RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—In its never-ending quest to educate the public about the dangers lurking in restaurant food, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is launching an annual “Xtreme Eating Award” for some of the worst offenders when it comes to calories, fat, and sodium in restaurant food. “Restaurants are hurting right now with the recession,” says the author of the annual awards report, Jayne Hurley, RD, senior nutritionist at CSPI. “They’re trying to give people their money’s worth, but they can just keep piling it on.” And the truth is, restaurants and other segments of the food industry have gotten quite good at creating fare that triggers our biological cravings, as David Kessler, MD, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, explains in his new book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite
THE DETAILS: Below are a few of this year’s winners, and keep in mind that recommended daily intakes for the average adult, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet, are 20 grams of saturated fat and 2,300 milligrams of sodium.
• The Cheesecake Factory’s Fried Macaroni and Cheese appetizer: 1,570 calories, 69 grams (g) of saturated fat, and 1,860 milligrams (mg) of sodium. That’s right, an appetizer that has almost as many calories as the average adult should eat in a day.
• Chili’s Big Mouth Bites, four mini bacon cheeseburgers with fries and ranch dipping sauce that are served as either an appetizer or an entrée, depending on the location: 2,350 calories, 38 g saturated fat, and 3,940 mg sodium. Fine, if you skip breakfast, lunch, and tomorrow’s breakfast.
• Olive Garden’s “Tour of Italy,” which includes lasagna, chicken Parmigiana, and fettuccine alfredo: 1,450 calories, 33 g saturated fat, and 3,830 mg sodium. Better hope that’s a walking tour, ’cause you’re going to be spending the rest of the day digesting.
• Applebee’s Quesadilla Burger, a bacon-cheeseburger sandwiched in a tortilla: 1,820 calories, 46 g saturated fat, and 4,410 mg sodium. Who would think a cheeseburger disguised as a taco could hide so many calories?
• The Cheesecake Factory’s Philly Style Flat Iron Steak, with cheese sauce and fries: 2,320 calories, 47 g saturated fat, and 5,340 mg sodium. Too salty for my taste; I’ll just dump a saltshaker directly on my tongue instead.
• Uno Chicago Grill’s Mega-Sized Deep Dish Sundae: 2,800 calories and 72 g saturated fat. In all fairness, it is meant to be shared. Plus, if this desert follows any of the above meals, you’ll probably be too weighed down to lift your spoon.
The numbers are shocking enough, says Hurley, but it’s the trends she saw in her research that are the most troubling. For instance, each of the mini bacon-cheeseburgers is equivalent in calories and fat to a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder, she says, and you’re getting four of them. “It’s this idea that mini is better for you,” she says, noting that other chains have started serving fat-filled deserts in shot glasses, and combinations of “small” dishes that pack on the pounds.
Restaurants also play to our indecision, piling three different entrées onto a single plate or, in the case of the Quesadilla Burger, fusing foods together to make them more appealing.
WHAT IT MEANS: “Portion sizes just keep growing,” says Hurley, who began researching calories in restaurant food back in the 1990s. “Back then, if you found a 1,000-calorie entrée, that was surprising. Now they’re getting into the 2,000-calorie range.” And without calorie counts on menus, she adds, there’s no way for people to know. “A lot of [restaurant] foods are a splurge, and people know that,” she says. “But do they really know how much of a splurge? I don’t think they do.”
Last week, versions of the Menu Education and Labeling Act were introduced to both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The act would require chain restaurants with more than 20 outlets to post fat, calorie, and sodium counts on their menus. Of course, that doesn’t mean hungry restaurant patrons will pay them any heed. But more than just educating the public, Hurley says, the legislation could force restaurants to add more creative, healthy food to their menus. “I don’t mean boiled chicken or baked fish, but really good alternatives that people want to eat.”
Since it could be some time—if ever—before menu labeling laws are passed, here are a few ways to avoid calorie overload when eating out:
• Go in with a plan. In The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite
• Go “Lite & Healthy.” It’s tempting to think that because you’re eating out, normal rules don’t apply. However, eating out is becoming the norm, so treating yourself with the most decadent menu choice can set you up for trouble. “We’re getting a third of our calories and spending half of our food dollars in restaurants,” says Hurley. “Most restaurants have healthy or light menu options,” she adds. “Granted, it’s a couple of items compared to pages, but I really do look at that first.” Plus, the more support you show for the healthy alternatives, the more likely it is that a restaurant will add more to their healthy offerings.
• It’s OK to be picky. “Customize the food you’re ordering,” says Hurley. Ask a restaurant to replace whole milk with skim, or to swap out fries with a healthier side. If the waiter or waitress rolls his or her eyes, just remind yourself it’s your health on the line, not what’s convenient for the kitchen staff.
• Share, but be aware of the excess. Splitting dinner is one way to cut down on calories, but even that could leave you with 1,000 calories on your plate for some dishes. Hurley points out that Uno’s massive desert, split between four people, still adds 700 calories to each person’s meal. Ask to see nutrition data at the restaurant, or check the eatery’s website beforehand. For help in making healthy menu choices while eating out, check out Eat This, Not That!
• Try to cook at home once in a while. Eating out is convenient, and if you’re careful, you can cut back on fat and calories. But, “with salt you’re stuck,” Hurley notes. Even lighter restaurant fare can have massive sodium levels. And when you eat at home, it’s easier to dine on “real” food—such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains—that hasn’t been overprocessed and filled with hidden salt or fat. Shop at a local farmer’s market for fresh, tasty, local food that will make you forget all about dining out.