Known for its extensive menu and famous Pizookie dessert, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse has something for the entire family. Whether or not your favorite menu item is healthy is a different story. As is true with most chain restaurants, their priority is tasty food with less emphasis on nutrition. While all foods can fit into a healthy diet, being mindful of your choices when dining out is key to maintaining a balanced approach.
Many of BJ’s menu items, especially appetizers, entrees, and desserts, are packed with calories—the tri-tip nachos alone contain 2,120 calories! With so many meals that exceed the recommended calorie intake for a single sitting, navigating such a large menu can be challenging. Fortunately, BJ’s also offers healthier options in every category, and with a few simple modifications, you can enjoy a satisfying and balanced meal.
How We Chose the Healthiest BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse Menu Items
When creating our list, we kept a few criteria points in mind. Here’s what you need to know:
- Calories: Most of our selections are under 600 calories. This may be more calories than some need at a meal, but it is a reasonable number for a restaurant. Although you’ll find selections on our list of over 600 calories, they still made the list because they were the best option in their category, and simple modifications can drastically lower the calorie count.
- Fiber: When selecting items in each category, we paid close attention to the fiber count. You’ll only find one choice on our list with zero fiber, excluding dessert. We chose items that contained at least 4 grams of fiber per serving, and selections with far more got an extra shout-out.
- Sugar: This nutrient is a source of empty calories, and provides little value to a meal. While it provides a sweet flavor, you are best off limiting added sugar as much as possible. We chose items that had lower amounts of sugar than other options in their category, and provide easy ways to reduce sugar in orders that contain more than an ideal amount.
Appetizers
Ahi Poke
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 500
- Fat: 20 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 1,773 mg
- Carbs: 44 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 34 g
With ahi tuna as the main ingredient, this appetizer provides healthy fats and can be enjoyed as an entrée. The order comes with crispy wonton chips which can be limited to reduce total fat grams and calories. You’ll get additional healthy fats from the guacamole, and you can skip the aioli for even more fat and saturated fat savings.
Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
- Sodium: 1,346 mg
- Carbs: 31 g (Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 15 g)
- Protein: 11 g
Although these brussels are lightly fried, they still pack 9 grams of fiber and only 220 calories. The sweet sriracha crema is a source of added sugar, so skip this to limit the sugar in your dish. Enjoy these brussels as an app for add to the side of your entrée for a veggie serving.
Soups & Salads
Chicken Tortilla Soup-Bowl
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 1,853 mg
- Carbs: 30 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 4 g)
- Protein: 12 g
Chicken tortilla soup is usually a good option for a lean meal at a restaurant. A bowl of this soup comes in just under 300 calories and still packs 4 grams of fiber and 12 grams of protein. Unfortunately, it provides a big dose of sodium, which can be hard to avoid at restaurants. Enjoy on its own for a light meal or add the cup size portion as a side or appetizer to your entrée selection.
Piranha Pale Ale Chili – Cup
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 400
- Fat: 26 g (Saturated Fat: 13 g)
- Sodium: 1,109 mg
- Carbs: 22 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 4 g)
- Protein: 19 g
This chili comes with cheese and sour cream, and still only provides 400 calories. The balance of nutrients and calorie amount makes this a great selection for a stand-alone meal. If you have a higher calorie budget, go with the bowl size which will add 2 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.
Strawberry Fields Salad with Chicken
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 500
- Fat: 26 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 1,244 mg
- Carbs: 19 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 13 g)
- Protein: 45 g
Although most of the entree salads on this menu are over 1000 calories, the strawberry fields salad comes in at half that amount. It is loaded with chicken to provide plenty of protein to constitute a meal, and is a good option for those watching their carb intake. Ask for the dressing on the side and limit the amount you use to lower the fat and calorie count of this meal.
Pizzas
Spicy Pig Pizza
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 90
- Fat: 4 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Carbs: 9 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 4 g
This thin crust pizza is topped with ham, bacon, pineapple, and cheese to create a flavorful option for few calories. Each slice is only 90 calories, which allows you to have a few slices while staying in a reasonable calorie range. Or, stick with just a couple slices and add a side veggie or salad to boost fiber in this meal.
Pastas
Italian Chicken Parmigiana Pasta
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 1,080
- Fat: 46 g (Saturated Fat: 13 g)
- Sodium: 2279 mg
- Carbs: 111 g (Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 16 g)
- Protein: 61 g
Chicken parmigiana is unlikely to make many “healthiest” lists, although it is the best options of the pasta at BJ’s. With the second lowest calorie count and lowest amount of fat, it is the best option. However, 1080 calories is still more than most need in a meal. Enjoy only half of this meal at the restaurant, and save the other half for home to keep each serving around 500 calories.
Sandwiches & Tacos
Enlightened Mediterranean Chicken Pita Tacos
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 600
- Fat: 22 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
- Sodium: 1,427 mg
- Carbs: 77 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 17 g)
- Protein: 38 g
These grilled chicken tacos are served in pita bread, which makes them higher in carb that traditional corn tortilla tacos. However, they are still one of the best options in their category at BJ’s. You can easily skip one of the pita breads to drastically lower carbs in your meal while preserving protein. This order comes with a veggie and grain mix on the side that makes for a hearty dish for 600 calories.
Oven-Roasted Mahi Mahi Tacos
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 850
- Fat: 36 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 2,567 mg
- Carbs: 90 g (Fiber: 16 g, Sugar: 12 g)
- Protein: 38 g
Fish tacos are another healthy selection at BJ’s. Order the oven-roasted option as the fried mahi mahi tacos will add another 150 calories to your meal. The side of black beans makes this a high-fiber meal, and you can skip the chips that come with the dish to avoid some carbs. There is also a chipotle mayo served on the tacos that can be avoided to save several grams of fat.
Burgers
Classic Cheeseburger
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 1210
- Fat: 67 g (Saturated Fat: 21 g)
- Sodium: 3,955 mg
- Carbs: 99 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 16 g)
- Protein: 54 g
At over 1,200 calories, this cheeseburger is still the healthiest option in the burger section with other order reaching over 1500 calories. Not only is this the lowest-calorie burger, but it also has the fewest fat grams, second-highest fiber count, and plenty of protein. To make this option healthier, eat only half of the burger and choose a side salad or Brussels sprouts as your side.
Entrees, Steaks & Slow-Roasted Entrees
Cherry Chipotle Glazed Salmon
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 580
- Fat: 26 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 889 mg
- Carbs: 40 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 8 g)
- Protein: 46 g
Out of the entrees, steaks, and slow-roasted options, this cherry chipotle glazed salmon made the top of our list. It packs a reasonable number of calories, contains heart healthy fats, provides 4 grams of fiber from veggies and couscous, and has a relatively low sodium count for a restaurant meal. Skip the glaze to save some calories, carbs, and grams of sugar, or have it as is for a balanced meal.
Desserts
Ghirardelli Ice Cream Cup
- Nutrition (Per order):
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
- Sodium: 58 mg
- Carbs: 29 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 23 g)
- Protein: 3 g
You may head to BJ’s looking forward to a Pizookie after your meal, but you should think twice after seeing that the mini options can pack 700 calories. Unless you plan to split the mini size amongst several people, your best option for dessert at BJ’s is a single scoop of ice cream. This still packs 23 grams of sugar, which is enough for an entire day, but it is the most reasonable option amongst the desserts.
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Melissa Rifkin, MS, RDN, CDN
