Dining out can be a fun way to socialize, but it can also be a gastronomic disaster if you’re not careful. In this past year we’ve seen restaurants trend toward the ultimate calorie and sodium shock factors, first with the KFC Double Down (more like double over) and now with the Chili’s Ultimate Stacked Burger.
The Chili’s burger advertises “two big mouth burger patties stacked a mile-high with melted American cheese, mayo, applewood smoked bacon, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and crispy onion strings.” In this description alone we can translate that the burger contains a total overload of fat, cholesterol, and sodium. If you were making a burger at home, it would not look like this. The size of this burger is unrealistic and raises the “unhealthy” ingredients to out of control.
At this point Chili’s does not offer nutritional information on the Ultimate Stacked Burger and our email has not been replied to thus far (hmmmm). Based on a visual estimate of the picture, this monster has around 720 calories in hamburger meat alone with 20 grams of saturated fat! If you were to consume the entire burger and the fries that come with it, you would be eating an estimated 2,003 calories, 125 grams of fat, 38 grams saturated fat, and 2138 mg sodium in one meal… assuming you skip appetizers, drinks, and dessert.
To put things in perspective, this is more calories than most adult women need in an entire day (a rough estimate is 1500-1800 calories to maintain weight, let alone lose it). This monstrosity has 192 percent of your daily value for fat, equivalent to almost a ¾ cup of straight butter, and 190% of your saturated fat intake (saturated fat raises your heart disease risk), and a day’s worth of salt.
The new Ultimate burger is the ultimate gluttonous choice. Try to stay away from foods that play on shock value. Bigger, taller, foods aren’t necessarily good for you. Eating out doesn’t need to break your daily calorie or sodium intake. Instead, opt for a great appetizer with a side salad, or split a dish with a friend… If you “gotta try” this burger, plan to split it with three friends and get your own salads. Be mindful in what you order. No one needs a heart attack on a bun.
Nutrition fact source for estimation: CalorieCount.com