The 20 Worst Foods in America

[shae]

As a chef, I'm going to throw in my 2 cents on this...

If consuming butter, cream or fat is something that your body can't handle, then don't eat meals that have butter, cream or fat in them. If you were allergic to flour, would you be ok with eating a meal that had "just a little bit" of flour in it? No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't be stupid enough to risk it. So, if you can't eat certain foods, why would you be ordering a dish that has those foods in it to begin with?

That's your responsibility as a customer. If someone orders Chicken Alfredo at my restaurant, eats it and gets sick because they can't eat dairy (alfredo sauce has cream and cheese in it), it's not my fault. It's their fault because they were stupid enough to order something that they couldn't eat.

I'm allergic to penicillin and I'll get sick if I eat it. If I am at a restaurant and I see "Gorgonzola Rigatoni" on the menu, but the waitress assures me that there's not that much gorgonzola in the dish, I'm still not going to order it. There is penicillin in bleu cheese. Gorgonzola is a type of bleu cheese. Even if it's just a little bit, it would still make me sick. So, I'm not going to order it.

If I do order it, but the cook in the kitchen decides to add a lot of gorgonzola for some reason and I get sick, it's still my fault for eating food that I'm not supposed to be eating.

Also, she was talking about adding extra butter, cream or sauce to a dish. There is 100% nothing harmful or life threatening about that.

Sorry maybe I have totally misread or understood her post. I'm not allergic or anything like that but because my family and I grow most of our own foods and eat limited processed foods we are careful not to over do it when we go out. When you have been eating like this for years sometimes it can make a difference to how your body handles things. We are still able to eat oils and butter but not in large quantities, or not if someone were to deliberately tamper with even more into our meals.

I just expect that when I order something it comes prepared the way the chef describes it to me. I often ask or speak to a chef if we dine out, which is not often. I hope that has explained my situation a bit better.

I understood her post that she was deliberately adding extra oils and fats to someones food. That's all.

 

[Mad4Chillas]

I don't understand why someone would do that. That could cause someone to become very sick and that's not fair. If someone was to add anything extra like that to a meal for me I would have serious, serious problems as my body cannot handle those kind of extra things. I am careful when I go out and only eat a little bit of those things as my whole life it has caused me problems and I try really hard to be able to still go out and enjoy a meal with my family and be careful about what I choose on the menu.

I just don't understand. Did you do this to childrens meals as well?

I didn't do it excessively and its not like if someone would tell me they were allergic to something id delibertly put it in. If they asked specifically for something light butter, no butter, etc then yes i would follow it--but if they were ordering something just regular then I didnt see the HUGE harm in adding a little extra sauce or butter to a sandwich, because honestly its not like it was measured out specifically before. I know it was mean of me and I shouldn't have done it, but I did--and no one died. I did not do this to childrens meals (it was a fast-casual resturaunt) so its not like anything was Really healthy anyways. I'm not trying to make excuses for myself or use My eating disorder as a clutch but I did do it then, but I wouldnt do it now...

As a chef, I'm going to throw in my 2 cents on this...

If consuming butter, cream or fat is something that your body can't handle, then don't eat meals that have butter, cream or fat in them. If you were allergic to flour, would you be ok with eating a meal that had "just a little bit" of flour in it? No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't be stupid enough to risk it. So, if you can't eat certain foods, why would you be ordering a dish that has those foods in it to begin with?

That's your responsibility as a customer. If someone orders Chicken Alfredo at my restaurant, eats it and gets sick because they can't eat dairy (alfredo sauce has cream and cheese in it), it's not my fault. It's their fault because they were stupid enough to order something that they couldn't eat.

I'm allergic to penicillin and I'll get sick if I eat it. If I am at a restaurant and I see "Gorgonzola Rigatoni" on the menu, but the waitress assures me that there's not that much gorgonzola in the dish, I'm still not going to order it. There is penicillin in bleu cheese. Gorgonzola is a type of bleu cheese. Even if it's just a little bit, it would still make me sick. So, I'm not going to order it.

If I do order it, but the cook in the kitchen decides to add a lot of gorgonzola for some reason and I get sick, it's still my fault for eating food that I'm not supposed to be eating.

