Eating out / Burgers & American / Applebee's

What I'd Order at Applebee's to Lose Weight

I stay away from anything with the word pasta in the name at lunch and pick the sirloin, haddock, or chicken and shrimp.

John Schaefer, fat loss coach for 27 years · Updated October 2026

What do I order?

Tell me where you're eating and your goal weight. I'll tell you exactly what to get, with the calories and protein.

Want me to email you your numbers? Your calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal weight, plus this page so you have it at the table.

Answers are estimates from published nutrition data, not medical advice.

My Applebee's orders

Shrimp 'N Parmesan Sirloin Steak

Lunch style

621calories57gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 34% of your calories and 54% of your protein for the day.

Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp

Carb meal

Chicken and shrimp first, sides last

780calories55gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 43% of your calories and 52% of your protein for the day.

Baked Haddock

Lunch style

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 59 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The rule at Applebee's: the lunch style order is built on protein, fat and fiber. The carb meal is the one you have when this is your dinner, or the one meal of the day you're spending your carbs on.

Skip these at Applebee's

Creamy Penne Pasta with Sliced Prime Rib1,391 cal
Classic Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Pasta1,271 cal

Numbers from Applebee's's published nutrition data via fastfoodnutrition.org. Menus change, so check before you order.

How I fit any restaurant into the day

Protein firstEat the protein, then the vegetables and fats, then the carbs. You're satisfied before the bread matters.

One carb meal a dayBread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fries. Keep the big carb hit to one meal. On a night out, that's dinner.

Zoom out to the weekFat loss runs on your weekly average. One dinner out is easy to absorb when the rest of the week is steady.

The Eating Out Playbook

Every restaurant you go to, already figured out.

60 chains and 25 kinds of restaurants, including Applebee's. Search the place you're going, pick an order, and see how it fits your goal weight before you sit down. Works on your phone, $7 one time.

Get the Playbook Free: my numbers

Quick answers

What is the best high protein order at Applebee's?

Shrimp 'N Parmesan Sirloin Steak: . It comes to about 621 calories and 57g of protein.

How many calories should I eat at Applebee's to lose weight?

It depends on your goal weight. I use goal weight x 12 for daily calories, so a 150 lb goal is 1,800 calories a day and a lunch around 500 to 800 of them. The shrimp 'n parmesan sirloin steak is 34% of that day with 54% of the protein. Type your own goal weight on this page to see your numbers.

What should I avoid at Applebee's if I'm trying to lose weight?

The ones that stack calories with little protein: Creamy Penne Pasta with Sliced Prime Rib (1,391 calories), Classic Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Pasta (1,271 calories).

Can I eat Applebee's and still lose fat?

Yes. I've never told a client to stop eating out. Build the order around protein, keep the carbs for one meal a day, and Applebee's fits fine. I stay away from anything with the word pasta in the name at lunch and pick the sirloin, haddock, or chicken and shrimp.