Restaurant Calorie Disasters

Earlier today, we had a family "girls lunch" that included me, my sister, my aunt, my grandmother, and my seven-year-old cousin. My grandmother and my cousin both wanted to go to a Chinese buffet. Generally, Chinese buffets would be cause for anxiety...everything is fried and covered in a sweet sauce. But this Chinese buffet had plenty of choices!

I got a small serving of a bunch of different things: seafood stuffed mushrooms, spicy sausage, spinach, calamari, fresh veggies, and plantains. I also had a few raw oysters. These aren't usually items found on a Chinese buffet line, but this place clearly wants to please everybody!

Sometimes it's easy to make good choices at a restaurant...other times it's not as clear how much damage one meal can do. I came across this article on The New York Times website called "What 2,000 Calories Looks Like." It takes a look at ~2000 calorie meals from popular chain restaurants. 

NYT

This Chipotle meal, for example: Carnitas burrito (945), chips and guacamole (770), and coke (276)

So obviously you can go for the salad, no chips, and a diet drink or water. Yes, there are always healthier choices. But would you have ever guessed this meal was 1,991 calories?

NYT

Next up is Maggiano's. We ate at Maggiano's Little Italy for Ryan's resident dinner. At the end of the night, they brought out slices of chocolate zuccotto cake...SO good. These slices were definitely meant to share, as one slice was the size of a small child. It's a good thing I split one because they're 1,790 calories each! Pair that cake with a cappuccino and you've quickly consumed well over 2,000 calories. 

NYT

Another new fast food place, Potbelly, makes a 2,000 calorie meal with orange/mango juice (250), and Italian sandwich (1,088), chips (220), and a cookie (420). 

You can check out the article if you want to hear about a few more calorie-laden meals, but the point is pretty clear. Sometimes when we're on the road or need a quick meal, we might go for  Subway or Chipotle or Potbelly (I actually haven't seen a Potbelly in the south...) and that's fine if we're aware of what we're eating. Sure, eating a few too many calories is no big deal. But 2,000 for one meal? I'm saving those meals for the holidays :)

Question: What calorie disasters have you learned of recently? I've always known eggnog was high in calories and sugar, but I didn't know they could fit so much fat and sugar into a half cup serving! I won't spoil it for you if you still love eggnog :)