Restaurant meals: If we’re not shocked, we should be

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We recently wrote about the 2009 Xtreme Eating Awards from the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest -- a list of some of the most calorific, salty and fatty restaurant meals.

Our conjecture was: We have become so accustomed to these shocking numbers that they’re losing their shock value. (Read that earlier post here.)

Mike Jacobson, the center’s executive director, can’t truly believe that is so, and sent the following letter, including a few additional numbers:

‘Gosh, Rosie...

I’ve been looking at restaurant foods for 20-some years, but even I am shocked by the numbers, like:

Olive Garden

Meals Calories Sodium mg

1 Breadstick* 150 350
Tour of Italy (Lasagna) 1,450 3,830
Garden Fresh Salad
w/ House Dressing 350 1,990
Coca Cola 99 6
TOTAL 2,049 6,176

1 Breadstick* 150 350
Chicken Parmigiana 1,090 3,380
Garden Fresh Salad
w/ House Dressing 350 1,990
Raspberry Lemonade 110 15
TOTAL 1,700 5,735

Spaghetti & Italian Sausage 1,270 3,100
Garden Fresh Salad
w/ House Dressing 350 1,990
Sprite 97 22
TOTAL (w/o breadstick) 1,717 5,112

*Complimentary basket of breadsticks is given to each table.

You can read more of CSPI’s calorie and sodium counts here.

-- Rosie Mestel