Men's Health: The 20 Worst Foods in America

Mayfly · Nov 21, 2007

I am surprised I didn't see the Hardee's breakfast sandwiches.

Kid Bro Sweets · Nov 21, 2007

Knocking out one of those bad boys periodically isn't a problem. Before the Macaroni Grill near me closed, I would hit a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs occasionally. I didn't gain weight. You won't either.

cranberry · Nov 21, 2007

Portion size also has a lot to do with the high calorie counts. Restaurants, especially low-end chains like these, typically serve up humongous portions. If forced by circumstance to go to one of these places, I typically just order an appetizer and eat about half of it.

patchs · Nov 21, 2007

I'm doing a Florida trip next month and I plan on hitting Chipotle, Skyline Chili, Chick-Fil-A, Knish Knosh and some local joints.
That's why I am dieting now to take 10 pounds off by the time I leave.

mike311gd · Nov 21, 2007

jlee said:

mike311gd said:

Anything good in there?
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Not anymore.
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Oh. Damn it.

mike311gd · Nov 21, 2007

I miss Chi-Chis. A bunch of those restaurants were closed in the a few years ago for a Botchulism scare. I haven't been there in a good five or six years, and that was my favorite joint. I'm sure it would have hit the list at least once.

Del_B_Vista · Nov 21, 2007

I've only eaten one of these, and it's Numbero Uno, baybee! And I'll continue to eat 'em. I never order a full plate of Outback Cheese Fries unless I'm with a couple of other people. (I know, it's still bad.) You can also get a half-order. (I know, it's still bad ... but so damn good.)

Also, it's a little bit of a drive to the nearest Outback here after Katrina washed away the one on the beach. I used to love drinking at that bar.

Yawn · Nov 21, 2007

PhilaYank36 said:

Good lord, after reading this, you'll never look at some of these foods the same way again.

20. Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips from McDonald's (five pieces) with creamy ranch sauce: 830 cal, 55 g fat (4.5 g trans fat), 48 g carbs
The only thing "premium" about these strips is the caloric price you pay. Add a large fries & a regular soda and this seemingly innocuous chicken meal tops out at 1,710 cal.

19. Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie (30 fl oz): 900 cal, 10 g fat, 183 g carbs (166 g sugar)
Jamba Juice calls it a smoothie: we call it a milk shake. In fact, this beverage contains as much sugar as eight pints of Ben & Jerry's butter pecan ice cream.

18. Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie (whole pie): 1,020 cal, 64 g fat, 86 g carbs
The label may say this pie serves two, but who ever divided a small pot pie in half? The sad truth is, once you crack the crust, there will be no stopping -- which makes this 300 calories worse than anything else you'll find in the freezer case.

17. Ruby Tuesday's Bella Turkey Burger: 1,145 cal, 71 g fat, 56 g carbs
We chose this burger for more than its calorie payload: Its name implies that it's healthy.

16. Chipotle Mexican Grill Chicken Burrito: 1,179 cal, 47 g fat, 125 g carbs, 2,656 mg sodium
Despite a reputation for using healthy fresh ingredients, Chipotle's menu is limited to king-size burritos, overstuffed tacos and gigantic salads -- all of which lead to a humongous waistline.

15. Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni 'n' Cheese: 1,210 cal, 62 g fat, 3,450 mg sodium
It's like feeding your kid 1-1/2 boxes of Kraft mac 'n' cheese.

14. Quiznos Classic Italian (large): 1,528 cal, 92 g fat, 4,604 mg sodium, 110 g carbs
A large homemade sandwich would more likely provide about 500 calories.

13. On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef: 1,450 cal, 102 g fat, 78 g carbs, 2,410 mg sodium
This isn't an anomaly: five different On the Border salads on the menu contain more than 1,100 calories each.

12. Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger: 1,520 cal, 111 g fat
Carl's Jr. brags that it's home to this enormous sandwich, but the restaurant chain also provides convenient nutrition info on its website -- so ignorance is no excuse for eating it.

