Which meals are equivalent to several days' worth of food?

Everyone treats themselves to the occasional meal that is laden with calories and is, overall, unhealthy. But if these meals exceed our daily calorie limit and are eaten more regularly, they could be to blame for rocketing obesity rates. The 2018 Xtreme Eating Awards ‘awarded’ the US restaurants serving the most unhealthy meals, particularly repeat winner The Cheesecake Factory.

“Long gone are the days when a big restaurant meal was an occasional splurge,” said Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Senior Nutritionist Lindsay Moyer. “Americans are eating out more than ever before. So when restaurant chains are serving up 2000 calories or more on a single plate, it’s easy to see why people continue to struggle with overweight, obesity and diet-related diseases.”

Obesity is a worldwide problem. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 63% of adults and 26% of children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2014–15, and these numbers are increasing over time.

Issued annually by CSPI since 2007, the awards highlight the nutritional value of the worst restaurant meals in comparison to the recommended daily intake. Every day, people can eat around 2000 calories, 2300 mg of sodium, 20 g of saturated fat and 50 g of added sugar.

The Cheesecake Factory was awarded two of the 2018 Xtreme Eating Awards. The first was the Worst Way to Start the Day for its Breakfast Burrito which was described as a “warm tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, chicken chorizo, cheese, crispy potatoes, avocado, peppers and onions, over spicy ranchero sauce” served with sour cream, salsa and black beans.

While that doesn’t sound particularly unhealthy, it was found to contain more than a day’s worth of calories (2730), two days’ worth of sodium (4630 mg) and more than three days’ worth of saturated fat (73 g). The awards said it was the nutritional equivalent of seven Sausage McMuffins from McDonald’s.

Moyer suggested that consumer desire for more unusual food combinations is driving the development of fast food concoctions that are bursting with calories, sodium and fat, and this needs to change. The Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Parmesan Pizza Style received its second award for Worst Adapted Pizza. The 10″ chicken parmesan pizza is topped with pasta in Alfredo sauce and contains almost three days’ worth of saturated fat.

Despite the fact that CSPI launched its menu labelling campaign in 2002, this is the first year it has been mandatory for chains with 20 outlets or more to show calories on menus and menu boards. Moyer said, “Perhaps now that calories are on the menu for all to see, America’s chain restaurants will compete to create healthier dishes, rather than simply mashing up two or more junk foods.”

The Cheesecake Factory was not the only restaurant recognised for its unhealthy food offerings. Served with tubs of nacho ‘cheese’ and mustard for dipping, AMC’s Bavarian Legend Soft Pretzel won the Worst Cinematic Snack award, boasting the highest sodium content of the entire awards at 7600 mg, the equivalent of more than three days’ worth of sodium.

The Least Creative Mashup award went to Chili’s Honey-Chipotle Crispers & Waffles, consisting of battered fried chicken on top of Belgian waffles, topped with bacon, jalapeños and ancho-chile ranch sauce, and served with fries and honey-chipotle sauce. As well as 2510 calories and 40 g of saturated fat, it also contained an estimated two days’ worth (105 grams) of added sugars. The awards compared this to eating five Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts, 30 McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets and five packets of barbecue sauce.

Other 2018 Xtreme Eating Award winners include Yard House’s Vampire Taco Combo for Worst Special Effects, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse Peanut Butter S’mores Pizookie for Worst Makeup and Uno Pizzeria & Grill’s Deep Dish Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese for Worst Visceral Effects.

Image caption: The Cheesecake Factory's Breakfast Burrito won the Worst Way to Start the Day at the CSPI 2018 Xtreme Eating Awards.