Qdoba's all the way nachos, which I used to eat at least once a week:
Chips, chile con queso, cheese, guac, sour cream, black beans, salsa -
Amount per Serving: Calories 1220 cal
Calories From Fat 630 cal
Protein 34 g
Carbs 113 g
Dietary Fiber 26 g
Sugar 7 g Fat Total 68 g Saturated Fat 24 g
Trans Fatty Acids 1 g
Cholesterol 25 mg
Vitamin A 15 %DV
Vitamin C 4 %DV
Calcium 40 %DV
Iron 45 %DV
Potassium 1210 mg Sodium 1690 mg
It blew my mind that a salad can be worse than a big mac. When i was a teen, i always thought, well if i am eating salad, it has to be good for you. LIttle did i know, after the ranch dressing, pile of cheese, peanuts, sunflower seeds, croutons, baon bits, etc. It was twice what a big mac is. :-(
Stacy, I know just what you mean! Sadly, many people still think a "salad" is automatically a healthier choice! The way it breaks down, they are often really much more dense in calories and fat, aren't they?
I don't think I've been surprised by calories in a while but I do love my trail mix. I tried to introduce portion controlled home made trail mix a few months back and it just didn't work. I was going through raisins and nuts like crazy and of course not losing a single lb
Flour tortillas: They are so thin, how can they be so caloric? The large tortillas typically used for burritos are over 300 calories a pop! That's my entire lunch right there--just one large tortilla.
Regular mayo: Okay, I knew it was bad but 100 calories for just one tablespoon! That's worse than I expected and a third of my lunch. The good news is that leaving off the mayo is an easy way to reduce the calories in just about any sandwich by 100.
The rice served in Indian restaurants (pulao). I love that stuff, but I saw one recipe for it that had the calories coming in at 900 per serving. For rice (and white rice at that)!
Dried fruit is another item that is always a lot higher in calories that I would expect.
Frankly, I'm frequently amazed at the calories in restaurant food. Sometimes I cannot figure out how they manage to pack so many calories in. How does one entre have upwards of 1,000 calories (only 300 short of my entire calorie limit for a day)? Yet 1,000 calories for a restaurant meal is not that uncommon.
I have to say I was quite surprised to go to Baja Fresh and find out their "grilled veggie burrito" was 800 cals, 33g fat! Their grilled shrimp fajitas are bad, too: 1120 cals, 32g fat. This is all without beans or chips. Geez. So much for making the best decisions.
^^ I guess if you ate one of those breadsticks with a few cups of steamed broccoli, a big green salad with NO dressing and a scoop of protein powder, it could be part of a balanced, low calorie plan!
I have to say I was quite surprised to go to Baja Fresh and find out their "grilled veggie burrito" was 800 cals, 33g fat! Their grilled shrimp fajitas are bad, too: 1120 cals, 32g fat. This is all without beans or chips. Geez. So much for making the best decisions.
I am beginning to think that there is no way to eat out (especially as a vegetarian), getting a full and balanced meal, for less than 1000 calories!
It's just as well anyway. I eat at home (or bring food with me) 95% of the time. I usually only eat out with friends or my daughter or for birthdays and the like.
Flour tortillas: They are so thin, how can they be so caloric? The large tortillas typically used for burritos are over 300 calories a pop! That's my entire lunch right there--just one large tortilla.
It is CRAZY!!! Do you have a "Chipotle" near you? They have the option of eating your burrito fillings in a "bol" (bowl) and to eat the vegan version of this (that is no sour cream or cheese!) it is about 600-700 calories!!!