Also, she was talking about adding extra butter, cream or sauce to a dish. There is 100% nothing harmful or life threatening about that.

Thank you Chef, for trying to defend me. Im not a trained chef, I was a part timey cook/manager/waitress in a resturaunt, so obviously Im not going to be hugely qualified to make gourmet meals. If anyone had come to the resturaunt it was pretty clear they werent trying to be too healthy. Hell, 90% of the customers asked for extra everything, so in my mind they were getting it and I just wasn't charging...


Sorry if it offended you, but the world is a B*tch, things arent always what they seem to be and things are never going to be exactly what you order. This is one good reason on why you should never rely on convienence foods for weight loss.

 

[ChefChiTown]

Sorry maybe I have totally misread or understood her post. I'm not allergic or anything like that but because my family and I grow most of our own foods and eat limited processed foods we are careful not to over do it when we go out. When you have been eating like this for years sometimes it can make a difference to how your body handles things. We are still able to eat oils and butter but not in large quantities, or not if someone were to deliberately tamper with even more into our meals.

I just expect that when I order something it comes prepared the way the chef describes it to me. I often ask or speak to a chef if we dine out, which is not often. I hope that has explained my situation a bit better.

I understood her post that she was deliberately adding extra oils and fats to someones food. That's all.

Chances are, if you're eating out, the chef who is cooking your food doesn't really give a shit about adding too much cream or butter to a dish from a caloric or health point of view. The chef who is cooking your food is just concerned about adding the right amount of cream or butter to make your food taste good. We're not paid to concern ourselves with the caloric content of food. We're paid to make food taste good and put asses in the seats.

When I'm making food for a restaurant, I'm not concerned with calorie counting, especially when a meal has something like cream, butter or oil as an ingredient. If someone were to complain that they got a stomach ache because they felt that I used too much cream in my alfredo sauce and feel as though I should've considered their lack of ability to process dairy, I honestly wouldn't care. Like I said, if you can't eat certain foods, don't order a meal with those ingredients in them.

I do understand what you're saying though. I used to work at a restaurant where one of our "regulars" would always ask us to make her marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes and not canned tomatoes. She had some sort of problem with processing the acidity that's found in canned tomatoes. Since she was such a good customer, we would always make a small batch of marinara sauce, just for her.

Also, are you really asking the chef how much cream or butter they use in their dishes? If so, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, chef to consumer...

Most of the sauces that you are eating in a restaurant aren't made-to-order. They are prepared ahead of time before the restaurant even opens and they are just "finished" when as they are needed (AKA - reheated, reduced to the proper thickness, etc). So, if you ask for a sauce to be made with less cream, butter or oil...it's probably not really happening. Well, unless you're a really good customer, like our marinara lady.

 

[shae]

Chances are, if you're eating out, the chef who is cooking your food doesn't really give a shit about adding too much cream or butter to a dish from a caloric or health point of view. The chef who is cooking your food is just concerned about adding the right amount of cream or butter to make your food taste good. We're not paid to concern ourselves with the caloric content of food. We're paid to make food taste good and put asses in the seats.

When I'm making food for a restaurant, I'm not concerned with calorie counting, especially when a meal has something like cream, butter or oil as an ingredient. If someone were to complain that they got a stomach ache because they felt that I used too much cream in my alfredo sauce and feel as though I should've considered their lack of ability to process dairy, I honestly wouldn't care. Like I said, if you can't eat certain foods, don't order a meal with those ingredients in them.

I do understand what you're saying though. I used to work at a restaurant where one of our "regulars" would always ask us to make her marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes and not canned tomatoes. She had some sort of problem with processing the acidity that's found in canned tomatoes. Since she was such a good customer, we would always make a small batch of marinara sauce, just for her.

Also, are you really asking the chef how much cream or butter they use in their dishes? If so, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, chef to consumer...

Most of the sauces that you are eating in a restaurant aren't made-to-order. They are prepared ahead of time before the restaurant even opens and they are just "finished" when as they are needed (AKA - reheated, reduced to the proper thickness, etc). So, if you ask for a sauce to be made with less cream, butter or oil...it's probably not really happening. Well, unless you're a really good customer, like our marinara lady.

