When it comes to waistline-expanding grub, Red Lobster’s got everyone beat.
That’s the finding of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which released its annual list of national restaurant chains’ unhealthiest meals Wednesday and found that the seafood spot’s “Create Your Own Combination” platter is the most calorie-heavy dinner in America.
According to the nutrition advocacy group’s report, “The 2015 Xtreme Eating Awards,” the seafood chain’s dish could serve up as many as 2,710 calories — or as many as 3,600 calories if customers chose to pair it with their “Traditional Lobsterita” drink.
To hit this hefty calorie count, customers would need to order the right — or wrong — combination of options from the menu: three of the chain’s shrimp dishes with sides of french fries, a Caesar salad and a Cheddar Bay Biscuit.
The report also said the meal, with its 37 grams of saturated fat and 6,530 milligrams of sodium, is “like eating an 8-piece bucket of KFC Original Recipe chicken with four sides of mashed potatoes with gravy, four pieces of corn on the cob and eight packets of ‘buttery spread.'”
CSPI registered dietitian Paige Einstein said meals like the nine highlighted on this list are part of a larger trend, in which 2,000-plus calorie dishes have become the norm for chain restaurants.
“This nutritional shipwreck from Red Lobster exemplifies the kind of gargantuan restaurant meal that promotes obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases,” Einstein said in a press release from the group.
“Winners” of CSPI’s prize also included gut-busting orders from several chains with locations in New York City: Outback Steakhouse’s 2,400-calorie Herb Roasted Prime Rib, Uno Pizza’s 2,300 calorie Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza and IHOP’s 1,990-calorie Chorizo Fiesta Omelette.
