This comes up in the media sometimes. They’ll list the calories, fat, sugar, or sodium content of a few shocking menu items. The worst part is that these numbers aren’t so farfetched or rare. People really do order and eat these items, and the numbers really are as high as reported. Those shakes, pizza, appetizers, Pasta dishes, and even salads can have one or more days’ worth of calories and all kinds of unhealthy nutrients.

What’s the worst restaurant food you ordered – knowingly or unknowingly, before or after surgery? For me what comes to mind was a salad at a Mexican restaurant I went to a few times with my family. It was described as a “mountain,” and that was fairly accurate. And while it did have a mountain of lettuce and tomatoes, there were more than a few additions in there to drive up the calories. It had chicken, Beans, and cheese, plus guacamole, and.it was served on tortilla chips with melted cheese. And the amount of dressing needed to dress that salad? I don’t know, maybe a half-cup? A cup? I’m guessing the entire salad had between 2,000 and 3,000 calories. It was awfully good, and I ate the whole thing.

In the late 1970's when I was a young, slender teen I remember going out for pepperoni pizza ( Shakeys ? Dominoes ? ) with friends and eating 7 pieces in one sitting ! 7 !!! And with a big Coke and probably ice cream later ! Ahhhhh, those were the high metabolism days ! Thinking about Pre Lapband , Chinese buffets ? I don't even want to know how much fat /calories/sodium was in my favorite Chinese foods like sweet and sour pork, fried rice, and almond chicken. Welcome to Heart Attack Central !!!

@@Babbs That's not even counting the Breadsticks!

I know I'm supposed to be tut tutting, but this thread is making me hungry. It's a good thing my meals for the day are already planned. Some of these gastronomic excesses sound pretty good at this moment.

@@IcanMakeit

Lol! Me too! Me even MENTIONING seafood Alfredo made me crave it soooooo bad!

Off to find a low carb, low fat version of seafood Alfredo now....

It's probably because I'm 62 but as I'm reading this thread I can actually feel my arteries hardening! LOL

Large chick fila milkshakes, with a large fry, and a chicken sandwich with cheese.. and maybe an extra large fry to go with it..

My favorite thing in the world is seafood Alfredo. If the restaurant had it, I ordered it. Here's the stats on Olive Gardens Seafood Alfredo:

1210 calories

97 grams of carbs (yes, I said 97)

71 grams of fat

There is 42 grams of Protein, so there's that.....

Yikes. No wonder I was obese.

Even back in the day, I would be hitting the bathroom after that! and I would wonder why!!

The night before my heart attack four years ago, here is the meal I had at a Dairy Queen in Austin TX: Triple Cheeseburger (they no longer have these on their menu), large chocolate shake, large onion rings. Turned down a hot fudge sundae, trying to cut down I estimate calories at 2500, sodium at 1500, fat at 80% of daily. Heart attack was mild, no damage, but sure never had that meal again!

Thankfully help in knowing those calorie counts is coming! Yay!

Overview of FDA Labeling Requirements for Restaurants, Similar Retail food Establishments and Vending Machines

• Menu Labeling Requirements At-A-Glance
• Vending Machines Labeling Requirements At-A-Glance

Menu Labeling Requirements At-A-Glance

In a nutshell

Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home. Making calorie information available on chain restaurant menus will help consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families.

As required by statute, FDA’s final rule for nutrition labeling in chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments will provide consumers with clear and consistent nutrition information in a direct and accessible manner for the foods they eat and buy for their families. Posting calories on menus and menu boards and providing other nutrient information in writing in chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments will fill a critical information gap and help consumers make informed and healthful dietary choices.

Covered establishments will list calorie information for standard menu items on menus and menu boards and a succinct statement about suggested daily caloric intake. Other nutrient information—total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, Fiber, sugars, and protein—will have to be made available in writing on request.

In addition, covered establishments will also be required to post a statement on menus and menu boards about the availability of such additional written nutrition information. To be covered, an establishment must be a restaurant or similar retail food establishment, as defined in the final rule. In addition, such establishment must: (1) be part of a chain of 20 or more locations, (2) doing business under the same name, (3) offering for sale substantially the same menu items.

Examples of restaurant-type foods that are covered when sold by a facility that is part of a chain with 20 or more locations include:

• Meals from sit-down restaurants
• Foods purchased at drive-through windows
• Take-out food, such as pizza
• Foods, such as made-to-order sandwiches, ordered from a menu or menu board at a grocery store or delicatessen
• Foods you serve yourself from a salad or hot food bar
• Muffins at a bakery or coffee shop
• Popcorn purchased at a movie theater or amusement park
• A scoop of ice cream, milk shake or sundae from an ice cream store
• Hot dogs or frozen drinks prepared on site in a convenience or warehouse store
• Certain alcoholic beverages

Foods not covered include:

• Certain foods purchased in grocery stores or other similar retail food establishments that are typically intended for more than one person to eat and require additional preparation before consuming, such as pounds of deli meats, cheeses, or large-size deli salads.

Effective date: Based on comments, the FDA has extended the effective date from six months to one year after the date of publication of the final rule. On July 10, 2015, FDA published a final rule to extend the compliance date to December 1, 2016. View a statement on Menu Labeling Compliance.

