Chains pack seemingly impossible amounts of fat and calories in to single dishes.
When we think of terrible-for-us eateries, most of us imagine fast food outlets like McDonalds. Doing so, however, is misguided: According to the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), who publishes an annual list of “Xtreme Eating awards,” the lowly Cheesecake Factory is the restaurant that will kill you the fastest. Some of their dishes, even the seemingly healthier ones, weigh in with far more calories than the average American should consume in an entire day.
“When French toast is ‘Bruléed,’ fries are ‘bottomless,’ and steaks are now garnished with not just one, but two Italian sausages, it’s clear that caloric extremism still rules the roost at many of America’s chain restaurants,” said CSPI dietitian Paige Einstein.. “Two out of three American adults are overweight or obese and one in 10 adults has diabetes, thanks in part to The Cheesecake Factory, Chevys Fresh Mex, Maggiano’s Little Italy, and much of the rest of America’s chain restaurant industry.”
Cheesecake Factory founder and CEO David M. Overton stated that he’s tired of “winning” the award, but if they’ve changed their menu in the interest of health, it hasn’t showed. The aforementioned French toast clocks in with 2,780 calories and nearly a week’s worth of saturated fat. Even the healthier-sounding “farfalle with chicken and roasted garlic,” which includes several vegetables, still contains 2,410 calories thanks to its portion size and cream sauce.
The CSPI reports that relief may be on the horizon for diners who don’t want to unknowingly consume a day’s worth of calories in a single chain restaurant meal. The health care reform legislation signed in 2010 contained a requirement that chains with 20 or more outlets disclose calorie counts on menus. The menu labeling regulations are being finalized by the Food and Drug Administration and the White House.
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