By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding
Jan. Men's Health
Can an appetizer with the caloric equivalent of 13 Krispy Kreme doughnuts be justified? No. The 2,710-calorie Awesome Blossom has been purged from Chili's menu - maybe the fat-drenched appetizer couldn't withstand the 'Eat This, Not That!' list of the Worst Foods in America last year. No matter, we applaud this waist-expanding starter's retirement.
The deep-fried onion wasn't the only thing to withdraw from last year's race - more than 10 other items from 2008's lineup have been removed from menus (or mysteriously had their calorie counts lowered). That's a step in the right direction, and it's good news for your waistline.
The bad news? There are plenty of frightening foods still at large across the country. After another year of menu investigation, we've come up with this year's list of the most calorie-laden, fat-riddled, sodium-swaddled, sugar-spiked dishes in America. Eat at your own risk.
Worst "Healthy" Sandwich
Blimpie Veggie Supreme (12")
1,106 calories
56 g fat (33 g saturated fat)
2,831 mg sodium
96 g carbs
Sure, a Veggie Supreme sandwich sounds healthy, but this foot-long comes with three kinds of cheese, and it's drenched in oil. After Blimpie gets done with this vegetarian nightmare, you'd be better off consuming two Big Macs than sitting down with this sandwich.
Worst Kids' Meal
Chili's Pepper Pals Country-fried Chicken Crispers with Ranch Dressing and Homestyle Fries
1,110 calories
82 g fat (15 g saturated)
1,980 mg sodium
56 g carbs
Most kids, if given the choice, would live on chicken fingers for the duration of their adolescent lives. If those chicken fingers happen to come from Chili's, it might be a shorter one. A moderately active 8-year-old boy should eat around 1,600 calories a day. This single meal plows through 75 percent of that allotment. So unless he plans to eat carrots and celery sticks for the rest of the day (and we know he doesn't), find a healthier chicken alternative. [Just not in any jails in Kentucky.
]
Worst Dessert
Romano's Macaroni Grill Dessert Ravioli
1,630 calories
74 g fat (33 g saturated)
1,150 mg sodium
223 g carbs
Would you eat a Quarter Pounder for dessert? How about four? That's how many it takes to match the calorie-load of this decadent dish. It's the quickest way to ruin what may have been a sensible dinner. (Then again, if dinner was at Macaroni Grill, chances are it was anything but sensible.)
Worst Burger
Chili's Smokehouse Bacon Triple-the-Cheese Big Mouth Burger with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
2,040 calories
150 g fat (53 g saturated)
110 g protein
4,900 mg sodium
You know this burger's in trouble when it takes more than 20 syllables just to identify it. If you think the name's a mouthful, just wait until the burger hits the table. You'll be face-to-face with two and a half days' worth of fat - a full third of which is saturated. To do that much damage with roasted sirloin, you'd have to eat about eight 6-ounce steaks. (It's nearly three days worth of saturated fat.)
Worst Starter
Uno Chicago Grill Pizza Skins (full order)
2,400 calories
155 g fat (50 g saturated)
3,600 mg sodium
This appetizer is like eating a large Domino's Hand-tossed Sausage Pizza! Would you ever think of saying to a waiter. "Why don't you start me off with a large meat pizza?" If you're ordering for a party of more than five, it might be okay, but for smaller groups, it's tilting toward gluttony gone wild. Order the Thai Vegetable Pot Stickers instead - the only item carrying fewer than 800 calories.
The Worst Food of 2009
Baskin Robbins Large Chocolate Oreo Shake
2,600 calories
135 g fat (59 saturated, 2.5 g trans fats)
263 g sugar
1,700 mg sodium
We didn't think anything could be worse than Baskin Robbins' 2008 bombshell, the Heath Bar Shake. After all, it had more sugar (266 g) than 20 bowls of Froot Loops, more calories (2,310) than 11 actual Heath Bars, and more ingredients (73) than you'll find in most chemist labs. Rather than coming to their senses and removing it from the menu, they did themselves one worse and introduced this caloric catastrophe. It's soiled with more than a day's worth of calories and three days worth of saturated fats, and, worst of all, usually takes less than 10 minutes to sip through a straw.
Cultbeauty
1That's because their food is soooo good for you, Dave!
2oh ok. I heard the tail end of a conversation on the radio this morning and they were talking about that shake (worst food of 2009) but I didn't know what the convo was about since I only caught the last few seconds of it. I just can't imagine eating 2 days worth of calories in 10 min not to mention all that fat. ugh that's just gross.
3Ok, ccpdm, you will also be in charge of the menu at "cooters".
4Yalsa! Who would have thought any one food could have this many calories! I am seriously shocked and afraid to go out to eat!
5Maybe this is already required in some places but how about posting a menu giving this information to the public in the restaurant? I certainly had no idea these items were so awful for us. shocking!
6Great idea Pam. If the nutritional information was listed in the menu next to the item I have to believe it would affect what people ordered.
