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The 20 worst foods in America

The U.S. food industry has declared war on your waistline. Here's how to
disarm its weapons of mass inflation


Eat at your own risk
By: Matt Goulding, Men's Health magazine
Sure, a turkey burger sounds healthy. But is it, really? Not if you order
the Bella from Ruby Tuesday, which packs a whopping 1,145 calories. (And
yes, that's before a side of fries.)

To further enlighten you on the prevalence of preposterous portions, we
spent months analyzing menus, nutrition labels, and ingredient lists to
identify the food industry's worst offenders. Our primary criterion? Sheer
caloric impact. After all, it's the top cause of weight gain and the health
problems that accompany it. (As you read, keep in mind that 2,500 calories
a day is a reasonable intake for the average guy.) We also factored in
other key nutritional data, such as excessive carbohydrates and fat, added
sugars, trans fats, and sodium. The result is our first annual list of the
worst foods in America.

Eat at your own risk.


20: Worst fast-food chicken meal
Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips from McDonald's (5 pieces) with
creamy ranch sauce

830 calories

55 grams (g) fat (4.5 g trans fat)

48 g carbohydrates
The only thing "premium" about these strips is the caloric price you pay.
Add a large fries and regular soda and this seemingly innocuous chicken
meal tops out at 1,710 calories.

Change Your Chicken: 20 McNuggets have the same impact. Instead, choose
Mickey D's six-piece offering with BBQ sauce and save yourself 530
calories.


19: Worst drink
Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie (30 fl oz)

900 calories 10 g fat

183 g carbs (166 g sugar)
Jamba Juice calls it a smoothie; we call it a milk shake. In fact, this
beverage contains as much sugar as 2 pints of Ben & Jerry's butter pecan
ice cream.

Turn Down the Power: Seventy-five percent of this chain's "power smoothies"
contain in excess of 100 grams of sugar. Stick to Jamba's lower-calorie All
Fruit Smoothies, which are the only menu items that contain no added sugar.
And always opt for the 16-ounce "small."

18: Worst supermarket meal
Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie (whole pie)

1,020 calories 64 g fat

86 g carbs
The label may say this pie serves two, but who ever divided a small pot pie
in half? The sad truth is, once you crack the crust, there will be no
stopping -- which makes this 300 calories worse than anything else you'll
find in the freezer case.

Pick a Better Pie: Swanson's chicken pot pie has just 400 calories.


17: Worst 'healthy' burger
Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger

1,145 calories 71 g fat

56 g carbs
We chose this burger for more than its calorie payload: Its name implies
that it's healthy.

The Truly Healthy Choice: Skip burgers entirely (few at Ruby Tuesday come
in under 1,000 calories). Instead, order a 9-ounce sirloin with a side of
steamed vegetables, and keep things under 1,000 calories.


16: Worst Mexican entree
Chipotle Mexican Grill Chicken Burrito

1,179 calories 47 g fat

125 g carbs

2,656 milligrams (mg) sodium
Despite a reputation for using healthy, fresh ingredients, Chipotle's menu
is limited to king-size burritos, overstuffed tacos, and gigantic salads --
all of which lead to a humongous waistline.

Make Over the Menu: There are two ways to Men's Healthify a burrito at
Chipotle: (1) 86 the rice and tortilla and request your meat, vegetables,
and beans served in a bowl or (2) bring a friend and saw the burrito in
half.

15: Worst kids' meal
Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni 'n' Cheese

1,210 calories 62 g fat

3,450 mg sodium
It's like feeding your kid 1 1/2 boxes of Kraft mac 'n' cheese.

Your Best Option: The 390-calorie Grilled Chicken and Broccoli.


14: Worst sandwich
Quiznos Classic Italian (large)

1,528 calories 92 g fat

4,604 mg sodium 110 g carbs
A large homemade sandwich would more likely provide about 500 calories.

Cut the Calories: Isn't it obvious? Order a small -- or save half for
later.

13: Worst salad
On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef

1,450 calories 102 g fat

78 g carbs 2,410 mg sodium
This isn't an anomaly: Five different On the Border salads on the menu
contain more than 1,100 calories each.

The Salad for You: The Sizzling Chicken Fajita Salad supplies an acceptable
760 calories. But remember to choose a noncaloric beverage, such as water
or unsweetened iced tea.

12: Worst burger
Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger

1,520 calories

111 g fat
Carl's Jr. brags that it's home to this enormous sandwich, but the
restaurant chain also provides convenient nutrition info on its Web site --
so ignorance is no excuse for eating it.

