The Unexpected Dish You Might Want To Avoid Ordering At Texas Roadhouse

The Texas Roadhouse menu embodies the spirit of the Lone Star state by offering generously sized hand-cut steaks, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and freshly made sides. Besides its famous Southern-inspired foods — like the warm honey rolls made fresh every five minutes and served with house-made cinnamon butter — the chain offers low prices, large portions, and a fun, casual atmosphere. Once upon a time it was known for buckets of peanuts at each table and the subsequent shells littering the floor, but the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have put a moratorium on Texas Roadhouse's iconic peanuts. Nevertheless, the menu has held strong and continues to offer plenty of options for all taste buds. 

However, some options might be questionable when it comes to nutrition. If you find yourself scanning the menu for a salad that is more than just greens, do yourself a favor and steer clear of the Steakhouse Filet Salad. Sure, steak salads can provide lots of protein (This one includes 71 grams of protein), but the Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse Filet Salad is also loaded with a large amount of sodium at a whopping 2,870 milligrams. The U.S. Department of Health advises adults to consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Thus, this one salad puts you over the average person's daily limit. According to the FDA, too much salt in your diet can lead to high blood pressure and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. 

Besides a jaw-dropping amount of sodium, the Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse Filet Salad also packs a significant amount of saturated fat at 25 grams, including dressing. Compare this to the Chicken Critter (fried chicken) Salad which has 17 grams of saturated fat, not to mention half the sodium at 1,440 milligrams. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), while not all fat is inherently harmful to you, eating too much saturated fat can lead to high cholesterol levels which increases your risk of heart disease. Based on an adult diet of 2,000 calories per day, the AHA advises consuming 13 grams or less of saturated fat daily. 

If you have your heart set on a steak salad (but want to go easier on your heart in the health department), fear not. With a little creativity, you can put together your own tasty steak salad at Texas Roadhouse with far less sodium and saturated fats. Besides the steak, it's likely that some of the high fat and sodium content comes from toppings like the bleu cheese crumbles, bacon, croutons, and dressing. Try ordering the Steakhouse Filet Salad without these toppings and with the dressing on the side. You could also order a tasty Texas Roadhouse steak like a filet, New York strip, or sirloin — along with a side house salad. For reference, a 12-ounce traditional-cut New York strip has 980 milligrams of sodium and 13 grams of saturated fat, while a house salad has 290 milligrams of sodium and 8 grams of saturated fat. By making just a few adjustments, you can have your steak (salad) — and eat it, too.