3*

Sautéed Spinach - 170 calories, 6g saturated fat, 517mg sodium, 10g carbs -- POINTS® value 3 - 5*

Fresh Asparagus - 43 calories, 0g saturated fat, 1mg sodium, 7g carbs -- POINTS® value 0 - 1*

Sautéed Snow Peas & Vegetables - 155 calories, 1g saturated fat, 1,701mg sodium, 15g carbs -- POINTS® value 2 - 4*

HG TIP! Avoid the following side orders at ALL costs: Mashed Potatoes (564 calories!), French Fries (689 calories!!), and Macaroni & Cheese (1,309 calories!!!).

Dessert: The O'Really?! Factor

Alright, we KNOW it's called The CHEESECAKE Factory. But some of the not-so-sweet stats are crazy enough to send you screaming into the glass display case...

Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake
PER SERVING (1 slice): 1,326 calories, 40g saturated fat, 700mg sodium, 136g carbs -- POINTS® value 29 - 34*

Yikes. This thing put the FAT in "Factory." (Yup, it's in there.) And in case you're wondering, even a slice of the Low Carb Original Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberries has 602 calories and 28g saturated fat (POINTS® value of at least 14*), and a slice of the basic Original has 707 calories and 29g saturated fat (POINTS® value of at least 16*). So chew wisely.

Sweet Surprise!

Just because you don't want to spend freakish amounts of calories on dessert, that doesn't mean there's nothing here for you...

Goblet of Fresh Strawberries
PER SERVING (1 goblet): 108 calories, 2g saturated fat, 0mg sodium, 15g carbs -- POINTS® value 2 - 3*

It comes in a goblet! How fancy! And there's whipped cream on the side, so it isn't TOTALLY non-indulgent. If you're out with pals and feel like splurging a little more, also order the Dish of Ice Cream: a generous bowl of vanilla, coffee, or chocolate ice cream topped off with a little whipped cream (277 - 333 calories). That's one of the ONLY other desserts with less than 800 calories!