Other search tools:Symptoms|Doctors|Medical Dictionary

Find us on:

WebMD Home

Food & Recipes Center

Slideshows A-Z

Email a Friend

Print Article

Extreme Eats Slideshow: The Worst Meals in Restaurants

Loading Next Slideshow

PF Chang Pan-Fried Noodles Combo

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has identified nine of the most fattening restaurant meals. CSPI has been "honoring" dubious dishes with "Xtreme Eating Awards" since 2007. On the list for 2010 is P.F. Chang's Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo. Here are the numbers, according to CSPI:

By the Numbers: 1,820 cal; 7,690 mg sodium -- five times the daily limit.

Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger Meal

Jumbo-sized meals promote "caloric extremism," according to a CSPI news release. One meaty example is the Bacon Cheeseburger Meal from Five Guys. The burger alone has 30 grams of saturated fat and 920 calories -- the equivalent of two Quarter Pounders from rival burger chain McDonald's. A large order of fries adds 1,460 calories.

By the Numbers: 2,380 cal -- more than the 2,000-calorie daily limit for most adults.

Cal. Pizza Kitchen Tostada Pizza

Despite some healthful ingredients like black beans and shredded lettuce, California Pizza Kitchen's Tostada Pizza with Lime Chicken makes the list. Just the crust of this "personal" pizza packs from 442 to 614 calories.

By the Numbers: 1,366 cal; 22 g sat. fat; 2,441 mg sodium.

Cal. Pizza Kitchen Pesto Penne

A second "award" goes to California Pizza Kitchen for the chain's Pesto Cream Penne. Pesto sauce usually contains heart-healthy olive oil, but this dish also contains loads of cream. That contributes to the surprisingly high saturated fat content, more than twice the daily limit.

By the Numbers: 1,397 cal; 50 g sat. fat; 725 mg sodium.

Cheesecake Factory Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara with Chicken at the Cheesecake Factory provides 25% more calories than many adults should consume in a whole day. Bacon and cream sauce help boost the saturated fat content to about four times the daily limit.

By the Numbers: 2,134 cal; 81 g sat. fat; 1,246 mg sodium.

Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tower

Of all the cakes at the Cheesecake Factory, the Chocolate Truffle Tower Cake is the most fattening, according to CSPI. One slice weighs three-quarters of a pound. Splitting an order with a friend could limit the damage, but would still approach nearly 900 calories.

By the Numbers: 1,679 cal; 49 g sat. fat.

Bob Evans Stuffed Hotcakes

The Cinnamon Cream Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes draw extra scorn from CSPI. The meal includes sugary "chips," cream-cheese-flavored filling, cream sauce, and whipped topping. Although the menu says Bob Evans uses cooking oil with no trans fat, CSPI found the hotcake mix to be loaded with the stuff.

By the Numbers: 1,380 cal; 27 g sat. fat; 7 g trans fat.

Chevy's Crab and Shrimp Quesadilla

These "Frisbee-size" white-flour tortillas are stuffed with cheese and cream sauce and topped with guacamole and sour cream, says CSPI. Like many of the dishes on the Xtreme Eating list, this quesadilla offers nearly a full day's worth of calories in a single meal. CSPI has challenged restaurants to remove wildly indulgent meals from their menus, or at least print the calorie count.

By the Numbers: 1,790 cal; 63 g sat. fat; 3,440 mg sodium.

Outback Rack of Lamb Meal

The New Zealand Rack of Lamb at Outback Steak House also qualifies as an extreme eat. The rack is equal to about eight lamb chops and comes with garlic mashed potatoes, wine sauce, and veggies.

By the Numbers: 1,007 cal; 31 g sat. fat; 2,348 mg sodium.

Eat Better: Find Hidden Calories

Diners can avoid the most fattening restaurant meals by reading the menu closely. The following descriptions are clues that fat -- and a lot of extra calories -- may have been added during preparation: pan-fried, sautéed, battered, breaded, au gratin, cheesy, creamy, buttered, deep-fried, béarnaise, or crispy. "Crisp" items are often deep-fried in oil.

Eat Better: Ask How It's Cooked

Fish baked with herbs, veggies, and lemon juice is one cooking method that adds very little fat or calories to a meal. Other healthy cooking methods include:

grilled
broiled
roasted
baked
poached
steamed

Eat Better: Go á la Carte

Avoid the super-sized portions of restaurant meals by ordering side orders instead. In a Mexican restaurant, you could try one soft-shelled taco of grilled meats, a cup of chicken-tortilla soup, a side salad, and a fruit dessert. You get exactly what you want. And you avoid mindlessly munching on the fried rice and refried beans that usually come with a standard restaurant meal.

Eat Better: Downsize

When only a hamburger will do, or a drive-through is your only option, think small. Try the child's meal or a junior burger. The following substitutions can provide a fast-food fix with fewer calories:

Double cheeseburger: 600 | Cheeseburger: 320
Super fries: 540 | Small fries: 210
Large soda: 310 | Small soda: 150

Eat Better: Hide Temptations

Many restaurants present a picture of abundance, starting with an overflowing basket of bread or chips. To prevent mindlessly inhaling a few hundred calories before your main meal, wave the waiter away when he swoops in with the basket of carbs. Or ask the waiter to remove the basket as soon as you've had a small portion.

Eat Better: Pasta

Pasta swimming in cream sauce can be an unhealthy choice -- it's packed with fat, calories, and cholesterol. Eat a small portion and top with better sauces, such as:

Red clam sauce
Marinara sauce without meat
Primavera sauce without cream
Marsala sauce with wine, not butter

Eat Better: Pizza

Pizzerias are accustomed to special orders -- and the following tactics can significantly reduce the calories and fat in pizza:

Order a thin crust.
Pile on veggies, and skip the meat.
Ask for extra sauce and half the cheese.
After a slice or two, take the rest home.

Eat Better: Dessert

Fresh fruit is available at many restaurants now, including fast-food chains, thanks to demand from health-conscious diners. If it's not listed with the desserts, check the side dishes -- or ask for a special order. Even the Cheesecake Factory offers a Goblet of Fresh Strawberries as a light alternative to their over-the-top confections. It provides a sweet finish for just 110 calories.