Meta description: If you’re watching your diet, a visit at IHOP may not be the best idea. But if you’re already there, then you can at least avoid the really unhealthy menu items.
A lot of health experts will tell you that plenty of fast-food brands don’t really offer healthy food. But these warnings can be hard to take seriously when you’re confronted by delicious IHOP pancakes. These are some of the most delicious pancakes in the world. They’re always nice and fluffy, and you get your choice of yummy toppings. The prices are very reasonable as well, according to PriceListo.
But the problem is that some of these treats are really not good for you. They may contain too many calories, and that’s and if you’re watching your weight.
Then you also have to worry about the sodium level. The guideline calls for a daily sodium intake of just 2,300mg per day, and you have to go lower if you have cardiovascular or high blood pressure issues. If you’re on a low-sodium diet, then a single order at IHOP may go over your daily sodium limits.
The sugar content is also problematic, particularly at IHOP with all these delicious pancakes. Health experts worry about added sugars, which refer to sugars that aren’t naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables.
The pancakes, syrups, and the chocolate chips on many of the pancakes can really boost the sugar content. The recommended added sugar intake is just 50g for the entire day. That’s a hard guideline to meet, when the pancakes you consume for breakfast contain more than 40g of added sugars. With your lunch and dinner meals, you’re sure to go over the top.
If you’re already at IHOP, you can do yourself a favor and avoid the following:
New York Cheesecake Pancakes
We’re putting this first on the list to emphasize the point of this article—it isn’t about the IHOP menu items that taste bad. That’s not something you can say about the New York Cheesecake Pancakes, because they’re delicious. That’s why it’s a classic choice for dessert. It’s so good that some might even pick it for breakfast.
It’s hard to resist this when you feel like enjoying it. You get the iconic buttermilk pancakes, which are filled with cheesecake bites. Then they’re topped with glazed strawberries.
You do have to note that this particular combo comes with 890 calories, which may not be great if you’re trying to lose weight. Those with high blood pressure issues also won’t be happy about the 2,220mg of sodium. Add the fact that this also loads you with 49g of sugar, and you can probably tell why it’s not exactly healthy.
Cupcake Pancakes
Even a single glance at this order will probably tell you that there’s no way this can be healthy. It’s just so colorful, what with all the rainbow sprinkles. The 4 buttermilk pancakes are also topped with cupcake icing and whipped topping.
The sugar content is just astronomical at 59g. To put this another way, that’s like getting the sugar content of 20 Oreo Thins cookies. It also comes with 810 calories and 2,030mg of sodium, which don’t help at all.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Even if you’re a fan of chocolates, perhaps there’s such a thing as too much chocolate in a single order. That’s what you might think when you get a look at this. You have 4 pancakes made with chocolate batter, and they’re filled with chocolate chips. What’s more, these are also topped with more chocolate chips. The toppings also include a drizzle of chocolate syrup, as if there’s still not enough chocolate in this.
There’s no way that this can be healthy. And with 48g of sugar, it’s not. You’re getting the sugar content equivalent of 6.5 snack-size Hershey’s chocolate bars. With the 760 calories and the 2,000mg of sodium, you’re really putting your health to the test.
Strawberries & Cream Crepes
Perhaps you think that not getting the iconic pancakes will be healthier. That may be true for some other options, but not these crepes. Even though these crepes may seem thin and light, you still get 700 calories.
In addition, these crepes come with a vanilla cream drizzle along with glazed (not fresh) strawberries. All these increase the sugar content to 45g, which is definitely way over the top.
Final Words
A list like this can be rather discouraging, but there are still some IHOP treats that are much better for your health. Go with a short stack of the classic buttermilk pancakes, and you get the lowest amounts of calories and sugar among all the other pancake options. You only get 450 calories and 11g of sugar, while the sodium content isn’t completely terrible at 1,560mg.
Add a side dish of fresh fruit, and you’re all set. You’re still getting the delicious buttermilk pancakes, so everything’s all right.
