The Unhealthiest Meals at Long Island Chain Restaurants

BY CHARLENE ARSENAULT

The nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) say it takes a lot to shock them, but this year, they’re blown away by a whammy of a meal.

CSPI this week released its Xtreme Eating Awards, which isn’t necessarily an award you’d like to “win.” The list spotlights the most unhealthy, calorie-fat-sodium packed meals found at restaurant food chains in the country.

If you were to triumph over an eight-piece from KFC, along with four sides of gravy-doused mashed potatoes, four pieces of corn on the cob and eight packets of buttery spread - by yourself - nutritionists at CSPI say it still wouldn’t top the unhealthiness of that binge.

Red Lobster’s “Create Your Own Combination” packs 2,710 calories, and four days worth of sodium (6,530 milligrams), if you choose the Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp, Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, and Shrimp Linguine Alfredo to go with the Caesar salad, French fries, and one Cheddar Bay Biscuit, said the announcement. If you added the Lobsterita (the restaurant’s margarita), the meal would hit 3,600 calories. This makes it the highest calorie meal on CSPI’s “dishonorees” list.

“This nutritional shipwreck from Red Lobster exemplifies the kind of gargantuan restaurant meal that promotes obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases,” said CSPI registered dietitian Paige Einstein in an announcement. “If this meal were unusual, that would be one thing, but America’s chain restaurants are serving up 2,000-calorie breakfasts, 2,000-calorie lunches, 2,000-calorie dinners, and 2,000-calorie desserts left and right. Abnormal is the new normal.”

Red Lobster takes issue with the Xtreme findings, and argue that CSPI’s list mischaracterizes the nature of that particular menu item and fails to mention that guests can create much lighter options as part of that dish with selections such as wood-grilled salmon and garlic grilled shrimp.

“The Create Your Own Combination lets guests choose two or three preparations from a list of nine to create a dish that meets their individual tastes and dietary preferences,” said a Red Lobster spokesperson. “In fact, there are more than 500 possible combinations guests can create as part of Create Your Own. CSPI’s Xtreme Eating Awards hone in on just one atypical combination and as a result inaccurately portrays the nature of this menu item. They neglected to reference other possible combinations, guest choice and the lighter options available.”

On Long Island, there are Red Lobster locations in Ronkonkoma, Stony Brook, Hicksville, Valley Stream, Copiague and Carle Place. There are Cheesecake Factory restaurants in Lake Grove, Bay Shore, Huntington Station and Westbury. There are 10 IHOPS locations across the island.

You can find the full list of winners, which was published on June 3, here.

Also among the list, as published by CSPI, are:

• IHOP’s Chorizo Fiesta Omelette: The omelette alone has 1,300 calories, but it comes with three buttermilk pancakes (or hash browns, toast or fruit). That brings the total to 1,990 calories and two days’ worth of saturated fat.
• The Herb Roasted Prime Rib dinner at Outback Steakhouse is a 16 oz. prime rib alone, containing 1,400 calories. If you got a dressed baked potato and classic blue cheese wedge salad, along with bread, you’d hit 2,400 calories, 71 grams of fat, and 3,560 mg of sodium.
• The Louisiana Chicken Pasta at the Cheesecake Factory weighs 1½ pounds, comes topped with four slices of heavily breaded chicken. Add the New Orleans sauce (butter and heavy cream), and your plate is up to 2,370 calories.
• The Pick & Choose menu at Uno Pizzeria & Grill lets diners choose from five salads, four pastas, and three pizzas. CSPI started with the Baked Ziti & Sausage Pasta. That’s 720 calories (a third of a day’s worth), which is high-but-reasonable... for an entire meal. They added a Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza. Add ’em up and you get 2,190 calories, 49 grams of saturated fat (2½ days’ worth), 5,420 mg of sodium (a 3½-day supply), and white flour galore. As CSPI said, it’s the equivalent of eating three Pizza Hut Pepperoni Lover’s Personal Pan Pizzas.

The rules that have been finalized by the Food and Drug Administration requiring calories to be listed on chain-restaurant menus are scheduled to take effect in December, said the announcement.

Until then, CSPI suggests avoiding extreme entrées by ordering from “light” menus, where available, such as the Simple & Fit menu at IHOP or the SkinnyLicious menu at The Cheesecake Factory. There are 5 Outback Steakhouse locations on Long Island, including Huntington, Lindenhurst, Commack, Setauket and Holbrook. There are no Uno Pizzeria & Grill locations on Long Island, which the closest restaurants in Queens.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit health advocacy group based in Washington, DC, that focuses on nutrition and food safety policies. CSPI is supported by the 900,000 U.S. and Canadian subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and by foundation grants.

New York can still take solace in the fact that the state is considered one of the “least fattest” states, according to a Gallup report released only weeks ago.

Photo credit: The Center for Science in the Public Interest