Stack of pancakes covered in syrup

French Toast covered with syrup and butter

You’re out to breakfast and the menu, of course, contains no nutritional information. What should you do?

“Go with the pancakes, but remember portion control,” Moloo says. French toast isn’t inherently a less healthy option – you can easily make a nutritious, low calorie version at home – but many restaurants used jumbo slices of bread dipped in whole milk and fried in shortening. At Denny’s, three slices of French toast sprinkled with powder sugar contains 1,261 calories, whereas three buttermilk pancakes with 3 tablespoons of syrups contains 336 calories. However, Denny’s portions are on small side. An investigation of 17 family restaurants around the country, conducted by nonprofit Center of Science in Public Interest, found that a typical restaurant pancakes serving contains 870 calories. Best bet: whole grain pancakes with fresh fruit.