The 30 Worst Fast-Food Restaurant Choices

PF Chang's

This may come as a surprise to many, but restaurant noodle dishes and stir-fries can be frighteningly high in fat and calorie counts. And few people understand that places like PF Chang's create entrees intended to be shared by the table.

To minimize the damage, ask them to go light on the oil and sauce in the food prep. Chang's also offers "stock velveted" treatment, which replaces oil with vegetable or chicken stock in the cooking, which can "drastically reduce the amount of fat and calories to an entree while still providing great flavor," says Silber. Also, ask for your sauces on the side, and always opt for brown rice.

940 calories, 68g fat, 10g saturated fat, 2,225mg sodium

According to the menu, this salad is simply grilled chicken with house greens tossed with the restaurant's "signature ginger dressing." But they add, "for a lighter touch, try it with our sesame vinaigrette dressing" and that should be your cue that their signature tosser is anything but light. Eater beware: not all salads are made equal.

2,110 calories, 70g fat, 10g saturated fat, 1,815mg sodium

Though shrimp is relatively low in calories (three ounces contains around 90 calories), the two words "crispy" and "honey" spell bad news. This is the fat on sugar concept, and it works like crack. Remember, kids: just say no!

1,968 calories, 24g fat, 3g saturated fat, 1,465mg sodium

We're used to seeing our lo mein noodles in a small, harmless-looking white cardboard box. This is something else entirely. Intended to be shared by three people, a big pile of lo mein noodles are stir-fried in oil with large portions of beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp. To avoid keeling over from cardiac arrest, ask for a "vegetable stock velveted" preparation to replace the oil, and remember to split this one!

272 calories, 14g fat, 2g saturated fat, 159mg sodium

We all need more heart and brain-healthy salmon in our diets, and ginger is good for the stomach and for reducing inflammation, according to Silber.

325 calories, 16g fat, 4g saturated fat, 749mg sodium

An 8-ounce portion has only a little over 300 calories, and in addition to being a great source of omega-3s and protein, mahi-mahi provides plenty of selenium, an antioxidant thought to help prevent cancer.

188 calories, 3g fat, 0g saturated fat, 257mg sodium

More than 80 percent protein, scallops are also a good source of both magnesium and potassium, and these quick-fired scallops in a light lemon sauce won't balloon your waistline, either.