Feeling hungry? Here are the 50 fattiest foods in the country

What a couple of weeks it's been. The United States government released its Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, which acknowledges that people are too heavy and should eat a more plant-based diet. Then a report from Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation let us know that residents of 28 states are still gaining weight.

So it makes sense that Health.com would come out with its list of the "50 Fattiest Foods Across the Nation," a state-by-state rundown of the worst fat and sugar-laden offerings. Let's start with California, where the venerable In-N-Out Double-Double comes in at 670 calories and 18 grams of saturated fat. Although some people think this hamburger is the stuff dreams are made of, others see it as an artery-clogging nightmare.

We'll move on to Colorado, which typically gets good marks for having lower obesity rates compared with the rest of the country. They must be doing something right, and it probably isn't eating Jack-N-Grill's grande breakfast burrito that weighs in at -- what? -- five pounds. We're not even going to mention calories and fat because it would probably make us weep.

New York (or Manhattan, really) is known as foodie heaven, but the state's contribution to the list of fattiest foods doesn't exactly fall under the category of "gourmet." This one is called the "Garbage Plate," and it consists of a starchy base such as home fries, macaroni salad or baked beans topped with some type of meat (cheeseburger, fried ham, sausage) and covered with a boatload of condiments. There's even a veggie burger version! Considering the countless variations possible, it's no wonder there's no official nutritional information for this dish, which allegedly was born at a Rochester restaurant called Nick Tahou Hots in 1918. But estimates put it at anywhere from 93 to 203 grams of fat per plate. Mmmmmm.

Feeling queasy yet? No? Good, because there's lots more. Hey, Mississippi, we hear your obesity rates are through the roof! That's too bad, because your Mud Pie is one of our guilty pleasures. This sweet treat can be made a number of different ways, but basically relies on chocolate, cream, butter and sugar. There's a commercial version of the pie that has 35 grams of fat per serving. But who's counting?

Let's head north to Vermont, that pretty state that gave the world Ben and Jerry, as in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Yes, there are sugar-free and lower-fat frozen desserts, but beware the Vermonster, which has 20 scoops of ice cream, plus hot fudge, bananas, cookies, brownies and other toppings. Wait -- you're supposed to share this? With other people? Oh.

In Washington the big offender is a salad. Not just any salad, but a Crab Louis. And Louis apparently knows how to ratchet up the calories and fat. Blame it on the mayonnaise-based dressing, which probably accounts for most of the 15 to 25 grams of fat. But at least there's some lettuce and tomatoes in there.

And finally, give some props to Arizona, which hasn't been feeling the love so much these days. There you can indulge in a Quadruple Bypass Burger at the Heart Attack Grill. This puppy is guesstimated to have 8,000 calories and at least 60 grams of fat. We'll take ours with a side of irony, please.

-- Jeannine Stein

The In-N-Out Double-Double burger ranks as one of the fattiest foods in America. Photo credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[P J Evans]

Fatty, yes, but if you eat them only as treats, you can enjoy them with a lot less guilt.

[Stan]

I am from DC, I stopped eating red meat 3 years ago, I knew I kicked the red meat habit when I was in LA and didn't go to In and Out for the Double Double which in my opinion is the best burger in the world. I have been coming to LA for over 25 years ( I 'm a Flight Attendant) and when I stopped going to In and Out I new I had it made. don't miss it one bit because I like the lighter me.

[Laura]

I'm kind of surprised the double double made this list. I look at the calorie and fat counts of many restaurants and they are almost always more than 670 calories. At place like PF Chang and CPK, almost everything (including salads) is over 1000 calories.

Probably the best advice is to avoid eating out too often.

[PT1]

Order an In-N-Out double-double *without* the special sauce and that comes down to about 480 calories and reasonable fat levels. That and not eating there every day can actually make it a very healthy choice.

It's all about your choices.

[runcatalina]

Visiting family in CA this week and just made the annual pilgrimage to In-n-Out. And I agree with PJ about enjoying them as treats.

[Edge]

At the Heart Attack Grill, sexy girls in nurse's uniforms act as your server. That alone is worth the cholesterol and clogged arteries.

[OCReader]

When will people realize that fat does NOT make you fat? Excess carbs unburned is stored as fat. A low fat high carb diet makes your LDL particles small and dense. This as this is what forms plaque in the walls of your arteries. A high fat, low carb diet makes larger, lighter LDL particles. You WANT larger and lighter LDL particles as these are too big to fit into the arteries and form plaque like the smaller denser LDL particles can. Also, without fat you can't utilize vitamins properly either. Your metabolism slows down. Your body NEEDS fat. Low fat diets take out the good tasting, satisfying fat (causing you to eat less and less often) and add SUGAR to make it taste good. Just check out ranch dressing - regular vs. low fat. The carb (sugar) amounts are so drastically different that it just shows you how much sugar is added to the low fat stuff.

Lost a lot of weight 9 years ago and still eat low carb. Went from a size 12 to a size 2 and have stayed there. In my mid 40's too. Eggs and bacon for breakfast, meat and salad for dinner. Chicken salad lettuce wraps for lunch, beef jerky (original flavor) and full fat cheeses as a snack, nuts, berries (straw, blue and rasp). Really not that difficult and you will feel much better without the afternoon slump (and no 5 hr energy needed!). Sleep better, immunity is better, energy level is better.

Eat the double double, no sauce, add mustard, protein style and skip the fries. Much better than eating that baked potato that you think is healthy but is really akin to eating a piece of cake (effects your insulin levels the same!).

[Dave]

In N Out? Merely pedestrian... They should've tested a Tommy's Double cheeseburger. Part gut bomb, and grease pile... pure unadulterated burger bliss.

I feel sorry for those who refuse to indulge themselves from time to time. What's it like to not eat meat, not make love, not cut loose, not indulge for the sake of pleasure, and sell it as worth it for the sake of a marginally longer life, or pitiful self righteousness?

What's the point of living, if you fear everything?

[Sarah]

I have 3 on 3 in and out in my neck of the wood everyday.

[Elisabeth]

Is there a list on ONE PAGE that I can read? I clicked on the link, but it appears that I'll be subjected to one-page-per-dish, which I don't have time nor interest in. Whatever, I don't eat much of this garbage, but it still would be helpful be aware of the worst offenders.

[Mike]

I find it funny that you mention the In and Out Double Double as an artery closer when Carls Jr has 10 hamburgers alone with more calories and grams of fat than a Double Double. Sure, it might be up there......but come on.....get your facts straight.