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    KFC's Double Down is healthy! (uh, compared to these meals ... )

     Flickr photo by Prince Roy Flickr photo by Prince RoyNow I know why I never take my family out to eat. It's only partly because it costs a fortune and because my kids will sit for all of seven minutes before the game of hide-and-seek under other patrons' tables starts up -- but it's because of those awful CALORIES.

    Enter KFC's Double Down, 540 calories of salty bacon and cheese goodness sandwiched between fried chicken. You've heard a lot of talk about this. The guys in my office are in love with this sandwich and regularly make a lunchtime pilgrimage.

    I've privately cringed at the thought of such a high-fat lunch, but recently the The Week featured a list of seven popular chain-restaurant meals that make KFC's now infamous Double Down sandwich look like something they'd serve at a weight-loss spa.

    More from The Stir: 6 Ben & Jerry's Flavors We Wish They'd Bring Back

    I honestly didn't think it possible to cram upward of 4,000 calories and 4,000 mg of salt (twice the recommended daily intake) into a singular midday meal, but here's just a few to prove me wrong.

    Beef Back Ribs from Claim Jumper = 4,301 calories and 7,623 mg of salt

    Fresh Mex Sampler from Chevys = 2,560 calories and 4,130 mg of salt

    Jalapeno Smokehouse Burger from Chili's = 2,130 calories and 6,460 mg of salt

    I'm surprised no one mentioned that onion from Outback Steakhouse. I don't even want to know ... find more of America's Worst Meals at The Week.

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    Truthfully, I wasn't shocked about the ribs and burgers being bad for you. But, upon further investigation, I was quite stunned to find that some of the so-called healthy foods I eat for lunch on a regular basis could give the Double-Down a run for its money. Maybe I'll reconsider joining the gang for the next lunch trip ...

    Falafel. Deep fried and alone -- without the yogurt sauce that makes them so tasty -- these can run 230 calories per ball or patty, and I always eat at least two or three. In a pita, no less.

    Rice and bean burrito. The beans are a great source of protein and fiber, but add the high-calorie rice, wrap, and sour cream that makes them so gooey and yummy and you've got a major fat blast -- upward of 600 calories or more.

    More from The Stir: New Applebee's Burgers: Discriminating Against a City Near You?

    Pizza. Even when I use the power towel trick and go with a more authentic, pizza parlor slice with a thin whole-wheat crust and minimal cheese, I'm looking roundabouts at 250 calories a slice. And it's impossible to only eat one. I mean, that crust is so thin ...

    Salad. All the good stuff is ruined by the bad stuff we pour on top of it. Whether made with oil such as balsamic vinaigrette or cream-based like French or blue cheese, salad dressings are mostly all fat and range from 40 to 90 calories a spoonful. Again, stop at just one? Not me!

    Written by Cynthia Dermody for The Stir

    More from The Stir: How to Make Healthy Fast Food Choices

     

    808 comments

    • John Wilcox  •  1 year 11 months ago
      X MG of salt? What kind of salt? Sodium Chloride? Potassium Chloride? Sodium citrate? What kind of salt? If you mean sodium based salts then just say X mg of sodium as sodium is not another word for salt.
    • -  •  1 year 11 months ago
      Eat healthy at least 80% of the time and you can enjoy a pizza once in a while. Just don't go overboard because eating nothing but junk really will make you feel bad.
    • Dendae  •  2 years 0 months ago
      alright heres the skinny KFC does not AND I REPEAT DOES NOT FRY THERE CHICKEN!! the cook it in the oven!!
    • Big Shelly's Tamale B ...  •  2 years 0 months ago
      so if you eat falafel and sprouts and stuff you'll live forever?

      eat what you want.

      eat what you like.

      nobody dies healthy. period.
    • EllenA  •  2 years 0 months ago
      I guess I'm glad our town doesn't even rate a McDonald's, much less a KFC or any of these other restaurants mentioned. Packing a lunch is still the best way to lose weight. Of course, it helps if you dance some calories away. Best exercise ever.
    • Baah Ben  •  2 years 0 months ago
      Eat what you want! We are all dying!
    • KattBevHills  •  2 years 0 months ago
      Loooove high calorie foods!!! I eat less and am way more satisfied!!! I work out, so I need the fuel. I'm 5'3" 102 lbs. 35 yrs old. Quit counting calories and get busy with your life!! The busier u are, the less u stress about calories. Fact. Live life, exercise a little, be HAPPY, and you'll be healthy.
    • Zander  •  2 years 0 months ago
      This article is as insipid as a slice of foam. There is no food without calories dummie! Calories are good for you! Take youre day and divide it into three meals, eat a healthy 500 calories breakfast, a good 700 to 800 lunch and a 400 calories dinner. That is what a human being should be doing to be healthy! Eat whatever you want in moderation and forget about what magazines and internet articles say to you, it is all bull!
    • zayd  •  2 years 0 months ago
      guys ...falafel doesn't have 230 calories for each ball..it even doesn't even weight 20 grams for ball..if u had 20 grams of pure fat that makes 20*9=180 calories if it was made of oil..but its made of 80% protein and 16% cars and rest is for oil so reduce that into half maybe less cz carbs and proteins has 4 calories per gram.so enjoy arabs food :P its healthy and good for ur energy :D
    • Mickey  •  2 years 0 months ago
      Salad without even a vinaigrette dressing? Maybe I should just go out in the back yard and start grazing on the weeds.
    • RICHARD  •  2 years 0 months ago
      So tired of these food comparisons. Its all in moderation folks......moderation!
    • Douglas  •  2 years 0 months ago
      Americans are all fat chubby glutenous pigs.....
    • Wow!  •  2 years 0 months ago
      And what is wrong with yoghurt? I buy organic all the time and it is good for you because it does not have High Fructose Corn syrup or artificial sweetners, etc. It has good healthy bacteria that helps the intestinal track.

