2010 XTREME EATING AWARDS BY THE CSPI

Okay, I know I’ve become more aware of what I’m eating since I started my healthy living last year, and I certainly don’t want to preach to anyone (well, except those closest to me who don’t have any choice but to listen), but when I saw the 2010 Xtreme Eating Awards by the Center for the Science in the Public Interest, I just about fell out of my chair (my dining room chair!). I mean, really, you would think that the trend among restaurants would be to find healthier options for their customers, but these 9 examples by well known chain restaurants prove otherwise.

You really need to read the entire article to totally get it, but here are a few of my favorites:

1. The CSPI couldn’t even agree to pick out one particular dish at Five Guys and Fries. Ignoring the fact that all they serve are burgers, dogs, fries, grilled cheese and beverages, this is not the place for the light eater! Here’s a couple of examples: a Bacon Cheeseburger is 920 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat, while a large order of fries has a whopping 1460 calories. Holy Cow!
2. We expect chocolate cake to be fattening, but the Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake at The Cheesecake Factory has 1670 calories and 48 grams of saturated fat. I bet it’s yummy, but how will that look on your hips?
3. I hate to admit it, but I’ve gotten the Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo at PF Changs in my past (non-healthy) life, and they were gooooood! Of course they were, weighing in at 1820 calories, not to mention the 7690 milligrams of sodium. (Well, at least I split it with a friend!)
4. Crab and Shrimp Quesadillas at Chevy’s sound fairly harmless, right? Look again! There may be some seafood among all the cheese and cream sauce loaded in those tortillas, but not enough to make this a healthy choice. This tops their menu at 1790 calories, 63 grams of saturated fat and 3440 mg of sodium.

DANG!!! So be careful out there! Even when you think you’re making good, healthy choices, the restaurants are out there, biting you in the butt (no pun intended!). My strategy? I research as best as I can before I go. If it’s a chain restaurant, I look up their nutritional information online and decide what I’m going to order ahead of time, so I’m not even tempted once I get there. Even if I’m going to a locally owned place, they usually still have their menu online, so at least I can take my time figuring out my best options while I’m still at home.

Ooooh, but wouldn’t you just LOVE a bite of that Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake?

Karen