On Dec. 3, 2023, fitness content creator Will Tennyson published a video on his YouTube channel wherein he embarked on a gastronomic journey, exploring some of the most calorically dense restaurant meals in America. He discovered these indulgent dishes via Eat This, Not That! [1].
Among the restaurants were Cheesecake Factory, Chili’s, Applebee’s, and Olive Garden. In total, he consumed 12,490 calories across five meals. Considering one pound equates to 3,500 calories, Tennyson tacked on just over 3.5 pounds. Check out the gluttony below:
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Meal One — The Cheesecake Factory Bruléed French Toast with Bacon & Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Tennyson began his gluttonous escapades with bruléed French toast and cinnamon roll pancakes at the Cheesecake Factory. The two dishes ranked eighth and 15th on the Eat This, Not That! list.
“These two dishes have 250 grams of sugar,” said Tennyson, his voice twanged with concern.
To put the calorie content of this meal into perspective — a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts pack about 2,280 calories. Eating The Cheesecake Factory’s bruléed French toast and cinnamon roll pancakes is equivalent to devouring 24 Krispy Kreme donuts.
Tennyson highlighted that volume doesn’t always correlate to calories with junk food. Eating a piece of the bruléed French toast equated to what Tennyson said felt like ingesting an entire stick of butter.
“You have to wonder if the owners of The Cheesecake Factory have invested in insulin stocks. They’re just trying to serve us [these dishes] and get rich, get rich two ways,” joked Tennyson.
Bruléed French Toast Macronutrients
- Protein — 45 grams
- Carbs — 208 grams
- Fats — 131 grams
- Calories — 2,180
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Macronutrients
- Protein — 23 grams
- Carbs — 241 grams
- Fats — 110 grams
- Calories — 2,040
Total Macronutrients
- Protein — 68 grams
- Carbs — 449 grams
- Fats — 241 grams
- Calories — 4,220
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Meal Two — The Cheesecake Factory Pasta Carbonara with Chicken
The Cheesecake Factory’s pasta carbonara with chicken is the fourth most calorically dense dish in America. This creamy pasta dish, topped with peas, bacon, and chicken, has 1,305 calories from fat alone.
Total Macronutrients
- Protein — 85 grams
- Carbs — 141 grams
- Fats — 145 grams
- Calories — 2,340
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Meal Three — Chili’s Ultimate Smokehouse Combo
Chili’s Ultimate Smokehouse Combo is the third most calorific dish in the USA. Tennyson picked ribs, crispy chicken crispers, honey chipotle chicken crispers, and three sides as part of his smokehouse combo.
“It’s like playing Russian roulette, and every chamber has a bullet in it,” said Tennyson.
Total Macronutrients
- Protein — 106 grams
- Carbs — 122 grams
- Fats — 173 grams
- Calories — 2,470
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Meal Four — Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad Wrap
Applebee’s turned one of their most popular salads into a wrap. The problem? The salad already packed over 1,500 calories. Putting it inside a wrap increased the calorie count to 1,910, making it the 21st most calorie-dense dish in America.
This salad is loaded with nuts, oil, and dressing, pushing its fat content to 114 grams. The dressing and nuts alone comprise a whopping 820 calories and 72 grams of fat.
Total Macronutrients
- Protein — 43 grams
- Carbs — 180 grams
- Fats — 114 grams
- Calories — 1,910
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Meal Five — Olive Garden Tour of Italy
Tennyson concluded his questionable culinary journey with a 1,550-calorie meal at Olive Garden.
“It looks like a bunch of different microwave dinners have just clapped onto my plate,” said Tennyson at first sight of his dinner.
Total Macronutrients
- Protein — 72 grams
- Carbs — 99 grams
- Fats — 98 grams
- Calories — 1,550
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Five Meal Total Macronutrients
- Protein — 374 grams
- Carbs — 991 grams
- Fats — 771 grams
- Calories — 12,490 calories
Although Tennyson was critical of all his meals, he encouraged viewers to enjoy such meals occasionally while remaining mindful of their dietary choices. Consistency is key for results regarding diet, and a cheat meal every once in a while can help make dieting more manageable.
References
- Chatzky, J. (2020, December 4). 50 Most Caloric Dishes in America. Eat This, Not That! Retrieved from https://www.eatthis.com/most-caloric-dishes-in-america/
Featured image: @willtenny on Instagram
