The term “food porn” conjures up sexy images of Tom Jones and Baccahnalian excess. Before you go lighting scented candles, though, consider this: It’s more than possible to absorb more than a day’s worth of calories during a thirty-minute visit to your favorite chain restaurant or burger joint.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has released their 2010 “Xtreme Eating Awards,” which contains numerous examples of what the consumer group calls food porn. Reading through them, it’s obvious why two out of three adults in this country are obese, along with one out of three children.
Five Guys seems to be one of the worst offenders, with a 700-calorie cheeseburger (no toppings) and 1,460 calories for a large order of fries. Consider that the average recommended calorie intake for Americans is 2,000 per day, and you’re over the limit before you reach for the ketchup or take a gulp of soda. The Pasta Carbonara with Chicken at The Cheesecake Factory has 2,500 calories and 85 grams of fat, more than four day’s worth. Craving sodium? P.F. Chang’s Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo provides 7,690 milligrams, more than most people consume in five days.
The study also cited California Pizza Kitchen (Tostada Pizza, 1440 calories), Outback (rack of lamb, 1300 calories and 60 grams of fat without any side dishes) and Chevy’s (Shrimp and Crab Quesadilla, 1,790 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat). At Bob Evans, home of “farm-fresh goodness,” the Cinnamon Cream Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes pack in 1,380 calories.
Obviously, most people don’t expect to get thin by eating stuffed hotcakes or gooey desserts. Items such as hamburgers, individual pizzas and racks of lamb are stealth carriers of calories and saturated fat—places the average American wouldn’t look when seeking to trim the excess out of their diet.
To make matters worse, hamburgers are one of the hottest food trends at the moment, with celebrity chefs opening high-end burger joints faster than you can say “hamburger is the new steak.” Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Laurent Tourondel and Hubert Keller have all gotten into the act, perhaps seeking to take advantage of the downturn in formal dining. Not only can most of us afford a trip to the burger joint more easily than we can splurge at an expensive steakhouse, but casual hamburger restaurants are cheaper to operate and provide an easier path to profits. Ironically, no one seems to be complaining about calories or saturated fats at these places. Just wait until the consumer watchdogs pick up on the Food Channel—none of us will be having any fun.
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