When we eat out we try very hard to stick to restaurants in our community where my husband is a regular. We don't and never will count calories, but we just like to be informed about what we are eating. So for dishes that are a bit more extravagant with cream etc. we try to talk to the chef and just get an idea on what we are feeding ourselves and the kids.

I guess my only concern was that someone was deliberately tampering with food, adding things to it when it is not necessary. I was looking at the morals behind it as well.

I am just thinking about respecting people. I don't expect a chef to go completely out of their way for me, so I often stick to the basic meals of steamed veges, salad, fish. Chefs are busy in the kitchen and if to much cream is poured, too much butter stirred I can understand that. But to add it deliberately when there is no need, to make a conscious decision to do it is not nice.

It's not about the world being a bitch and joining in if it is so. I am not trying to upset anyone, I am just saying I don't understand.

 

[Mad4Chillas]

When we eat out we try very hard to stick to restaurants in our community where my husband is a regular. We don't and never will count calories, but we just like to be informed about what we are eating. So for dishes that are a bit more extravagant with cream etc. we try to talk to the chef and just get an idea on what we are feeding ourselves and the kids.

I guess my only concern was that someone was deliberately tampering with food, adding things to it when it is not necessary. I was looking at the morals behind it as well.

I am just thinking about respecting people. I don't expect a chef to go completely out of their way for me, so I often stick to the basic meals of steamed veges, salad, fish. Chefs are busy in the kitchen and if to much cream is poured, too much butter stirred I can understand that. But to add it deliberately when there is no need, to make a conscious decision to do it is not nice.

It's not about the world being a bitch and joining in if it is so. I am not trying to upset anyone, I am just saying I don't understand.

OK..........so this is going to sound awful but at the peak of my eating disorder I was an Assisant Manager for a Greek Resturaunt so I pretty much did everything (cooked, took orders, bussed,waited, drawers, etc) Well I had a little bit of an evil streak and I would purposely add more butter, or sauce, or cheese to things just to add more calories---its completey evil but I did do it knowingly....so I am always wary at resturants even when the food is specified as "Healthy" because you dont know the inner workings of the person cooking your food....

​

Now I know that you don't understand why I did this, and I cant give a logical explanation. But peoples minds work differently when they're ill, and I was. I didnt mean to blatantly disrespect people. I was young (16-18), and I never claimed it as being nice. I was just being honest, and I know Im not the only person in the world to do this. So please save the lecture for morals.

 

[shae]

Now I know that you don't understand why I did this, and I cant give a logical explanation. But peoples minds work differently when they're ill, and I was. I didnt mean to blatantly disrespect people. I was young (16-18), and I never claimed it as being nice. I was just being honest, and I know Im not the only person in the world to do this. So please save the lecture for morals.

I have not meant to be rude or been sarcastic in anything I have written. I have tried to explain and agreed that I can't understand. I was just trying to say how something like that made me feel and in no way did i mean to hurt or upset anyone.

I did not mean to lecture or come across like that.

 

[ChefChiTown]

When we eat out we try very hard to stick to restaurants in our community where my husband is a regular. We don't and never will count calories, but we just like to be informed about what we are eating. So for dishes that are a bit more extravagant with cream etc. we try to talk to the chef and just get an idea on what we are feeding ourselves and the kids.

I guess my only concern was that someone was deliberately tampering with food, adding things to it when it is not necessary. I was looking at the morals behind it as well.

I am just thinking about respecting people. I don't expect a chef to go completely out of their way for me, so I often stick to the basic meals of steamed veges, salad, fish. Chefs are busy in the kitchen and if to much cream is poured, too much butter stirred I can understand that. But to add it deliberately when there is no need, to make a conscious decision to do it is not nice.

It's not about the world being a bitch and joining in if it is so. I am not trying to upset anyone, I am just saying I don't understand.

Oh, I know exactly what you're saying.

But, it's just butter and cream. It's not going to hurt you.

 

[Layri]

One thing to think about here is that portion sizes in restaurants are out of control. The food itself is definitely calorie dense, but (for the most part) many of the counts in these sort of lists wouldn't be so obscenely high if a single restaurant dinner for one person wasn't enough to serve a family of four. If you eat at a restaurant, bring a couple friends or family members and split a dinner amongst all of you.

Still, this list..

