The 50 Fattiest Foods in the States (Part 2/5)

By Sarah Klein

Traditional American fare—just like the American waistline  —  is looking more than a little pudgy these days.

Even though some states enjoy healthier reputations than others (Yes, Colorado, we mean you), no state is completely guilt-free when it comes to dishes with huge portion sizes, super-high calorie counts, or sky-high fat content.

So if you want to sample some of these regional favorites on your next road trip, your best bet may be to minimize your portion size.


11) Hawaii: Loco Moco

Legend says the islands’ comfort food dates back to 1949, when a group of hungry teens wanted the owner of Hilo’s Lincoln Grill to whip up something cheap but filling. He reportedly threw together some white rice, a beef patty, and gravy, which came to be known as the Loco Moco.

Ingredients: Today, variations abound. The Large at Island Cuisine Maui, a Maui restaurant, has two hamburger patties, two eggs, three scoops of jasmine rice, plus onions, fish, and mushroom gravy.

Fat content: Two hamburger patties clock in at 32 grams fat, two eggs have 10 more grams of fat, and a serving of mushroom gravy has about a gram of fat, all of which edge this dish close to the daily recommended limit.


12) Idaho: Bacon Bleu Cheese Dressing

In a state known for its potatoes, residents tend to get creative with their spuds, often by adding fatty toppings. The Gem State houses the headquarters of Litehouse Foods, a dressings, sauces, and marinades company. A dollop of sour cream on top of a baked potato looks like a good choice compared to the Bacon Bleu Cheese dressing.

Ingredients: Chunky blue cheese dressing, hickory smoked bacon

Fat content: 2 tablespoons contain 16 grams of fat, about the same as an entire Burger King cheeseburger.


13) Illinois: Deep-dish Pizza

Deep-dish pizza, native to Chicago, was born in 1943 at the original Pizzeria Uno’s. Now a nationwide chain, the restaurant continues to serve deep-dish pies, piled high. Guilty of one of the oldest tricks in the book, the restaurant markets pizzas as an “individual” size, but the pie should really serve three. It’s a surefire way to up your fat and calorie intake.

Fat content: One serving of the Cheese & Tomato deep dish has 40 grams of fat, 5 more than your recommended daily limit. Add toppings, like sausage or pepperoni, and that can jump as high as 55 grams of fat per serving!


14) Indiana: Fried-brain Sandwich

The Hoosier State is known for its pork products and festival fare. But Evansville, Ind.’s Hilltop Inn, until recently, was more famous for serving up a fried-brain sandwich that dates back to the days of waste-not German and Dutch settlers. After recent USDA regulations concerning the spread of mad cow disease, the restaurant created a version made from pork brains instead.

Ingredients: Oil for frying, brain on a bun with pickles and onions

Fat content: A 6-ounce scoop of beef brain batter fried up at the Hilltop Inn packed about 24 grams of fat. The pork version is estimated to be closer to around 18 grams.


15) Iowa: Hot beef Sundae

In 2006, the hot beef sundae made its debut at the Iowa State Fair. An artery-clogging play on the classic hot fudge sundae, this horror was marketed as “a new twist to an old favorite.”

Ingredients: Mashed potatoes, roast beef, beef gravy, cheddar cheese, tomato

Fat content: Following the Iowa State Fair recipe at home will dish out a “sundae” with about 28 grams of fat. Commercially prepared recipes may vary.



16) Kansas: Charred Ends

Burnt ends don’t necessarily sound like a delicacy, but in the Kansas barbecue world, the charred ends of a brisket are held in the highest esteem.

Ingredients: These crunchy cubes are the fatty ends of a barbecued brisket.

Fat content: Recipes vary between about 10 to 12 grams of fat per serving.





17) Kentucky: KFC's Double Down

Everyone’s buzzing about the Double Down, the new bunless sandwich from KFC. Surprisingly, it’s not the fattiest item on this Kentucky-based chain’s menu—the chicken pot pie takes the cake—but it is definitely still among the worst.

Ingredients: Two fried chicken fillets, bacon, pepper jack and Monterey jack cheese, special sauce

Fat content: 32 grams in one sandwich


18) Louisiana: Beignet

A staple at southern cafés is the beignet, a fried dough pastry particularly linked with New Orleans. One of the most popular places to enjoy a beignet is Café Du Monde, a French market–style coffee shop in the Big Easy. There, the fried puffs come covered in powdered sugar in orders of three.

Ingredients: Fried dough, powdered sugar

Fat content: Recipes estimate that Café du Monde–style beignets clock in at about 11 grams of fat, the same number as in a McDonald’s cheeseburger.


19) Maine: Lobster Roll

New England is a bastion of fresh—and healthy—seafood. But seafood restaurants are guilty of transforming these powerhouses of heart-healthy fats into saturated-fat-delivery machines. The lobster roll, a classic in Maine, piles on the mayo and butter.

Ingredients: Lobster meat, cucumber, mayonnaise, tarragon, scallions, salt, pepper, hot dug bun, butter

Fat content: Recipes vary. The lobster roll at New England sandwich shop D’Angelo clocks in at 22 grams of fat, while a small one at New England pizza chain Papa Gino’s averages about 34 grams.


20) Maryland: Smith Island Cake

In 2008, the Old Line State adopted the Smith Island Cake as its official state dessert. The cake gets its name from a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay, home to fewer than 100 year-round residents, and yet the decadent treat became so popular the governor signed the cake into law.

Ingredients: At least 10 layers of cake, which can be made from scratch or from a packaged mix, with layers of chocolate icing in between

Fat content: Most recipes have around 26 grams of fat per serving.

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From health.com
To be continued
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