Worst meals in restaurant

Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
Jan 17, 2019
3 min read

Buffalo Chicken Salad

The Count: 1,130 calories, 74 grams fat, 3,290 milligrams sodium

"Salad" is stretching it! Fried meat, oily sauce, and cheese push the calories in this meal through the roof at one popular restaurant. It has about as many as a whole pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. The salad also packs nearly 25% more fat.

French toast and Bacon

The Count: 810 calories, 16 grams saturated fat, 1,180 milligrams sodium

Want to use up a good chunk of your day's calories before noon? Eat this for breakfast. Better make it brunch, or you won’t have many calories left to spare for dinner. This dish has almost an entire day’s worth of saturated fat.

Fried Rice with Vegetables

The Count: 910 calories, 16 grams fat, 1,360 milligrams sodium

Getting Chinese takeout? Don't assume the veggie options are the healthiest. Vegetarian fried rice can pack an unhealthy wallop. Instead, go for steamed dishes with lots of veggies and brown rice if it’s on the menu. Keep the rice to a half-cup -- that’s about half the size of a baseball. Always ask for sauce on the side.

Pasta in Carbonara Sauce

The Count: 1,590 calories, 114 grams fat, 2,410 milligrams sodium

Grilled chicken and shrimp can be good choices. But if they're drenched in carbonara sauce, not so much. A plate of pasta with shrimp and chicken in carbonara can creep up to unhealthy levels. It also has more fat than you'd get from eating a half-dozen glazed doughnuts.

Deep Dish Pizza With Sausage

The Count: 2800 calories, 120 grams fat, 4880 milligrams sodium

Deep dish pizza can be deep trouble. One "individual" sausage pizza serves up more calories than most people should eat in a whole day. It also packs double the daily limit of fat. Want to make it better? Skip the sausage and opt for thin crust.

Club Sandwich

The Count: 1060 calories, 52 grams saturated fat, 3390 milligrams sodium

Club sandwiches are sneaky. Even with lean turkey or chicken, they can serve up a ton of calories and a whole day’s worth of saturated fat. Where is it all hiding? In the bacon, extra slice of giant bread, and mayo. Opt for a single-decker turkey sandwich instead. Choose plenty of veggies and add a few avocado slices for flavor.

Large Fries

The Count: 1,314 calories, 57 grams fat, 1,327 milligrams sodium

In a pinch, you might think that just one order of fries -- and nothing else -- would be OK. Not really. Large fries can have more calories than a whole loaf of white bread, with an extra bonus of unhealthy saturated fat. If you're jonesing for fries, just get a small. You'll save 788 calories.

Sliders

The Count: (3 sliders) 930 calories, 55.5 grams fat, 3345 milligrams sodium

How bad can those cute little burgers be? If you eat the whole order, pretty bad. A plate of 3 sliders at lunch will account for almost half of your daily calorie allotment. Solution? Don't eat the whole order. Pack up one or two in a doggie bag and have them tomorrow.

Eat Better: Find Hidden Calories

You can skip the most fattening restaurant meals by reading the menu closely. Look for clues. Words like pan-fried, sautéed, battered, breaded, au gratin, cheesy, creamy, buttered, deep-fried, béarnaise, or crispy are usually signs of extra fat and calories. "Crisp" items are often deep-fried in oil.

Eat Better: Ask How It's Cooked

Preparation makes a big difference. Baking fish -- with herbs, veggies, and lemon juice -- adds very few calories or fat to the dish. Other healthy cooking methods include:

· Grilled

· Broiled

· Toasted

· Baked

· Poached

· Steamed

Eat Better: Go á la Carte

Instead of jumbo meals try smaller portion plates or side dishes that you can share them with your friends.

Eat Better: Downsize

Instead of choosing large size meal or double burger try kids or junior meals to cut back your calories:

· Skip: The mega burger, large fries, large soda --1,480 calories

· Choose: Cheeseburger, kid's fries, extra-small soda -- 605 calories

Eat Better: Hide Temptations

Basket of bread or chips is a starter that restaurant offer before you start meals which can add a lot of calories so instead try to eat smaller portion or ask the waiter to remove them from the table.

Eat Better: Pasta

Pasta swimming in cream sauce can be an unhealthy choice. It's packed with fat, calories, and cholesterol. Instead, eat a small portion of whole-grain pasta topped 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 used to getting special orders. A few simple changes can slash the calories and fat in your pie:

· Choose veggies choice instead of meat.

· Ask for half cheese and extra sauce.

· Take a break after two slices.

Eat Better: Dessert

Fresh fruits are better than desserts. They may not be mentioned on the dessert list they have special list.