Food Showdown: Which DQ Entree is the Bigger Calorie Bomb?
Summer is winding down, which means that many of us are hitting the outdoor ice cream stands for one last hurrah. But many ice cream establishments, like Dairy Queen, offer more than just ice cream. Some have full menus with burgers, sandwiches, fries, and chicken strips. How many calories would it set you back to grab some dinner with your ice cream?
DQ's Bacon Double Cheeseburger packs two beef patties, cheese, and bacon strips between its buns. The 4-Piece Chicken Strip Basket with Country Gravy comes with buttered Texas toast, creamy gravy, and deep-fried chicken. Neither of these meals is a healthy choice—both are heavy on the fat and calories. However, one of these meals is significantly higher in calories than the other one. Can you guess which of these meals is relatively "lighter"?
The Winner: Bacon Double Cheeseburger
Although chicken is usually a better choice than beef, deep frying it and serving it with gravy seriously bumps up the fat and calories. Just four strips of chicken, plus the accompaniments, weigh in at 1,030 calories, 53 grams of fat, and 2,780 mg of sodium! (That's more than twice the calories of a small chocolate chip Blizzard!) The chicken basket has only 9 g of saturated fat, but the total fat and calories are near what some people eat in a day!
If you want to enjoy one last food hurrah this summer, skip out on the deep-fried, fatty meats and grill up some chicken or veggie kebabs at home. You'll still get that summer flavor while saving your arteries! If you must venture out to Dairy Queen for one last seasonal treat, stick with a small vanilla ice cream cone for just 230 calories and 7 grams of fat.