 

[dreamingblue]

Has anyone seen Paula Dean's Doughnut Hamburger? She basically gets two Krispy Kreme donuts, uses them as buns for a huge burger, and also some bacon! I couldn't believe it when she made that on her show. ICK.

 

[Mad4Chillas]

Has anyone seen Paula Dean's Doughnut Hamburger? She basically gets two Krispy Kreme donuts, uses them as buns for a huge burger, and also some bacon! I couldn't believe it when she made that on her show. ICK.

I havent seen that one, but I have seen one where she makes a Krispy Kreme Bread pudding and it looked heavenly...my friends and I love krispy kreme alas, they all closed in Minnesota so now we have nowhere to go for our late night doughnut fix...sad world

 

[BansheeBabe]

OH, my gosh.. I am so guilty of the Lo Mein... it's probably my favorite food in the entire world. Maybe, I'll just eat a small portion and not a whole freaking plate of it, which Chinese Restaurants give you a huge plate to share with people...

 

[Amiba]

I havent seen that one, but I have seen one where she makes a Krispy Kreme Bread pudding and it looked heavenly...my friends and I love krispy kreme alas, they all closed in Minnesota so now we have nowhere to go for our late night doughnut fix...sad world

no krispy kreme in Mexico! I love those darn things but I have to thank any divine identity for not having them around i'd be a lot heavier!
yesterday I went to my local supermaket and realized they don't sell ben n jerry's ice cream anymore. part of me is sad.. part of me is relieved. I can't trust myself entirely all the time, so seeing some of the temptation disappear is great haha

 

[cherrygarcia]

man, i know i have a serious problem because my mouth was watering just looking at all those foods....i'm only on the beginning of my weight loss journey but i'm glad i'm on it, because otherwise i'd be digging myself an early grave. there's someone's diary titled 'food is my heroin'....everytime i read that title i'm like that's my life story.....the question i'd like to know is that after i've reached my goal...will there ever be a day when i'll see these foods and think of them as disgusting? i sure do hope so.

 

[txsqlchick]

A.) Those foods are revolting.

B.) Mad4Chillas...eating disorder or not, there is no excuse for adulterating food that you're going to serve to other people.

 

[Jeanette401]

A.) Those foods are revolting.

B.) Mad4Chillas...eating disorder or not, there is no excuse for adulterating food that you're going to serve to other people.

I love the cheese fries - but haven't ordered them for years. Tasty though!

As for Mad4Chillas - I don't think she was defending her actions as somehow being good, and acknowledged she wouldn't do it again. I don't really see how chastising her is going to take back all the extra calories she added

The irony is that intent really can change how actions are viewed though. Imagine someone saying "When I was a cook I always added a little extra sauce, butter or oil to things so that people could get a bit extra for their money!" Same action, yet different view.

Then again, I may be biased because I'd never feel that my food was 'adulterated' with extra butter or sauce unless it ruined the taste

 

[PTJustinBowers]

Isn't it sad that these restaurants dress up these high calorie items as healthy alternatives? It's ridiculous and there needs to be more regulation into the way they present these products.

Anyone else agree?

 

[ChefChiTown]

Isn't it sad that these restaurants dress up these high calorie items as healthy alternatives? It's ridiculous and there needs to be more regulation into the way they present these products.

Anyone else agree?

Think about what they're "healthy alternatives" TO though. If you go to McDonald's and get a 500 calorie, lean Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich, that is most certainly a healthy alternative to a 1,200 calorie, fat laced Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese.

 

[PTJustinBowers]

Absolutely, I agree, but some people actually eat these AS their diet, not as an alternative to something else.

Besides, I can't tell you how many people get Chicken Selects as opposed to McNuggets because they think they're healthier... when Selects are loaded with way more caloric content.

 

[ChefChiTown]

Absolutely, I agree, but some people actually eat these AS their diet, not as an alternative to something else.

Besides, I can't tell you how many people get Chicken Selects as opposed to McNuggets because they think they're healthier... when Selects are loaded with way more caloric content.

Their salads (well, salad dressing) is also a caloric mess. But, people think that they're eating healthy, just because "it's a salad".

 

[PTJustinBowers]

Absolutely.

One of my clients a while back told me she eats a salad every day and was gaining weight-- wanted to know why.

It was a taco salad.

Sigh.