America's 15 Unhealthiest Chain Restaurant Dishes (Slideshow)
15) PF Chang’s: PF Chang’s Pork Fried Rice
Calories: 1,370
Fat: 41 grams
Sodium: 2,130 milligrams
Usually we think of Asian cuisine as relatively light fare. Not so at PF Chang's! If you just want your usual pork fried rice, you'll be pretty disappointed with the nutrition info. The calorie count is crazy at 1,370, total fat is 41 grams, and there are 2,130 milligrams of sodium.
14) Fuddruckers: 1-Pound Burger
Calories: 1,387
Fat: 26 grams
Sodium: 1,189 milligrams
If you go to Fuddruckers and you're hungry enough to give their 1-pound burger a try, you'll consume 1,387 calories, 26 grams of fat, and 1189 milligrams of sodium. Should you opt for a large chili cheese fries to go with it, it will set you back an additional 873 calories, 18 grams of saturated fat, and 1919 milligrams of sodium.
13) Smoothie King: Peanut Power Plus Chocolate Smoothie
Calories: 1,396
Fat: 52 grams
Sodium: 982 milligrams
Perhaps the most surprising "dish" on our list is a smoothie, usually thought of as a great snack, meal replacement, or light meal. A large Peanut Power Plus Chocolate Smoothie at Smoothie King crams in a super-sized 1,396 calories. Unless this is all you're planning on eating for the day, skip it.
12) Olive Garden: Tour of Italy
Calories: 1,450
Fat: 74 grams
Sodium: 3,830 milligrams
Maybe you want not one, not two, but three entrées. Olive Garden's "Tour of Italy" can help you out. You'll get homemade lasagna, breaded chicken Parmigiana, and creamy fettuccine Alfredo. Along with that, you'll consume a tasty 1,450 calories and 74 grams of fat, plus 3,830 milligrams of sodium. Sounds... salty.
11) TGI Fridays: New York Cheddar and Bacon Burger
Calories: 1,540
Fat: 100 grams
Sodium: 4,420 milligrams
Maybe TGI Fridays strikes your fancy with their New York Cheddar and Bacon Burger. If you want fries, skip this one: It comes in at 1,540 calories and 100 grams of fat, no fries included.
10) Outback Steakhouse: Baby Back Ribs (with Aussie Fries)
Calories: 1547
Fat: 97 grams
Sodium: 1674 milligrams
Understanding that ribs aren't the health food we wish they were, these are still pretty heavy on the bad stuff. If you try out Outback's Baby Back Ribs with Aussie Fries, you'll be consuming 1,547 calories and 97 grams of fat. That would take you about 5 ½ hours of walking to burn off.
9) Red Lobster: Crab Linguine Alfredo
Calories: 1,580
Fat: 89 grams
Sodium: 3,780 milligrams
The doctor suggests we eat more fish, so we were hoping that this would count, despite the inclusion of Alfredo sauce, which is about the unhealthiest thing you'll find on a menu. Unfortunately, 1,580 calories on a full plate will put you practically into tomorrow for caloric intake! (Not to mention the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, which contain 150 calories and 8 grams of fat each.)
8) California Pizza Kitchen: Chicken Piccata
Calories: 1,630
Fat: 78 grams
Sodium: 2,140 milligrams
California brings to mind gnarly waves, laid-back dudes, and healthy eats. While there are plenty of healthy options, their pastas and specialties pack quite a calorific wallop. The worst offender is the chicken piccata, with a whopping 1,630 calories.
7) Chili's: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs
Calories: 1630
Fat: 85 grams
Sodium: 3,290 milligrams
OK, so obviously going to Chili's for ribs isn't how we plan to lose weight. Still, a look at the nutrition info here is jaw-dropping. The calories, at 1,630, are not great. The fat content, at 85 grams, not stellar. But it was the huge amount of sodium that really caught our attention.
6) Johnny Rockets: Smokehouse Double
Calories: 1,660
Fat: 110 grams
Sodium: 2,660 milligrams
Burgers are almost never the healthiest choice on a menu, but this one is in another league. Including the bacon, onion rings, cheese, and smokehouse sauce, this monster will set you back 1,660 calories. This is one of those meals that makes us feel like doing jumping jacks while we eat to get a jump on burning off those calories.
5) Applebee's: 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders
Calories: 1,830
Fat: 92 grams
Sodium: 4,300 milligrams
Before the calorie counts were posted on menus, this would have something we'd be really interested in trying. Mac and cheese with chicken tenders, why not? For 1,830 calories, though? Maybe in another life...
4) IHOP: Country-Fried Steak and Eggs with Sausage Gravy
Calories: 1,850
Fat: 114 grams
Sodium: 4,550 milligrams
IHOP is a favorite for pancakes, waffles, and other early-morning or late-night munchies. They also have this little gem: Country-Fried Steak and Eggs with Sausage Gravy, described as an "8-ounce fried beef steak smothered in country gravy. Served with two eggs, hash browns, and two buttermilk pancakes." Yum. But that plate of yum comes with 1,750 calories, and 107 grams of fat. Hm. Maybe some fruit instead?
3) Uno Chicago Grill: Deep-Dish Macaroni and Three-Cheese
Calories: 1,980
Fat: 134 grams
Sodium: 3110 milligrams
Macaroni and cheese can't be that bad, right? Mom made it when we were kids! This version is loaded with three cheeses, 1,980 calories, 71 grams of saturated fat, a whopping 134 grams of total fat, and the sodium reaches 3,110 milligrams. Mom would not approve.
2) The Cheesecake Factory: Pasta Carbonara with Chicken
Calories: 2,290
Fat (saturated): 81 grams
Sodium: 1,630 milligrams
The Cheesecake Factory is infamous for its super-unhealthy desserts, but their entrées are nothing to sneeze at, either. Their Pasta Carbonara clocks in at 2,290 calories, 81 grams of saturated fat (they don't include total fat grams on their website), and 1,630 milligrams of sodium. You might want to skip it and pick something more salad-y.
1) Maggiano’s Little Italy: Veal Porterhouse with Crispy Red Potatoes
Calories: 2,320
Fat: 146 grams
Sodium: 3,880 milligrams
Maggiano's may have gluten-free pasta, but heir veal porterhouse served with crispy red potatoes, however, contains 2,320 calories, 146 grams of fat, and 3,880 milligrams of sodium, giving it the dubious honor of being the most fattening dish on our list. Those numbers don't include the ciabatta roll that comes with the meal, either!