Flab fest: 8 most shocking restaurant dishes
Restaurants have come under fire in recent years for serving up unhealthful fare that's making Americans fatter - but have they cleaned up their acts? Not hardly. A food watchdog group has pinpointed eight dishes from a variety of chain restaurants that go over the top in calories and saturated fat. "It's as if the restaurants were targeting the remaining one out of three Americans who are still normal weight in order to boost their risk of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, and cancer," says Bonnie Liebman, Nutrition Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. So what are these dish dishonorees? Keep clicking to see the winners of CSPI's Xtreme Eating Awards 2011...
The Cheesecake Factory Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake
If one wedge of cheesecake isn't enough, how about another? And if cheesecake alone isn't enough, how about red velvet cake - times two? This dessert from The Cheesecake Factory contains four layers of cake layered on top of another, topped with cream cheese frosting, chocolate shavings and whipped cream. Each slice - averaging three quarters of a pound - contains 1,540 calories and 59 grams of saturated fat - three days' worth, says CSPI, joking that they "oughta rename the place The Cheesecake Fattory."
Denny's Fried Cheese Melt
Denny's describes its dish as "four fried mozzarella sticks and melted American cheese grilled between two slices of sourdough bread, served with wavy-cut French fries and a side of marinara sauce." "Grilled cheese with a twist," says Denny's - the twist being its 1,260 calories and 21 grams of saturated fat. At only $4, it's no wonder that Americans can eat so much so easily.
The Cheesecake Factory Farmhouse Cheeseburger
More than your average burger, The Cheesecake Factory's Farmhouse Cheeseburger includes grilled smoked pork belly and a fried egg in addition to the usual toppings. The thick slabs of bacon help bring the burger to 1,530 calories with 36 grams of saturated and 3,210 milligrams of sodium. Want fries with that? They're an additional 460 calories and 1,460 mg of sodium.
Applebee's Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs With Fettuccine
What kind of sauce do you want on your pasta? Applebee's dish will give you both marinara and cream, in addition to meatballs stuffed with cheese. The pasta plate contains 1,520 calories and 43 grams of saturated fat - two days' worth, says CSPI, with one and a half teaspoons of sodium. CSPI says eating all this is the same as eating two ribeye steaks with mashed potatoes.
Great Steak King Fries
These king-sized fries weigh roughly one and a third pounds and deliver 930 calories and 2,490 milligrams of sodium, says CSPI. But that's just the regular size. An extra-large King Fries contains 1,500 calories and 4,90 mg of sodium. Full of cheese, bacon, and sour cream, these fries are more than just a light snack.
IHOP Monster Bacon 'N Beef Cheeseburger
No need to worry about ordering bacon as a topping - this burger from IHOP has bacon blended right into the beef. The bacon-infused burger contains 1,250 calories and 1,590 milligrams of sodium - a day's worth, says CSPI.
Morton's Porterhouse Steak
Not your cheap fast food join, Morton's still joins the ranks of extreme eats with its Porterhouse steak, which weighs 24 ounces before cooking. It's 1,390 calories, with 36 grams of saturated fat - you get what you pay for?
Cold Stone Creamery PB&C Shake
Cold Stone's PB&C shake manages to squeeze a full day's worth of calories (2,010) and three and a half days worth of saturated fat (68 grams) into a cup, says CSPI. That's the large, "Gotta Have It" size. The smaller size has "only" 1,280 calories.