7 Toxic Menu Items We're Glad Were Discontinued
It's no secret that cooking at home is often healthier than eating at a restaurant. Chain restaurant dishes are often loaded with fat and sodium. But some dishes are worse than others, which is why we're happy to see these unhealthy discontinued restaurant meals removed from menus. From 1,200-calorie chicken sandwiches to pasta dishes with more than a day's worth of sodium, these are some of the worst foods of recent years. Goodbye and good riddance!
And for more, don't miss these 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.
Chili's Monterey Chicken
From burgers to baby back ribs, Chili's serves up some of the country's saltiest, fattiest fare. And even the menu items that don't look all that bad for you can do some real damage to your waistline. A prime example: The Monterey Chicken, which carried 940 calories, had more fat than two orders of large McDonald's fries and a whopping 3,560 milligrams of blood-pressure-raising sodium. We rejoiced the day we learned this dish had been sent to the graveyard.
Dairy Queen Iron Grilled Turkey Sandwich
In 2015, we said goodbye to DQ's 550-calorie turkey sandwich. How the chain packed so many calories into an innocent lunchbox classic we may never know, but what we do know is that America is now a safer place to live and eat. And speaking of making safer choices for your diet, be sure to check out these 46 Best Supermarket Shopping Tips Ever.
Applebee's Steak Sizzling Skillet Fajitas
Sure, a plate filled with steak, veggies, and condiments may seem like a safe enough choice, but remember, restaurant chains are sneaky. This stealthy nutrition bomb had more than two days worth of sodium, more calories than five Wendy's Junior Hamburgers, and more fat than 14 strips of sizzling bacon. Hands down, this is one of our favorite vanishing acts. And speaking of sneaky restaurant maneuvers, check out these 23 Things Fast Food Chains Don't Want You to Know.
Friendly's Citrus Grilled Chicken Sandwich
It may be called Friendly's, but the popular chain's fare is far from friendly to your belly. Sure, grilled chicken is usually a sensible sandwich filler, but Friendly's managed to make this smart-sounding sandwich platter into a diet disaster. Any entrée that has 1,250 calories, an entire day's worth of salt, and more fat than 12 Burger King Chicken Strips is one we're more than happy to bid farewell to.
Chick-Fil-A Cookie Sundae
What has more sugar than three Snickers ice cream bars? This now-dead deadweight dessert from Chick-fil-A. If you find yourself looking for something sweet from the chicken baron, the Icedream soft-serve cone is your best bet. Because it comes without the cookie crumbles, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream, it has 140 fewer calories than the sundae and saves you 14 grams of the sweet stuff. It's not what we'd consider "healthy," but it's certainly the best dessert option at the chain.
Looking for more ways to keep unnecessary calories off of your plate? Then check out these 30 Things to Do 30 Minutes Before Bed to Lose Weight.
McDonald's Honey Mustard & Chipotle Barbecue Snack Wraps
By definition, a snack is a small amount of food eaten between meals. And nutritionists will tell you that a snack should have no more than 200 calories. So we may never know why Ronald calls these extinct wraps a snack. The crispy chicken variety packed in 340 calories, and the grilled ones came in at the 260-calorie mark.
When it comes to snacking, reach for one of these 25 Best High-Protein Snacks In America.
Starbucks Valencia Orange Refresher
Although we're big fans of the Bux, there's a fair share of their menu items we'd love to see get the boot. For now, though, we'll settle for this victory. The Valencia Orange Refresher, which had 30 grams of sugar in a 24-ounce serving, was discontinued in July 2015, much to its loyal fans' dismay. But we won't miss this sugar-laden beverage.
For more, check out these 108 most popular sodas ranked by how toxic they are.
