Lower Calorie Selections-Empire Builder

[LA Resident]

I could have sworn that I'd posted in here a while ago, but I guess not.

Last year, I lost about 30 pounds (on top of an earlier 60) through extreme caloric-dieting. I've since gone back to eating "normally" but I'm still watching my intake to ensure I don't gain any of that weight back. That said, I've been doing a good deal of LD riding this year, and I've asked a few crews if they have this information available. I got lucky a while ago on the Lakeshore, where the head-chef pulled a "service-guide" out of a cupboard. I've managed to get some brief looks at it, both there and the other day on the Starlight, and here's what I've found thus far.

For Breakfast...

French Toast: 400 Calories

Pancakes (EB): 160 Calories

Eggs: 150 Calories

Egg Substitute: 40-60 calories (need to look again

Breakfast Potatoes: add 145 Calories

Biscuit: add 185 Calories

Croissant: add 230 Calories

Oatmeal: 140 Calories

Yogurt (Dannon Light N' Fit): 60 Calories

Grapefruit: 25 Calories

Egg & Cheese Sourdough Special: 470 Calories

For Lunch:

I've seen two Salads: A Ceasar that, undressed, has 50 Calories, and a Waldorf that, dressed, has 680

Side Salad: 20 Calories

Ciabatta Roll: 100 Calories

Black Bean Burger: 210* calories (I'm assuming this is for the patty only and doesn't include the buns, which add another ~200 calories)

I'll be on the sunset and the Texas Eagle in a few days and if I can get another look at the book, I'll add more information here.

How about getting your hands on the the calorie counts for each of the desserts that come along with the sleeper accommodations?

It's very hard not to be tempted by one of them at each meal, and 4 or 5 of those desserts would require running alongside the train for its entire route to burn off the calories!

Maybe Amtrak should offer dieters/weightwatchers/fatwatchers/etc. a 20% rebate if one agreed to forego all desserts while on board! (Maybe the rebate would require abstention from french toast as well?!!)

 

[hello]

Thank you, Mister Toad, for the link ... it also answered some of my questions about the EB ... I just wish I could have found Part 3 ... I was really enjoying David's blog!

 

[lyke99]

The veggie burger is a black bean chipotle veggie patty. I'm generally a meat lover but this veggie patty is very tasty.

I agree the veggie burger is very tasty - at the suggestion of a server, I got it with bacon!

How about getting your hands on the the calorie counts for each of the desserts that come along with the sleeper accommodations?

The lemon sorbet is a good choice for a lower calorie dessert. It was somewhere around 150 calories and comes with a tricky plastic seal which causes you to use at least a couple of calories just to get at it.

 

[lthanlon]

I rode the Empire Builder last year from Chicago to Seattle and was able to stick to a basic reduced-calorie diet by avoiding snacks and full-sugar Pepsi. I mostly skipped dessert. The main courses were all pretty good -- except for a hot turkey lunch special.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I rode the Empire Builder last year from Chicago to Seattle and was able to stick to a basic reduced-calorie diet by avoiding snacks and full-sugar Pepsi. I mostly skipped dessert. The main courses were all pretty good -- except for a hot turkey lunch special.

YUM! I'm on the Builder next week and my stomach is already roaring and growling ready to eat

 

[JayPea]

I had that hot turkey lunch special last year while on the EB. They did get 2 out of 3 right: It was turkey and it was lunch. The hot part? Well, not so much. It wasn't even lukewarm.

 

[guest]

I had that hot turkey lunch special last year while on the EB. They did get 2 out of 3 right: It was turkey and it was lunch. The hot part? Well, not so much. It wasn't even lukewarm.

Nothing like ice cold gravy to chill the spine!

Seriously, I've had the sandwich twice and it was fine. Maybe it's all a question of how long it sits after the chef signals the plate is ready for pick-up?

And while the Veggie Burger is good, it sort of defeats the purpose of the sandwich when there's an option for cheese!!!

