Well, the report is out and The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has published the best and worst foods in America. While many chains boast new “healthy” menus, they continue to produce the products that can eventually kill you if one indulges cravings too often. A typical person should limit their calorie intake to 2,000 per day; keep saturated fat below 20 grams, and sodium below 1,500 milligrams. All of the choices in the group’s report either reach, or exceed, these daily limits.

CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman said:

“If Americans are feeling a little fuller when lumbering out of The Cheesecake Factory, Applebee’s, Denny’s, and other chains, it’s not in their heads. It’s as if the restaurants were targeting the remaining one out of three Americans who are still normal weight in order to boost their risk of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, and cancer.”

The dishes served up in CSPI’s report are more or less new fangled twists on popular classics, such as burgers. Denny’s “Fried Cheese Melt,” as an example, is a grilled cheese sandwich with four fried mozzarella sticks inside. The entrée consists of 1,260 calories, 21 grams of fat and 3,010 milligrams of sodium.

Also, Applebee’s “Provolone Stuffed Meatballs with Fettuccine” stacks up 1,520 calories and 43 grams of saturated fat. And the Cheesecake Factory’s “Farmhouse Cheeseburger” claims 1,530 calories, 36 grams of saturated fat and topped with 3,210 milligrams of sodium.

Here are your top ten worst possible menu items for your well being according to the report:

  1. Marie Calendar’s (16.5 oz) Chicken Pot Pie has 520 calories, 11 grams of saturated fat, and 800 mg of sodium.
  2. Olive Garden’s Tour of Italy (Homemade Lasagna, Lightly Breaded Chicken Parmigiana, and Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo) comes with 1,450 calories, 33 grams of saturated fat, and 3,830 milligrams of sodium.
  3. Campbell’s Condensed soup has 850 mg of sodium.
  4. Chipotle Chicken Burrito (tortilla, rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa) contains 970 calories, 18 grams of saturated fat, and 2,200 mg of sodium as three 6-inch Subway BLT Classic Subs.
  5. The Cheesecake Factory’s Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake has 1,670 calories and 2½ days’ worth of saturated fat (48 grams), nearly all of it from chocolate, sugar, cream, white flour, and butter.
  6. Pillsbury Grands! Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll with Icing has 310 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat plus 2½ grams of trans fat.
  7. Land O’ Lakes Margarine spread per tablespoon has 2.5 grams of trans fat (more than an entire day’s limit) and 2 grams of saturated fat.
  8. Starbucks Venti (20 oz) White Chocolate Mocha with 2% milk and whipped cream is worse than a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese and boasts 580 calories and 15 grams of saturated fat.
  9. Häagen-Dazs ice cream petite half cup will donate 300 calories to your diet.
  10. Cold Stone Creamery’s Oh Fudge! shake (chocolate ice cream, milk, and fudge syrup) starts at 1,250 calories for the “Like It” (16 oz) size which is more than a large (32 oz) McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake.

2011 may be the last year restaurants will be able to get away with not disclosing nutrition information on their menus, according to the CSPI. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is finalizing a set of rules implementing a calorie-labeling provision included in President Obama’s healthcare reform legislation signed into law in March.

So what is best for you? Here are the top natural foodstuffs you can consume to get you full:

  1. Sweet Potatoes
  2. Mangos
  3. Unsweetened Yogurt
  4. Broccoli
  5. Wild Salmon
  6. Crisp Breads
  7. Garbanzo Beans
  8. Watermelon
  9. Butternut Squash
  10. Leafy Greens (kale, collards, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, and Swiss chard)

Enjoy and choose wisely!!

Source: The Center for Science in the Public Interest

Written by Sy Kraft