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Worst dishes to order when out to eat

By Megan Cloherty

WASHINGTON — They are the worst of the worst: the most calorie-packed, sodium- filled, fatty dishes you can order at chain restaurants.

“We surveyed the menus and nutrition information of more than 200 of the top chain restaurants and selected the worst items we can find,” says registered dietitian Paige Einstein, with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. She helped compile this year’s extreme eating winners.

At the top of the list, The Big Hook Up platter at Joe’s Crab Shack.

“It has 3,300 calories and 2 1/2 days worth of saturated fat,” Einstein says.

And the Cheesecake Factory’s best French toast will put your health in a tailspin, she says. In fact, you could have five Big Macs and still not equal its calorie count.

To see how the dishes compare to other foods, click the gallery to the right.

Some of the worst offenders:

  • The Cheesecake Factory’s Bruleed French Toast

    It packs the equivalent of eating 14 slices of Aunt Jemima frozen Homestyle French Toast stuffed with 8 oz. of Kraft Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese.

  • Red Robin’s Monster Meal

    It delivers a 1,670-calorie burger with unlimited 370-calorie fries, and a Monster Salted Caramel milkshake adds another 1,500 calories on top.

  • Chevy’s Fresh Mex’s Cinco de Maxo

    The meal of two enchiladas, crispy hand-rolled pork tamales and chiles rellenos is served with rice, sweet corn tamalito and choice of refried beans made with bacon or vegetarian black beans. If you ignore the chips and salsa, you’re packing on 1,920 calories and 36 grams of saturated fat.

While some menus are offering more choices, they can be hard to find, and Einstein says the onus is on restaurants to make healthy meals for customers.

“There’s definitely still a lot of bad options out there. Some restaurants do offer a handful of healthier options, but that’s after pages of their menu of these really high-calorie items,” Einstein says.

Some ideas for eating out in a more healthy way, straight from the Extreme Eating 2014 article:

  1. Order from the lower-cal menu.
  2. Skip the beef, bun and fries.
  3. Lighten your pizza: Order a thin crust. Ask for less cheese. Top with veggies, chicken, or seafood instead of sausage, beef, bacon, salami, or pepperoni.
  4. Ditch the chips and combos.

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Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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