The Nutrition Of Chili Cheese Fries

Chili cheese fries -- French fries smothered in beef chili and melted cheddar cheese -- are a popular American food, typically served as an appetizer or side dish. Chili cheese fries are not a healthy food. They're high in both fat and calories and as such, if you're concerned about your health, it's best to only eat chili cheese fries on occasion and even then, to exercise portion control.

Carl's Jr. Chili Cheese Fries

One 10-oz. serving of Carl's Jr. Chili Cheese Fries side dish has a an amazing 980 calories, close to half the daily calorie allotment of a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. More than half of the 980 calories come from the 55 g of total fat, of which 18 g is saturated fat. Saturated fat -- the type of fat that raises cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease -- is found in animal products such as meat, butter, cheese and whole milk. Saturated fat should make up no more than 7 percent of your daily calories, according to MayoClinic.com. These chili cheese fries also have 1,950 mg of sodium, almost reaching the 2,300 mg recommended daily limit for healthy adults.

Outback Steakhouse Aussie Chili Cheese Fries

The Aussie Chili Cheese Fries at Outback Steakhouse are an appetizer that's meant to be shared -- with six friends, according to the restaurant's nutrition information. The entire side dish has 2,134 calories, 2,342 mg of sodium and 150 g of fat, of which 71.9 g is saturated fat. One-sixth of the side dish has 355 calories, 390 mg of sodium, 25 g of total fat and 12 g of saturated fat.

Emeril's Beef Chili Cheese Fries

Chef Emeril Lagasse offers a recipe for beef chili cheese fries you can make at home; however, nutritionally, it's no better than the recipes used at the chain restaurants. One serving contains 893 calories, with 561 of those calories -- more than half -- coming from 62 g of total fat and 30 g of saturated fat. The high saturated fat content of this recipe comes from ground beef, sour cream, Monterey jack cheese and frozen French fries.

Make Healthier Chili Cheese Fries

If you make chili cheese fries at home, you can cut down on fat and calories by replacing some of the ingredients with healthier ones. Skip the French fries, which are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, completely and replace them with homemade oven-fried potatoes. Make the chili with low-fat ground round or ground sirloin, or make vegetarian chili with beans only. Replace the full-fat cheese with low-fat cheese and use fat-free sour cream.