Calories in Pita Grill Restaurants, NYC

Looking for a healthy lunch or dinner? Most city girls and guys don’t spend too much time in the kitchen, so of course we are always on the lookout for healthy options! Check out Pita Grill  for sandwiches, salads and platters with protein, steamed veggies and brown rice. One thing lacking … the calories on the menu. I decided to order a few items, so I could “dissect” it and calculate the calories. Read on for my estimations. (pic: newyork.citysearch.com)

For those of you living or working in NYC, you must have noticed the calories printed on the menus in many restaurants. Law has mandated that restaurants with 15 or more chains must post the calories. Many smaller sized restaurants have been voluntarily been listing the calories … but not Pita Grill at this point (which has 6 locations).

My calculations
I bought 2 items and estimated the calories by:
– weighing the chicken on a food scale
– measuring the rice  and veggies into a measuring cup

Grilled chicken platter: 5.75 oz grilled chicken (250 calories), 1 1/3 cups brown rice plain (~ 300 calories), 2/3 cup steamed zucchini and carrots (40 calories) and about 2 cups of salad.  Total calories: 590  It also came with a 2 oz pita (160 calories), so if you ate both, you’d get 750 calories. This calculation doesn’t include the sauce it came with

Grilled chicken sandwich on pita: 3 oz grilled chicken  – not greasy at all (135 calories),  lettuce and tomato and a pita that weighed 2 oz (160 calories)  Total calories: ~ 300  (see pic below)

Suggestions for ordering at Pita Grill
1. Safe bets: grilled pita sandwiches and platters

2. If you are watching your weight and order a platter, I would suggest eating the rice or the pita – not both

3.You are better off ordering a pita sandwich versus a panini grill sandwich as most of the panini’s contain cheese (80-100 calories per ounce) and more bread

4. You can get sauces with your selections. The little container of sauce contains 4 Tablespoons. The calories can add up if you get tahini or a mayo based sauce.  Best choices include fat free or reduced fat sauce or dressing or the hot sauce. The mango chutney and BBQ sauces would have minimal fat, but more sugar.

5. To help fill yourself up with minimal calories (and more nutrition), get a side order of steamed veggies.

Soon, I’ll order different items (falafel, hummus, gyro) and report back with the calories!