A Simple Solution: The Low Carb Six Dollar Burger has just 490 calories.

11: Worst steak
Lonestar 20 oz T-bone

1,540 calories

124 g fat
Add a baked potato and Lonestar's Signature Lettuce Wedge, and this is a
2,700-calorie blowout.

Choose with Your Head: The golden rule of steak restaurants is this: Limit
yourself to a 9-ouncer or smaller. After all, that's more than half a pound
of meat. You won't walk away hungry.

10: Worst breakfast
Bob Evans Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes

1,540 calories

77 g fat (9 g trans fat)

198 g carbs (109 g sugar)
Five Egg McMuffins yield the same caloric cost as this stack of
sugar-stuffed flapjacks, which is truly a heavy breakfast, weighing in at a
hefty pound and a half.

Order This Instead: A Bob Evans Western Omelet starts your day with a
reasonable 654 calories and 44 grams of muscle-building protein.

9: Worst dessert
Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

1,600 calories

78 g fat

215 g carbs
Would you eat a Big Mac for dessert? How about three? That's the calorie
equivalent of this decadent dish. Clearly, Chili's customers get their
money's worth.

Don't Overdo It: If you want dessert at Chili's, order one single-serving
Sweet Shot; you'll cap your after-dinner intake at 310 calories.

8: Worst Chinese entree
P.F. Chang's Pork Lo Mein

1,820 calories

127 g fat

95 g carbs
The fat content in this dish alone provides more than 1,100 calories. And
you'd have to eat almost five servings of pasta to match the number of
carbohydrates it contains. Now, do you really need five servings of pasta?

Pick Another Noodle: P.F. Chang's Singapore Street Noodles will satisfy
your craving with only 570 calories. Or try the Moo Goo Gai Pan or the
Ginger Chicken & Broccoli, which have 660 calories each.

7: Worst chicken entree
Chili's Honey Chipotle Crispers with Chipotle Sauce

2,040 calories

99 g fat

240 g carbs
"Crispers" refers to an extra-thick layer of bread crumbs that soaks up oil
and adds unnecessary calories and carbs to these glorified chicken strips.

Switch Your Selection: Order the Chicken Fajita Pita: At 450 calories and
43 grams of protein, it's one of the healthiest entrées you'll find in a
chain restaurant.

6: Worst fish entree
On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Rice and Beans

2,100 calories

130 g fat

169 g carbs 4,750 mg sodium
Perhaps the most misleadingly named dish in America: A dozen crunchy tacos
from Taco Bell will saddle you with fewer calories.

Lighten the Load: Ask for grilled fish, choose the corn tortillas instead
of flour (they're lower in calories and higher in fiber), and swap out the
carbohydrate-loaded rice for grilled vegetables.


5: Worst pizza
Uno Chicago Grill Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza

2,310 calories

162 g fat

123 g carbs

4,470 mg sodium
Downing this "personal" pizza is equivalent to eating 18 slices of Domino's
Crunchy Thin Crust cheese pizza.

Swap Your Slices: Switch to the Sausage Flatbread Pie and avert deep-dish
disaster by nearly 1,500 calories.

4: Worst pasta
Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce

2,430 calories

128 g fat

207 g carbs

5,290 mg sodium
This meal satisfies your calorie requirements for an entire day.

Downsize the Devastation: Ask for a lunch portion of this dinner dish (or
any pasta on the menu, for that matter), and request regular tomato sauce
instead of meat sauce. You'll cut the calories in half.

3: Worst nachos
On the Border Stacked Border Nachos

2,740 calories

166 g fat

191 g carbs

5,280 mg sodium


2: Worst starter
Chili's Awesome Blossom

2,710 calories

203 g fat

194 g carbs

6,360 mg sodium


1: The worst food in America
Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing

2,900 calories

182 g fat

240 g carbs
Even if you split these "starters" with three friends, you'll have downed a
dinner's worth of calories before your entrée arrives.

Super Substitutions Front-load your meal with a protein-based dish that's
not deep-fried. A high-protein starter helps diminish hunger without
putting you into calorie overload. And remember: Appetizers are meant to be
shared.

At On the Border: Chicken Soft Tacos (250 calories each). This entrée is as
close as you'll come to a healthy starter.

At Chili's: Garlic & Lime Grilled Shrimp. Look for this item in the
"sides."

At Outback: Seared Ahi or Shrimp on the Barbie.