7The amount of sodium in the last three is just crazy! 4,900mg of sodium in one burger?
Lazy - I agree with you. It would also make it easier for people who are trying to watch what they eat.
8Grandpa, the menu at 'Cooters' would probably largely consist of oatmeal, poached eggs, applesauce... yum yum.
9ccpdm, you are going back to the waitress position, we are serving the same food and drinks as hooters. When I go "toes up", it will not be me dribbling oatmeal, it will be whiskey and barbecue sauce.
10I think the worst thing on that list is the veggie sandwich from Blimpie. The reason I say this is because all the other foods you can pretty much bet on them being high in calories and fat-laden. The veggie one sounds healthy the others do not.
~~~~~
It is necessary to try to surpass oneself always; this occupation ought to last as long as life.
11Just take off the cheeses and cut the oil and it would probably be better.
Sandwiches make me barf. =D
12Foxie, your avatar looks like a valentines card from a romantic biker. :fogie:
13It's the MDS logo.
14MDS?
15I agree with you Brookrene. The fact that they have made that veggie sandwhich at Blimpies are nutritional nightmare is sinful.
16Gross! If you don't like this, don't ever check the nutrition info at La Madeleine, cc. You'll be sad. I was devastated when I found out a Spinach Pochette was almost a whole days worth of fat and calories.
well, that was with mushroom sauce on top. And surely all that bread, butter
and jam didn't help.
17Oh, if any of you guys have Jimmy John's I highly recommend it! You can go to their website and check nutrition info, and pick a sandwich apart one ingredient at a time. For instance, the Turkey Tom with mayo actually has slightly MORE calories than a Vito (Italian with salami, vinaigrette and cheese.) So take the mayo off of your Turkey Tom and add guacamole spread if you must have spread. SO GOOD!
Also, you can get all of their sandwiches in a lettuce wrap. So if you have a craving for salami, get rid of the bread and eat it wrapped in lettuce and it's still delicious.
18Just don't eat the chips because they are all a nutritional nightmare.
Kris, ironically, one of the guys I work with, his in-laws own a Jimmy John's. Their food is very good.
19Grandpa, you're on with the whiskey and bbq sauce!
20Oh wow, it just occurred to me, I got demoted.
21Also, Kris, does it really count if it isn't targeted by Men's Health?!? (I love La Madeleine....)
22lol once again proving my "sometimes a little slow" theory... after reading these, suddenly a coke or mt. dew etc. doesn't seem so bad now does it?
23Just got finished listening to morgan spurlocks "dont eat this book" which is a good source for knowing what you are really eating in the fast food industry.
As for restaurants, and sandwich shops, I tend to not eat there unless i know the nutritional content.
as for hooters, I love them, and they have a "healthy alternative" menu that I love.
24MDS = you don't want to know, Grandpa. ; )
25Foxie - I DO!
26Thanks to Bloomberg's Nanny Gov't here in NYC all are required to post nutritional info. A real turn off to see it.
No trans fat oil, all calories and fat listed and really huge people woofing it all down. I really try not to look if I have a major craving but then I do and I walk out. I hate those info boards.
***************
"Enjoy life, it's ungrateful not to." - Ronald Reagan
Sam, like me, you must live by the creed: "what ya don't know- can't hurt you"
27Don't forget the no calories if you are standing up, in the kitchen and eating it straight from the pot.
28Now I think I have to go home and make pudding.
***************
"Enjoy life, it's ungrateful not to." - Ronald Reagan
Samantha those are called BLT's in wieght watchers "bites, licks, and tastes" and they do count!
29Ugh, I hate the NYC rules. It is so ridiculous and I love the unintended effects of it - which is the fact that if a company doesn't post calories publicly (via Website and/or brochures) then they don't have to have it on their menu boards. So what do you think companies did? They took away the calorie information publicly so as to not have to comply. So now no one can access that information. Lovely. Thanks NYC.
30My motto in life is "All things in moderation, including moderation", learn it live it
31Cat ""bites, licks, and tastes"" OMG sounds more fun then weight watchers.
And don't ruin my pudding moment or I will get Bill Cosby after you.
Sy- NYC says: "You are welcome. "
32***************
"Enjoy life, it's ungrateful not to." - Ronald Reagan
Um, I'm still stuck on MDS.....
33I know what MDS is foxie. You mentioned it on another post.
~~~~~
It is necessary to try to surpass oneself always; this occupation ought to last as long as life.
34Mean Democratic Soandso's?????
35Sam, I think CG is mistaken... I think if you eat standing up, the calories go straight to your feet. So the worst you probably have to deal with is your shoe goes up half a size.
36I could live with that.
37***************
"Enjoy life, it's ungrateful not to." - Ronald Reagan
That would be a nice change of pace. I know I have gotten fat when all I want to shop for is shoes. If all weight went to feet I'd still be able to buy cute pants!
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