A consumer advocacy group has unveiled the “winners” of its 2018 Xtreme Eating Awards which expose the most unhealthy chain restaurant meals in the US.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit organisation that promotes healthy nutrition, has revealed this year’s list of “honourees”, starting with the award for “Worst Way to Start Your Day.”
We all know that a well-balanced diet should include three meals a day, with breakfast often hailed as the most important.
However, this doesn’t give you the green light to fill up on high calorie foods first thing in the morning instead of more wholesome ones.
For this reason, The Cheesecake Factory has been awarded with the dishonourable distinction of "Worst Way to Start Your Day" after researchers found that its breakfast burrito contained a shocking 2,730 calories.
Wrapped in a warm tortilla, the burrito is “filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, chicken chorizo, cheese, crispy potatoes, avocado, peppers and onions, over spicy ranchero sauce” and served with sour cream, salsa and black beans, according to the CSPI.
As well as exceeding the recommended daily intake of calories, the organisation also noted that the burrito contained two days' worth of sodium (4,630 milligrams) and more than three days' worth of saturated fat (73 grams) – the equivalent to eating seven McDonald's sausage McMuffins.
“Americans are eating out more than ever before,” CSPI senior nutritionist Lindsay Moyer says in a statement.
“So when restaurant chains are serving up 2,000 calories or more on a single plate, it's easy to see why people continue to struggle with overweight, obesity, and diet-related diseases.”
It turns out that you’re not safe at the cinema either. Also making it onto the list was AMC Theatre's Bavarian Legend pretzel, which was awarded “Worst Cinematic Snack.”
Coming in at a pound and a half, the movie snack - a nine-inch-wide pretzel - contains a day's calories (1,920), three-quarters of a day's saturated fat (15 grams) and more than three days' worth of sodium (7,600 mg).
Shake Shack also won the award for “worst revival,” after researchers found that a Double SmokeShack burger, a side of fries and a Peanut Butter Shake will set you back 2,240 calories, 55 grams of saturated fat, 3,170 milligrams of sodium and an estimated 42 grams of added sugar, according to the list.
The fast-food meal was also found to be the equivalent of eating “three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with Cheese plus three McDonald’s Vanilla Cones.”
