How Many Calories ... in an IHOP omelet?

One of my favourite things to do on a lazy Sunday morning is head out for brunch with my friends. The way I see it, it's the perfect way to start a day because not only do I get the company of my closest pals, I get to eat a yummy, reasonably-priced meal without having to worry about cleaning up the kitchen afterwards.

But although brunch at a restaurant is oh-so-convenient, it's also important to most of us to have healthy options available, options that won't mean having to starve ourselves for the rest of the week to break even on the caloric intake.

What's a healthy brunch option? Pancakes and waffles are questionable -- too much sugar in the syrup and whipped cream. Eggs Benedict is far too rich, and bacon is far too fatty. Cottage cheese, fruit and/or oatmeal is a good choice but not satisfying enough, especially when everyone else at the table is having a feast. What about ... an Omelet?

I had trouble finding IHOP's nutritional info on their website, but according to Calorie King, IHOP's Omelet feast has an astounding 1335 calories and 87 g of fat. Good lord!

I should point out, however, that this is for a steak omelette and it comes with three pancakes, which are included on the total calories. I'm guessing that if you just stuck to the omelet itself, you'd probably be looking at 900 calories or so. Opting for a veggie omelet will also cut calories.

Suddenly cottage cheese and fruit for brunch doesn't look so bland ....