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Vending Machines Labeling Requirements At-A-Glance

In a nutshell

Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home. The FDA’s final rule for vending machine calorie labeling, coupled with the requirements for menu labeling, aim to provide consumers with clear and consistent nutrition information in a direct and accessible manner for the foods they eat and buy for their families. Even though some foods sold from vending machines already bear calorie information, this labeling is not always visible before purchase. Calorie labeling of foods sold in vending machines will help make calorie information available to consumers in a direct, accessible, and consistent manner to enable them to make informed and healthful dietary choices.

The FDA is allowing two years from the date of publication of the vending machine labeling final rule for covered vending machine operators to comply with the requirements.

FDA received approximately 250 comments on the vending machine labeling proposed rule issued on April 6, 2011. FDA reviewed and considered each comment carefully before issuing the final rule.

What’s required?

• Disclosing calorie information of foods sold in vending machines operated by a person owning or operating 20 or more machines, subject to certain exceptions.
• Calorie information may be placed on a sign (e.g., small placard, sticker, poster) near the article of food or selection button. Electronic or digital displays may also be used.
• Posting of calorie information for foods sold from bulk vending machines (e.g., gumball machines, mixed nut machines).
• Disclosing contact information of covered operators on the machines or otherwise with the required calorie declarations to enable FDA to contact operators for enforcement purposes.

Edited July 16, 201511 yr by ShrinkingPeach

In Cheescake factory's defense, at least out here they list nutritional facts there on the menu and have a whole healthy section. I ate there recently and split a seared tuna and kale salad with my 16 year old daughter.

My worst? Probably when I would go through a fast food drive through and order 2-3 sandwiches (chicken sandwich, bacon cheeseburger, whatever), fries, another side (jalapeño poppers, onion rings) and maybe a dessert. And two drinks so the cashier would at least think I was taking it home and sharing it wish someone! Nope I'd eat it all in the car, throw away the evidence and then have dinner later with the family. Yikes!

Not the worst I did but Jess reminded me I would order 2 chicfila chicken biscuits and 2 drinks so they wouldn't think both biscuits were for me. Or , on more than one occasion, I ordered breakfast at one Chicfila, polished that off and then drove thru another Chicfila to order another breakfast and I would hide my drink so they wouldn't know I had just been.

I love this thread because it reminds me that in my cravings and occasional 'cheats' I am human and not alone.

My vice is not food, funnily enough. It's wine. I love red wine. I've had a love affair with all things grape since I worked in the Vintages division of the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). I attended wine tastings and became knowlegeable and educated in the amazing world of fine wines!

The fuller and headier the better. A rich gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon, a Pinot or a Shiraz - I can easily drink a bottle at a time (hello, AA?!) if given the opportunity! (Hangs head in shame).

OKAY so the calories: The calorie count in wine changes from grape varietal to varietal, but on average there are 625 calories in a bottle. And usually (here comes the big confession) when I've had that much wine, I get munchy and inevitably visit the fridge for a small plate of cheese (havarti or sharp cheddar, usually...) or salsa and baked chips.

Would I do the recommended 1oz (a pair of dice) for the cheese? Hell no. Bring on the deck of cards! Now we're adding an additional 500 calories on to that 625 just consumed in delicious liquid. And the chips? Don't get me started. Ooooh boy.

Man do those calories add up.

I'm realizing that this love of wine (and it really is a deep and cuddly love!) has got to stop. It stops today, actually. Just writing this has hardened my resolve.

So it's not fast FOOD, or restaurant FOOD that is my enemy. Its red wine. Tomorrow is my 46th birthday. I will be gifting myself with an alcohol-free life and getting back on track with my weight loss!

For me, it's not so much about calories...it is the foods that do not go well together with the band I sometimes forget and order without thinking....

I have gone to restaurants, and see something on the menu and order it....

When it arrive, I take one bite/swallow and immediately realize it will not go down easily....wind up wasting the entire entree..

Worse? hard to say...the most recent was lasagne....I CAN'T eat lasagne (pasta)....same goes with meats...I've ordered steak by mistake out of old habits.

These are some good (or bad) ones! It’s actually interesting, and nice, that these items’ nutritional information is available. It really helps us out to be able to look up the info. Now, whether or not we choose to do so, and to act in a healthy way based on what we learn, may be another story…

Gowalking, Yes, I definitely agree! I really hate when I think I’m ordering something healthy or low-calorie, and I find out later that it’s not. Those are calories I can never undo, and they’re not even the result of me “going off my diet.” Plus, I hate the feeling of being tricked by the restaurant into thinking they’re serving me something healthy.

Gmanbat, Where do you hang out? I’m not going to any of those places!!

Babbs, shirataki noodles or spaghetti squash, low-fat Laughing Cow cheese, low-fat parmesan, and seafood: that should get you a version of seafood Alfredo that’s not too high in calories or carbs!

ShrinkingPeach, Thanks for posting this info! I keep hearing about the regulations that are coming, but haven’t been sure quite when they’d take effect, and what they will apply to. This helps!

Buddy was in town this week and wanted to go to Nic's in OKC. Possibly one of the best burgers in the world he tells me. (It is is famous: http://newsok.com/nics-grill-the-best-burger-you-may-never-get/article/3809904).

So I get the burger...three bites and I'm done, my buddy (tall skinny guy) eats the whole thing. I take the rest home to my daughter who enjoyed the rest of the burger over two meals and tells me "it was good going down, but now I feel like a bad person." Talk about a grease coma.