5 Of The Unhealthiest Appetizers At Chili's

If you're planning on eating out at Chili's — which has had a rise, fall, and resurgence — then you probably know you won't end up having the healthiest meal. With that said, some dishes are better than others in this regard. When you're out to dinner, it's always tempting to get an appetizer first. But there are some on the Chili's menu that you may want to be cautious about, as they can get pretty unhealthy. Overall, any of these could be included on a list of the unhealthiest chain restaurant appetizers.

Most of the dishes here are notable for their high levels of sodium and calories, and it's important to understand why both of these things are bad for you. Eating too much sodium on a regular basis can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Meanwhile, frequently eating too many calories (in comparison to what's recommended per day) can increase the risk of disease, affect your brain function and sleep cycle, and lead to weight gain.

Of course, eating things that are high in sodium or calories from time to time is not necessarily a bad thing — there's no need to stop yourself from eating what you like, as long as it's in moderation. It's also important to keep in mind that these items are appetizers that are likely meant to be shared rather than eaten by one person. Still, it's a good idea to understand exactly what you're getting into with these particularly unhealthy dishes.

The Texas Cheese Fries are, undeniably, enticing. They consist of fries topped with shredded cheese, bacon, jalapeños, and green onions, served with a side of ranch. You probably aren't that surprised that it's on this list — it's a fry dish, after all. But you might be surprised by just how unhealthy this appetizer is.

The dish contains 4,130 milligrams of sodium and 1,800 calories. If you add chili, these numbers go up to 5,440 milligrams and 2,000 calories. The sodium level is more than double the recommended amount for an individual to consume in one day (about 2,300 milligrams, per the American Heart Association). As for calories, it's recommended that adult women consume between 1,800 and 2,400 per day and adult men consume between 2,400 and 3,000 (depending on age, activity level, and other factors).

In other words, this dish contains the lower end of what's recommended for a woman in one full day — all in one dish, which isn't even an entree. These numbers aren't quite as scary if you share the dish with others, but it's still worth thinking about how they compare to what's recommended for one individual.

Chili's offers three variations of mozzarella sticks: A classic version, along with Honey-Chipotle Mozzarella, and Nashville Hot Mozz. All are served with marinara sauce and come in two sizes — small, which contains three sticks, and shareable, with six. Unfortunately, no matter what size or flavor you pick, this appetizer is quite unhealthy for you. The six-count of the classic Fried Mozzarella has 1,790 calories and 5,260 milligrams of sodium, while the option for the six-count of the Nashville Hot Mozz ups the calorie count to 2,470 and the sodium to a whopping 6,650 milligrams. With both of these options, the sodium level far exceeds the 2,300 milligrams recommended for one day.

Then, the Honey-Chipotle Mozzarella has 2,440 calories, 6,320 milligrams of sodium for six, and, unlike the others, a notable amount of sugar too, with 54 grams. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 36 grams of sugar per day and women no more than 25 grams. Too much in one day can lead to high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, weight gain, and affect sleep and energy.

Of course, all of this information is for the larger, "shareable" size — each of these numbers can be cut approximately in half to show what you can expect from the "small" size. But even cut in half, these numbers are still a bit high for just three mozzarella sticks. You may be better off making mozzarella sticks at home in your air fryer. 

The Quesadilla Bacon Ranch Chicken — which consists of a quesadilla stuffed with cheese, bacon, housemade ranch, and chile spices — contains 1,670 calories, which is on the lower end compared to the other dishes on this list. But it's still worth noting, since it's approaching the lower end of the recommended daily intake. Even if you split it with a friend, it still comes out to about 800 calories, which may be more than you want for just an appetizer. Meanwhile, it also contains 2,950 milligrams of sodium, which, again, exceeds the recommended daily intake.

This is probably the "best" of the appetizers on this list, especially given that these numbers are for a full quesadilla (if you're not sharing this, then it's probably replacing your entree, which puts it in a different perspective). Plus, there aren't really any appetizer options that are actually healthy at Chili's. The "healthiest" appetizer on the menu would be the chips and salsa, which has a total of 910 calories and 1,920 milligrams of sodium. In fact, this is the only one in which the sodium level doesn't reach the daily recommended intake and the only option that doesn't surpass 1,000 calories (besides the small size of the classic mozzarella sticks).

The chips and salsa may be the healthiest option on the menu, but another chip-and-dip option, the Skillet Beef Queso and Chips, is one of the unhealthiest. This appetizer features a beef queso served with chips and salsa for those who want a heartier dip option for their chips. But health-wise, it contains 1,340 calories and 4,560 milligrams of sodium.

It's certainly not the worst when it comes to just calories — it doesn't exceed the daily recommended value — but it's a lot for an appetizer, especially if you eat it by yourself. However, the sodium level is certainly worth an eyebrow raise, seeing as it's around double what's recommended for one day. In other words, even if you split the dish with a friend, you're still eating a whole day's worth of sodium before your entree has arrived.

Most of the sodium amount is coming from the beef queso, which contains 2,640 milligrams on its own. This is much more than the other two queso options on the Chili's menu, as the white queso has 740 milligrams and the skillet queso contains 1,320 milligrams.

The Triple Dipper allows you to try three different appetizers at once — and it also gives you the potential to pick the unhealthiest items, adding up to make this the unhealthiest option on the menu. For example, if you choose the Nashville Hot Chicken Crispers, you're already starting with 1,050 calories and 3,550 milligrams of sodium. Then, if you choose the Buffalo Boneless Wings and the Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers, then you end up with a grand total of 2,580 calories and a whopping 8,760 milligrams of sodium.

The "best" combination, if going by calories, would be the Southwestern Eggrolls (580), the Buffalo Wings (580), and the Crispy Chicken Crispers (590) without sauce. Meanwhile, the options for the Triple Dipper with the least amount of sodium are the House BBQ Wings (1,290 milligrams), the Honey-Chipotle Wings (1,360), and the House BBQ Boneless Wings (1,510) — although, it's worth noting that the Honey-Chipotle Wings also have 27 grams of sugar. So, if you picked, say, the Southwestern Eggrolls, the Crispy Chicken Crispers without sauce, and the House BBQ Wings — this would add up to 1,750 calories and 4,810 milligrams of sodium.

These numbers, especially the sodium, are still quite high, but much less than other combinations of the Triple Dipper. Plus, the sodium level isn't much different than the six-count of the Nashville Hot Mozz and the calorie count doesn't reach the daily recommended limit. Still, it's probably best to save the Triple Dipper for when you're sharing with others.