8 extreme meals that will bust your daily calorie budget
Adults, on average, should be consuming between 1,600 and 2,400 calories a day, but some of these restaurant meals could shatter your daily allowance with one plate.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington, D.C.-based food watchdog and consumer advocacy group, released its annual "Xtreme Eating Awards" Monday, a list they call the biggest "nutritional nightmares" in the restaurant industry.
The group tallied up calorie data from chain restaurants to determine the worst offenders. Each year, the list varies, but usually includes a variety of breakfast dishes, dinners, appetizers, desserts and beverages.
"These meals are extreme, but even the typical dishes served at restaurants are a threat to Americans' health because they increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and more," Lindsay Moyer, CSPI senior nutritionist, said in a statement.
That said, restaurants often note that it is up to consumers to make choices about what they eat and, even with an occasional indulgence, many can have a healthy overall diet. Also, some of the items on the list are made to be shared by more than one person.
"While we applaud the Center for Science in the Public Interest's efforts to educate Americans on making healthier food choices, it's misleading to single out the highest possible meal combinations without informing people about the wide range of choices offered at our restaurants, including the ability to customize any item on our menu to meet a variety of dietary needs," Stephanie Peterson, spokeswoman for IHOP, told CNBC.
Here's a look at CSPI's list of dishes with the highest calorie counts.
Buffalo Wild Wings' Cheese Curd Bacon Burger
Buffalo Wild WingsBWLD' Cheese Curd Bacon Burger is a cheeseburger topped with Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds, bacon and a mayonnaise-based "cool heat sauce."
With a serving of fries this meal has 1,950 calories, almost a full days' worth, and is the equivalent of about five Bacon Double Cheeseburgers from Burger King, CSPI said.
The Cheesecake Factory's Flying Gorilla
The Cheesecake Factory'sCAKE Flying Gorilla is a chocolate banana milkshake with a kick. The restaurant adds banana liqueur and a 20-ounce Budweiser to five scoops of Breyers Chocolate ice cream.
The CSPI said this concoction has about 950 calories.
Uno Pizzeria & Grill's Chocolate Cake
There's a reason that Uno Pizzeria calls this slice of chocolate cake the Ridiculously Awesome, Insanely Large Chocolate Cake. It's a whopping 1,740 calories.
"'Nuff said," the restaurant says of the cake on its website.
"At UNO Pizzeria & Grill, we offer over 100 menu options, from indulgent treats to more healthful choices, so our guests can have whatever they're in the mood for," the company told CNBC. "We like to give our guests the choice of how they want to eat and they tell us every day what they prefer in the menu items they purchase."
Texas Roadhouse's 16 oz. Prime Rib
Texas Roadhouse'sTXRH 16 oz. Prime Rib will set you back 1,570 calories, and that's before you order the two complimentary sides that come with the meal.
CSPI added a loaded sweet potato — topped with marshmallows and caramel sauce — and a Caesar salad, bringing the total calorie count to 2,820.
Dave & Buster's Carnivore Pizzadilla
Dave & Buster'sPLAY pizza-quesadilla appetizer is a 12-inch quesadilla filled with cheese, pepperoni and Italian sausage and topped with even more pepperoni and Italian sausage. It also has bacon, marinara sauce and cheese sprinkled on top.
The "shareable" meal is 1,970 calories.
The Cheesecake Factory's Pasta Napoletana
The Cheesecake Factory's second item on CSPI's list is Pasta Napoletana, a 2,310-calorie dish of buttery pasta covered with Italian sausage, pepperoni, meatballs and bacon.
IHOP's Cheeseburger Omelette
IHOP's Cheeseburger Omelette is stuffed with hamburger meat, hash browns, tomatoes, onions, American cheese, ketchup, mustard and pickles and served with three buttermilk pancakes and syrup.
CSPI said the meal, which is 1,990 calories, is the equivalent of eating four McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffins.
Chili's Ultimate Smokehouse Combo
The Ultimate Smokehouse Combo from Chili'sEAT asks diners to "choose any three meats" and comes with roasted street corn, homestyle fries, chile-garlic toast and garlic dill pickles.
The folks at CSPI stacked up their plate with hand-battered chicken crispers, Texas Dry Rub ribs and sausage. This meal combination, including the sides, will run you 2,440 calories.
Buffalo Wild Wings, The Cheesecake Factory, Texas Roadhouse, Dave & Buster's, and Chili's did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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