      Let's face it if you eat all your meals at fast food restaurants the best choice is to eat at Subway and choose wisely. Salads with olive oil and vinegar are good for you and 500 or 600 calories for a meal that is good for you is better than a 500 calorie meal that lacks nutrients your body needs.
    • Jeff  •  2 years 0 months ago
      Fresh Mex Sampler from Chevys is a plate full of like 5 different appetizers no DUH its gona be high in calories, its not meant to be a meal had by 1 person, and for the bean burrito, ive never been served one with sour cream, whoever wrote this article is trying to make something out of nothing, I bet their next article will be, LETTUCE, Makes you fat!, (when u put a bag of chips, mayo, crispy cream doughnut, ranch,butter, sourcream on top) ROFL
    • Tread G  •  2 years 0 months ago
      the idea that a burrito, or other high calorie food is bad for a person is absurd to me. calorie requirement for each person varies. I am not a big guy but I need an entire burrito to fill me up. Maybe it is to the author who may need less calories for each meal. But that's the minimum amount i need. Am I unhealthy after eating the burrito? No.
    • Ann  •  2 years 0 months ago
      In Japan you hardly see any fat people. Well, unless you are a Sumo wrestler. lol When I lived there for many years, all my relatives and people in Japan would have rice for their meals just about everyday. And the stores would sell grilled fish, scramble eggs made a special way ( soy sauce and a little sugar or honey or milk ) seaweed, sweet potatoes, some beans on the side. All this and much more in a dish or what they call a bento box ( look up Bento box on Yahoo images and you'll know what I mean when I describe what they eat almost daily at home or away ) Stores, bus stations, train stations sell these everyday. Talk about extremely healthy for you. My dad is American and I remember all we ate on a U.S. Air Force base in Japan were hamburgers, fries and soda for a quick meal. And that is how I see Americans eat to this day years later. It is so unhealthy. Oh BTW, if you ever want to prepare and eat a bento box, use Japanese bagged rice because it is very different then the Uncle Bens type of rice which is nothing compared to the rice I am talking about. Get yourself a rice cooker, add 1 of cup of rice to 2 cups of water, I rinse my rice a few times and then let the rice soak for 15 to 30 minutes and then push the button to cook.
      Add a little stirfry ( stirfry doesn't necessarily mean lots of oil or fat, you can use 1 tsp of olive oil or even Pam spray to stirfry ) chicken or Tofu on the top of rice. Japanese people do eat white rice and I don't think it is bad for you as some people say it is. Just be portion concious is all. Anyhow, look up Bento box in Yahoo images and I believe that is how we should all eat daily. They do use alot of soysauce which adds to alot of sodium but that can be cut down to your choice. I use a little honey in my soups when I can't have too much sodium and it tastes just fine. And don't be afraid of not having a little oil once in awhile because Olive oil is actually very beneficial for your health and expecially for women prone to breast cancer from what I read. A little bit of oil is good for dry skin and makes the hair shiney. So, I try to have a little olive oil ( about 1/2 tsp a week ) in my diet by using it for frying egg substitues that contain no cholesterol like yokes in an egg does. Add a tbsp on fat free cheese and some mushrooms or red peppers and whatla! you have a nice omelet.
    • AEMS  •  2 years 0 months ago
      Would someone please pass me those yummy beef back ribs and that smokehouse burger? And I'll have a diet soda, please.
    • Chris  •  2 years 0 months ago
      BINGO !!!! Good call DEREK!!
    • Leslie  •  2 years 0 months ago
      This was a very, very weird article... Very weird.
    • Bahamut  •  2 years 0 months ago
      Im honestly sickened by the mentality of some people. I mean complaining about "40 to 90 calories" per spoonfull of salad dressing??? Enjoy a salad and instead of choosing to sit and bask in the "fatty" goodness of it, go for a run ... lift some weights, be active. Im far from obese and honesly taking in less than roughly 2800 calories a day is almost on the verge of loosing weight. Not to say that people need to eat more and work out, its just one option. Honestly though, everyone is all worried about that 100 calorie snack or how "repulsive" a 3000 calorie meal is. If you dont need the 3000 calories, just dont eat it. Or eat smaller portions. Now theres an idea ...

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