 

[AMTK 365]

Had a better look at the aforementioned service guide on the Sunset this morning. Here's a few of the desserts:

Apple Pie: 340 Calories

Tiramisu: 500 Calories

Reese's Peanut Butter Pie: 320(!) calories

New York Cheesecake: 490 Calories

Key Lime Crumb Pie: 490 calories

Pumpkin Cheesecake: 410 calories

Hagen-Daz Ice Cream: Both have about 280 calories

Sorbet: 120 calories

Other entrees:

Breakfast Quesadilla (Today's special on the Sunset): 460 Calories

Pasta Selections:

Ravioli: 880 calories

Lasagna: 460 Calories

Mancotti: 570 calories

Shrimp Scampi: 370 Calories

Salmon: 370 Calories

Mashed Potatoes add 100 calories

Baked Potato add about 150 calories

Rice Pilaf add 110 calories

Vegatable Medley add 30-40 calories

I'm a pescetarian and, therefore, can only eat fish and veggies, so I didn't pay attention to most of the other selections. On that note, I did glance at the Angus Burger... 780 Calories without the chips (about the same as one of those 1/3 pounders from McDeath).

I guess my last tip is to ask about this service guide onboard if you're curious. Some crews might not want to be bothered with it, so be persistent if you really care.

 

[Chris J.]

I suspect the calorie burn from the 420-foot walk to the dining car would not quite offset the calorie intake in the dining car. Now, if they would rip out the seats in half the Sightseer and put in some treadmills, then we would have something.

Connect the output of the exercise equipment up to the traction motors and save on fuel :lol:

 

[LA Resident]

Had a better look at the aforementioned service guide on the Sunset this morning. Here's a few of the desserts:

Apple Pie: 340 Calories

Tiramisu: 500 Calories

Reese's Peanut Butter Pie: 320(!) calories

New York Cheesecake: 490 Calories

Key Lime Crumb Pie: 490 calories

Pumpkin Cheesecake: 410 calories

Hagen-Daz Ice Cream: Both have about 280 calories

Sorbet: 120 calories

Other entrees:

Breakfast Quesadilla (Today's special on the Sunset): 460 Calories

Pasta Selections:

Ravioli: 880 calories

Lasagna: 460 Calories

Mancotti: 570 calories

Shrimp Scampi: 370 Calories

Salmon: 370 Calories

Mashed Potatoes add 100 calories

Baked Potato add about 150 calories

Rice Pilaf add 110 calories

Vegatable Medley add 30-40 calories

I'm a pescetarian and, therefore, can only eat fish and veggies, so I didn't pay attention to most of the other selections. On that note, I did glance at the Angus Burger... 780 Calories without the chips (about the same as one of those 1/3 pounders from McDeath).

I guess my last tip is to ask about this service guide onboard if you're curious. Some crews might not want to be bothered with it, so be persistent if you really care.

Thanks for the posting! It's quite educational. I also like the term pescetarian but it almost sounds like you need a PhD to call yourself one! Otherwise you'd just be a fish eater!

Those desserts can really pack in the calories. Imagining key lime pie after a plate of ravioli! I'd need to jog in my room all night just to work off a fourth of those calories!

Are you sure the Reese peanut butter pie is only 320 calories?

Or did you mean 3,201 calories!! :help:

 

[LA Resident]

Oh, and about that "cold" selection between Portland and Seattle..what's that like????
Thanks.

You mean Portland and Spokane, right?

Going the other way, breakfast consisted of a ham and cheese croissant sandwich (very tasty) and a blueberry tart-like device, yogurt and fruit - tasty and healthy.

I think that the dinner going the other way is a salad, so you should be in good shape.

I wouldn't call the food "cut above Denny's" either, I think that it's far better than that. I haven't had a bad meal yet on this trip!

On the Portland to Spokane segment, there were three cold choices offered. Can't remember the two rejected, but the The Salmon salad was terrific,with a nice center cut of fillet, together with lo-cal dressing (not packaged), good bread, fresh fruit and dessert, in some ways better than the on-board dining because it was prepared by a gourmet service in Portland to the quality level of a Whole Foods.