Let's be real: No one goes to IHOP to be healthy (although the brand did remove soda from its kids menu, so at least that temptation is gone). In fact, most of us just go for the unlimited pancakes. But if you're trying to eat light and somehow end up at IHOP, don't worry. There are a few options that won't wreck your diet.
Simple & Fit 2-Egg Breakfast
The healthy version of a breakfast sampler, this dish comes with scrambled egg whites, two slices of turkey bacon, seasonal mixed fruit and whole-wheat toast, so you can get a little of every food group in one IHOP outing.
Calories: 410
2 x 2 x 2
If you want something similar to the 2-Egg Breakfast but are really dying for some pancakes, the 2 x 2 x 2 is the way to go. The dish comes with two pancakes, two strips of bacon or pork sausage links, and two eggs. Substitute egg whites and turkey bacon and voila! — you can have your pancakes and eat them too.
Calories: about 480 with substitutes (about 520-710 regularly)
Egg White Vegetable Omelette
A new addition to the menu, this omelette goes hard on the veggies — it's filled with spinach and onions and topped with fresh avocado and tomatoes — but also gets a little indulgent with some Pepper Jack action. Bonus: It's served with fruit.
Calories: 330
3-Stack Original Buttermilk Pancakes
Okay, sure, pancakes are definitely not healthy or light, but sometimes the temptation is too real and you need those IHOP pancakes like Paula Deen needs butter. So if you must eat some flapjacks at least make sure to limit yourself to three, because really, that's all you need.
Calories: 430
Tilapia Florentine
We know you don't go to the International House Of Pancakes for tilapia, but if you're trying to eat healthy, it's not the worst option. The dish includes two fillets over spinach that's tossed in an Alfredo sauce, and it comes with a side of mashed potatoes that you can easily (or not so easily, depending on your willpower) omit to cut another 180 cals.
*Calories: 490 without mashed potatoes (670 normally)
Turkey & Avocado Bennie
Though the name would lead you to believe this dish is pretty healthy, it's pushing it as far as calories are concerned. This Bennie is made of two slices of grilled brioche topped with roasted turkey, scrambled eggs, tomato, white cheddar sauce and avocado. To make it slightly healthier, you can substitute egg whites and skip the cheddar sauce, bringing it down to a more acceptable 500 calories.
Calories: About 500 with egg whites and no cheese sauce (790 regularly)
Soup
Little-known fact: IHOP has soups, though selection varies by location, and they're about the lightest things on the menu. Some soup selections include Roasted Chicken Noodle (170 calories), Loaded Potato with Bacon (370), and Minestrone (150).
House Salad
It may come as a surprise, but the salads at IHOP are not as light as they should be (the Chicken & Spinach for example, has 1,080 calories) — except for the house salad. The salad, made up of greens, tomatoes, and red onion with your choice of dressing, is basic AF, but at 25 calories, also light AF. Beware: The calories start to add up, depending on which dressing you get.
Calories: 25
Grilled Chicken, Ranch, & Avocado Club
Like the Bennie, this sandwich borders on unhealthy, but we still think it's a relatively good option. Grilled chicken breast, avocado, lettuce are all solid, healthy ingredients — it's the bacon and buttermilk ranch that make it dicey. Our suggestion? Ditch the ranch and substitute turkey bacon.
*Calories: About 350 with turkey bacon and no ranch (690 regularly)
Other suggestions in case you can't deal with these options:
If none of the above dishes call to you, but you still want to eat at least a seemingly healthy meal, there are a few things you can do to trim calories from your go-to order, like substituting egg whites (or asking for an egg substitute) and turkey bacon. You can also ask for no butter or whipped cream on your pancakes and top them with fruit instead or sugar-free syrup (which has 15 calories per ounce as opposed to 110).
*These dishes may be low on calories but they're also high in sodium, so stay away if you're trying to cut down on salt.
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