11. Lonestar 20 oz. T-bone steak: 1,540 cal, 124 g fat
Add a baked potato and Lonestar's Signature Lettuce Wedge, and this is a 2,700-calorie blowout.

10. Bob Evans Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes: 1,540 cal, 77 g fat (9 g trans fat), 198 g carbs (109 g sugar)
Five Egg McMuffins yield the same caloric cost as this stack of sugar-stuffed flapjacks, which is truly a heavy breakfast, weighing in at a hefty pound-and-a-half.

9. Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream: 1,600 cal, 78 g fat, 215 g carbs
Would you eat a Big Mac for desert? How about three? That's the calorie equivalent of this decadent dish. Clearly, Chili's customers get their money's worth.

8. P.F. Chang's Pork Lo Mein: 1,820 cal, 127 g fat, 95 g carbs
The fat content in this dish alone provides more than 1,100 calories. And you'd have to eat almost five servings of pasta to match the number of carbohydrates it contains. Now, do you really need five servings of pasta?

7. Chili's Honey Chipotle Crispers with Chipotle Sauce: 2,040 cal, 99 g fat, 240 g carbs
"Crispers" refers to an extra-thick layer of bread crumbs that soaks up oil and adds unnecessary calories and carbs to these glorified chicken strips.

6. On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Rice & Beans: 2,100 cal, 130 g fat, 169 g carbs, 4,750 mg sodium
Perhaps the most misleadingly named dish in America. A dozen crunchy tacos from Taco Bell will saddle you with fewer calories.

5. Uno Chicago Grill Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza: 2,310 cal, 162 g fat, 123 g carbs, 4,470 mg sodium
Downing this "personal" pizza is the equivalent to eating 18 slices of Domino's Crunchy Thin Crust cheese pie.

4. Macaroni Grill Spaghetti & Meatballs with Meat Sauce: 2,430 cal, 128 g fat, 207 g carbs, 5,290 mg sodium
This meal satisfies your calorie requirements for an entire day.

3. On the Border Stacked Border Nachos: 2,740 cal, 166 g fat, 191 g carbs, 5,280 mg sodium

2. Chili's Awesome Blossom: 2,710 cal, 203 g fat, 194 g carbs, 6,360 mg sodium

1. Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing: 2,900 cal, 182 g fat, 240 g carbs
Even if you split these "starters" with three friends, you'll have downed a dinner's worth of calories before your entree arrives.

Also, a list of restaurants that refused to give MH a full disclosure of their nutritional numbers: Applebee's; California Pizza Kitchen; Chipotle; Cracker Barrel; Fuddruckers; Hooters; IHOP; Maggiano's Little Italy; Olive Garden; Outback; Perkins; Quiznos; Ruth's Chris Steakhouse; TGI Friday's. It's safe to say I'm going to be a little more mindful of what I eat.
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Just give me all of it and I'll die happy.

Diabeetus · Nov 21, 2007

Mayfly said:

I am surprised I didn't see the Hardee's breakfast sandwiches.
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Especially that new breakfast burrito.

Dyno · Nov 21, 2007

For the Chipotle lovers out there, the website www.chipotlefan.com allows you to build your burrito/bowl/tacos and see the nutritional content. It's an unofficial site, but the numbers seem to make sense to me.

statrat · Nov 21, 2007

imjustagirl said:

All I've had on that list is the Chipotle chicken burrito. God, I haven't had Chipotle in more than a year.

Is it weird that I'm now craving it?
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I've been to Outback plenty of times and have never tried the Aussie Cheese fries. I now have the urge to do so, and will probably keel over because of a heart attack thanks to that urge.

BigSleeper · Nov 21, 2007

I've never had any of those things. But just looking at those numbers is enough, I get the same quesy feeling I get when I watch the Food Network's Paula Dean deep fry blocks of cream cheese of something. :-X

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Men's Health: The 20 Worst Foods in America

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