Hidden Health Dangers: The Fast Food Lie
Mindy Shuman
Issue date: 10/26/04 Section: News
Any fried food at a fast food restaurant will set you back, some worse than others. At Burger King, a kid's 4 piece tender has 9 grams of fat and 170 calories. A four piece Chicken McNugget order at McDonald's has ten grams of fat and 170 calories, while their new offering, Chicken Select Strips, contains 20 grams of fat and 380 calories. A three-piece Chicken Strip order from Carl's Jr. has 21 grams of fat and 376 calories. At 38 grams of fat and 630 calories, Jack in the box once again overshadows its competitors.
Then there are the sauces. Those little tubs of sauce are deceptive. Ranch ranges from 10 to 15 grams of fat. Carl's Jr. offers the Buttermilk House dipping sauce at 13 grams of fat.
In spite of the reduced sized offerings for breakfast, the fat and calories are simply packaged smaller. The extreme Sausage Sandwich at Jack in the Box contains 50 grams of fat. At Carl's Jr. the Croissant Sunrise Sandwich with Sausage has 40 grams of fat. McDonald's Sausage McMuffin with Egg has 28 grams of fat. While Burger King offers not only their Sausage Croissant at 39 grams of fat, but seeks to top the morning fat fest with their new Double Sausage Croissant, with 2 pieces of sausage, 2 slices of cheese with egg on a croissant, that weighs out at 63 grams of fat. That is almost as much fat as in their Double Whopper with cheese at 69 grams of fat.
Finding healthy options at fast food restaurants, as nutritionists suggest for those who will eat there anyway, is more difficult than one might realize.
Salads are the obvious choice, and are mostly healthy as long as any chicken placed on them is not fried. Other pitfalls occur as you add onto the vegetable bases. Salad dressings seem to be the worst offenders, the creamier, the fatter. Ordering ranch style dressings will gain you anywhere from 10- 41 grams of fat.
Jack in the Box's salads are especially deceiving. One example, and the worst of the lot, is the Chicken Club salad containing 61.5 grams of fat and 825 calories. Even the side salad has 7.5 grams of fat. Add a pack of Ranch dressing and the small salad suddenly contains 48.5 grams of fat.
Beware advertising that declare healthy alternatives. Fast food, by its very nature is not healthy. Check nutritional charts either at the store or offered online. Be aware of what is in the food being eaten, 'healthy' can be deceiving.
America is a nation of fat people obsessed with being thin; however, in the last twenty years adult obesity rates have doubled, while teen obesity rates have tripled. Some believe if they remove the carbohydrates, the bun, from their Double Whopper with Cheese, and then slather it with a packet of mayo, they are being healthy. That is 65 grams of fat, a whole days worth of fat contained in a black plastic bowl.
Does that sound healthy to you?
Then there are the sauces. Those little tubs of sauce are deceptive. Ranch ranges from 10 to 15 grams of fat. Carl's Jr. offers the Buttermilk House dipping sauce at 13 grams of fat.
In spite of the reduced sized offerings for breakfast, the fat and calories are simply packaged smaller. The extreme Sausage Sandwich at Jack in the Box contains 50 grams of fat. At Carl's Jr. the Croissant Sunrise Sandwich with Sausage has 40 grams of fat. McDonald's Sausage McMuffin with Egg has 28 grams of fat. While Burger King offers not only their Sausage Croissant at 39 grams of fat, but seeks to top the morning fat fest with their new Double Sausage Croissant, with 2 pieces of sausage, 2 slices of cheese with egg on a croissant, that weighs out at 63 grams of fat. That is almost as much fat as in their Double Whopper with cheese at 69 grams of fat.
Finding healthy options at fast food restaurants, as nutritionists suggest for those who will eat there anyway, is more difficult than one might realize.
Salads are the obvious choice, and are mostly healthy as long as any chicken placed on them is not fried. Other pitfalls occur as you add onto the vegetable bases. Salad dressings seem to be the worst offenders, the creamier, the fatter. Ordering ranch style dressings will gain you anywhere from 10- 41 grams of fat.
Jack in the Box's salads are especially deceiving. One example, and the worst of the lot, is the Chicken Club salad containing 61.5 grams of fat and 825 calories. Even the side salad has 7.5 grams of fat. Add a pack of Ranch dressing and the small salad suddenly contains 48.5 grams of fat.
Beware advertising that declare healthy alternatives. Fast food, by its very nature is not healthy. Check nutritional charts either at the store or offered online. Be aware of what is in the food being eaten, 'healthy' can be deceiving.
America is a nation of fat people obsessed with being thin; however, in the last twenty years adult obesity rates have doubled, while teen obesity rates have tripled. Some believe if they remove the carbohydrates, the bun, from their Double Whopper with Cheese, and then slather it with a packet of mayo, they are being healthy. That is 65 grams of fat, a whole days worth of fat contained in a black plastic bowl.
Does that sound healthy to you?