This is an order of Outback’s Aussie cheese fries with ranch dressing. It has received the honor of the #1 position on the list of the 20 worst foods in America.
It contains nearly three thousand calories, far more than an adult is supposed to have in a whole day. And this is what you eat before your dinner even arrives.
I thought it would be a good idea to check the list to see if I was eating anything that made the top 20. To my dismay, the Quiznos Classic Italian sub came in at #14, winner of the worst sandwich category at 1,370 calories. So good, yet so bad.
However, that was for a large, which is enormous. Even the regular size is really big.
The Quiznos website lists the large at 1,220 calories, not 1,370 like Men’s Health says. Nearly a third of the calories and more than half the fat come from the red wine vinaigrette dressing. A regular size Italian sub without dressing is 630 calories.
But it would be pretty miraculous if an American only had 630 calories for lunch. They’d be more likely to get a large sub with dressing and wonder why they can’t lose weight.
Contrast this with Hira Ratan Manek, who has gone for 411 days without food, living on only sunlight and water. However, his site says that “Occasionally, for hospitality and social purposes, he drinks tea, coffee and buttermilk.”
Wait a minute! Buttermilk is 100 calories per cup. That’s like saying that Winnie the Pooh has gone for years without food, living on only sunlight and water. Then the fine print says he occasionally has honey for hospitality and social purposes.
Just how much buttermilk are we talking about?
Scary. As an Aussie, can I just point out loud and clear that those awful “Aussie cheese fries with ranch dressing” are totally NOT Aussie. We don’t even know what ranch dressing is.
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I checked out the list and am relieved to say that I seldom, if ever, eat at any of those places. Except Quizno’s, but I get the steak sandwich with lettuce and mayo. Still not great for me, but better than that huge Italian sandwich.
One thing I do find interesting is that the list assumes one individual will eat the whole dish. In some cases, like the burgers, this may be the case, but the “Aussie” fries are usually shared by everyone at the table, more reasonably sharing the calorie load.
Still, a wakeup call. I don’t always stop to think about what I’m eating. I just know I like whatever it is and go for it. Maybe not so much now.
Amanda, I live in the US, but can tell you I never assumed Outback served authentic Aussie fare.
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Hi Hunter – those Aussie fries look yukky. I find it hard to believe that guy has survived so long without food too. I’m guessing he’s had a whole heap of buttermilk – and the rest.
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Some of the worst foods always look the nastiest to me. Living in my ‘Bay Area, California, local, organic produce and grass-fed meat’ bubble, I forget that some people still eat this way.
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I’m so glad not to be eating these these kind of unhealthy foods everyday. My diet is mainly Asian food; hence, hardly any cheese or dressing.
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Even though I am a foodie person, I have almost stopped eating outside after coming to US – everything has cheese and very few veggie options.
Home cooked meals rock!
Mc Donald surely has to be on the list.
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Those cheese fries look nasty.
Vered – MomGrinds last blog post..Saw “Burn After Reading”. Non-Botoxed Actresses. Awesome.
Do you know what I’m hooked on right now? Popeye’s buffalo wings and caramel-covered popcorn. Thank goodness I get so much exercise
I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables though.
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@ Amanda, yeah, we do that sometimes–attributing foods to the wrong country. I’m sure French fries aren’t French either!
@ Mary, I guess they have to assume one person will eat the whole thing. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know how to compare them, if they don’t know how many people would be sharing it. But 2,900 calories would have to be split among a lot of people to make it a reasonable appetizer!
@ Cath, I think they would probably taste OK, but ranch dressing? Gross! I don’t know much about that guy, and his Wikipedia bio is almost empty. But he’s making a very bold (and therefore interesting) claim that he’s solar powered!
@ Carla, lucky you then! When you’re surrounded by people who eat healthy, it’s much easier to be that way yourself.
@ Evelyn, I guess it’s a lot easier to stay healthy when you’re eating Asian food. Do you eat a lot of rice? I’ve heard mixed things about that, and I’m not sure what to think.
@ Avani-Mehta, McDonald’s barely made the list, coming in at #20 for their Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips (5 pieces) with creamy ranch sauce, at 830 calories. I guess you made a good decision to eat at home!
@ Vered, I think so too. But they might have deliberately not taken the most flattering shots. The Quiznos sandwich looks much better in real life than in its photo.
@ Marelisa, I’ve never been into Buffalo wings, but that caramel-covered popcorn sounds good! It sounds like you do more than enough to balance it out.
Hi,
I’ve been trying to email you at the email address listed under Contact, but it keeps bouncing back. Yes I know to change the at and dot to the appropriate symbols and delete the spaces.
Would like to email you about your online book.
tia,
Joanna
P.S. Just getting into your blog, but loving it so far!
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@ Joanna, sorry you had trouble emailing me. I’m not sure what happened, but your email actually came through 3 hours before your comment. Thanks for visiting, and I’m off to read your email now!
I know that I’m completely alone in this, but those fries are looking delicious. Um, I also wouldn’t mind combining cheesy ranch goodness with a little bit of bacon. …It’s been a long week…:D
@ RL, maybe you’re alone among the commenters, but lots of people must like those fries or they wouldn’t have them! You made me feel a little sick though!
@RL – don’t worry, I kind of thought the same. I love cheesy fries – coney fries are even better (chili, fries and cheese – mmmm!!!). A portion that size however, I would have no interest in eating.
But then again, any combination of potato, oil (or butter) and salt and I’m there, ready to eat until I burst. Add other yummy badness like cheese or chili and I don’t even remotely see the healthy options like salad.
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Manek is such a liar. 411 days? I call bull$%*t.
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@ Alex, OK, I’ll be sure to rule you out as my health advisor!
Actually, some of those things sound kind of good, but everything in moderation.
@ Chad, yeah, it’s hard to believe. I haven’t really looked at his site, so I don’t know if he thinks he’s capable of photosynthesis or what. And maybe he has a buttermilk IV, I don’t know.
[...] day back in April, I was in a Quiznos, staring out the window, and eating the worst sandwich in America. I was thinking about quitting my job because it had just gotten to the point where I was dreading [...]