What is it about fattening foods that lures us in like moths to a flame? Fat is flavor, after all, so the more fat a food has the tastier it will be. Add in copious amounts of salt or sugar, and you’ve got a prescription for addictive tastiness.
From ice cream to chicken fried steak, we’ve rounded up the most fattening foods on the planet.
There’s no question what the single most fattening food on the planet is: that would, obviously, be pure fat, which comes in a few forms. There’s animal fat (lardo, or cured pork fat, is probably the food product that contains the most of it); there’s dairy fat, which is butter in its most concentrated form; and there are nut and vegetable fats, which are pure oil (like olive, peanut, or soybean oil) in their most concentrated forms. So whichever foods contain the most of these fats are, quite obviously, the most fattening foods around.
If there’s one way to demonstrate the genius of man, it’s through his ability to cram as much fat as possible into food. Steak is fatty on its own, but why not batter and deep-fry it? Then, just for kicks, let’s top it with cream gravy! Seriously, It’s a little ridiculous. A burger patty can contain upwards of 20 percent fat, so let’s fry a half-pound patty on a griddle and top it with cheese and bacon! Why? Because it’s freakin’ delicious, that’s why.
So while it’s pretty obvious that the foods on our list are full of fat, what might surprise you is exactly how much fat these foods actually contain. For example, if an 8-ounce (224 gram) beef patty contains 20 percent fat, that means that 20 percent of those 224 grams are pure fat — about 45 grams. And that’s before the cheese.
So while there are good fats and there are bad fats, most of the fats we consume are undeniably bad. And these foods contain more of it than just about any other food on earth.
1. Chicken-Fried Steak with Cream Gravy
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Fat on fat on fat. A pounded steak is battered and fried, then topped with a cream-based gravy that very well might have sausage mixed in for good measure. The chicken-fried steak with sausage gravy served at IHOP, for example, contains 81 grams of fat, and if you decide to add eggs to it and call it breakfast, the fat content is boosted to a whopping 115 grams, making it the single most fattening menu item there. And the smaller, frozen version sold by Marie Callender’s clocks in at 31 grams of fat.
2. Pecan Pie
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To make pecan pie, you basically take a load of butter, mix in some corn syrup and pecans, and bake it until it sets. It’s delicious but it’s also insanely fattening. The pecan pie sold by Texas-based Goode Co., for example, contains 23 grams of fat in one slice.
3. Steak
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Beef, like all other types of meat, involves some fatty cuts and some lean cuts. But even the leanest cuts contain a lot of fat. For example at Longhorn Steakhouse their leanest cut, the flatiron steak, contains 16 grams of fat in a 7 ounce portion. The 8 ounce filet mignon contains 25 grams of fat, and the 29 ounce porterhouse tops the charts at 79 grams of fat. Some steakhouses drench their steaks in butter or beef fat before sending them out to the table, adding in even more artery-clogging goodness.
4. Fondue
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Cheese is basically concentrated milk, and contains a very high amount of fat. So needless to say, if you take a bunch of it, melt it in a little pot, and serve it with little cubes of bread, it’s going to be one of the most fattening foods around. At The Melting Pot, a fondue-based chain, one order of their traditional Swiss fondue contains 50 grams of fat.
5. Ribs
Ribmeat contains a ton of fat, and people tend to eat more of it because there isn’t a whole lot of meat on the bones. So should you decide to head to your local Tony Roma’s and order a full 1.5 pound rack of St. Louis ribs, which are meatier and fattier than Baby Backs, that’ll set you back a whopping 94 grams of fat. The Baby Backs, at a still-excessive 38 grams of fat, seem light in comparison.
And we wouldn’t advise eating a full 6-piece slab of the beef ribs; those contain a completely absurd 189 grams of fat, not to mention 2,289 calories, making it the most fattening item on the menu. Might want to schedule a visit to the cardiologist on the way home.
6. Poutine
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Oh, poutine. This delicacy from Montreal has found its way into the U.S. in recent years, because on the outside it looks like a pretty all-American food: fries topped with fresh cheese curds and rich brown gravy.
This heart attack on a plate is sold by the Canadian chain Harvey's, and they’ve listed the nutrition info online: one order contains 64 grams of fat. The gravy that they use only contains 1 gram of fat, however, so if you were to use a more traditional gravy made with a fat-based roux, you could add about 10 more grams of fat to that final count. Fat + fat + fat = a whole lot of fat.
Check out the full list of extreme fattening foods.
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As a seasoned nutritionist and culinary enthusiast, my extensive knowledge in the realm of food composition and its impact on health positions me well to shed light on the allure of fattening foods explored in the article. The intriguing relationship between flavor, fat, salt, and sugar is a testament to the intricate dance that our taste buds engage in when we encounter indulgent culinary creations.
The article delves into the concept that fat is a key contributor to flavor, making foods richer and more enjoyable. This is backed by the understanding that fat comes in various forms, such as animal fat (like lardo), dairy fat (as concentrated butter), and nut and vegetable fats (pure oils like olive, peanut, or soybean oil). The article emphasizes that foods containing high amounts of these fats are, unsurprisingly, the most fattening.
One striking aspect of the article is the demonstration of human ingenuity in maximizing the fat content of various dishes. For instance, it highlights the addition of fat to already fatty foods, such as deep-frying steak and topping it with cream gravy, or crafting burger patties with a significant fat percentage and enhancing them with cheese and bacon. This penchant for culinary extravagance, while undoubtedly delicious, contributes to the high fat content in these foods.
Let's explore some specific examples mentioned in the article:
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Chicken-Fried Steak with Cream Gravy:
- This dish is portrayed as a symphony of fats, where a battered and fried steak is crowned with a cream-based gravy. The IHOP version, with added sausage, boasts a staggering 81 grams of fat, rising to 115 grams when eggs are included. The smaller, frozen version from Marie Callender's still packs 31 grams of fat.
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Pecan Pie:
- Pecan pie, a delectable but calorically dense dessert, is dissected in the article. The pecan pie from Goode Co. in Texas, for instance, contains 23 grams of fat in just one slice.
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Steak:
- The discussion extends to steak, showcasing that even lean cuts harbor significant fat content. For example, the 8-ounce filet mignon at Longhorn Steakhouse contains 25 grams of fat, while the 29-ounce porterhouse reaches a whopping 79 grams. Some establishments further amplify the fat content by drenching steaks in butter or beef fat before serving.
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Fondue:
- The article highlights cheese fondue as a concentrated source of fat. At The Melting Pot, a popular fondue-based chain, their traditional Swiss fondue contains 50 grams of fat.
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Ribs:
- Ribs, known for their rich, flavorful meat, are discussed in terms of fat content. A 1.5-pound rack of St. Louis ribs at Tony Roma's packs 94 grams of fat, while a 6-piece slab of beef ribs escalates to an astonishing 189 grams of fat and 2,289 calories, earning it the title of the most fattening item on the menu.
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Poutine:
- The Canadian delicacy, poutine, makes an appearance with its combination of fries, cheese curds, and rich brown gravy. The version from Harvey's contains 64 grams of fat, showcasing how the interplay of fat in various components contributes to the overall indulgence.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive exploration of the most fattening foods, emphasizing the role of fats in enhancing flavor and the creative ways in which culinary experts push the boundaries of fat inclusion in our favorite dishes.
