Make Friends with Fast Foods
So many of us love fast foods, even though we understand the perils that fast food can cause to the heart, arteries and hip measurement.
All too often, we are right to be concerned. A typical meal - even breakfast -- at a fast food restaurant is likely to exceed our nutritional requirements for the entire day.
On an average, nutritionists recommend that we consume 2,000 calories per day, 65 grams of fat and 2,400 milligrams of sodium. Exceed those numbers and we are susceptible to weight gain, hardening of the arteries and heart disease. To lose weight, we must consume fewer than that many calories per day. (The figures given are ball park. Individual requirements may differ somewhat depending on body size, energy expended through exercise and other factors.)
Additionally, the recommended daily allotment of calories, fat and sodium is to be consumed at intervals throughout the day. Ideally, it should be divided among three meals and two snacks.
So let us consider the nutritional content of some fast food meals.
A Fast Food Breakfast
How about breakfast at IHOP? The Blueberry Harvest Grain and Nut Combo sounds healthy and nutritious as well as yummy. Blueberries, nuts and grains are very good for us, after all. Let's see how it stacks up. According to a fast food database compiled by the Vancouver Sun, those yummy pancakes contain 570 calories, which is 28.5% of your daily recommended allotment. The meal has 20 grams of fat and 1090 mg of sodium. And remember, this isn't including the butter, syrup, orange juice that you might consume along with it, not to mention that sugar and cream that you may add to your coffee.
IHOP's vegetable omelet would be a much better choice, at 360 calories, 16 grams of fat and 700 mg of sodium. The numbers would become even lower if you omit the cheese and special sauces.
What about dropping by the Golden Arches for breakfast? McDonald's hotcakes with margarine and syrup come in at 550 calories, 14 grams of fat and 650 mg of sodium. The calorie count is comparable to IHOP's, but the sodium and fat content is less. However, the old favorite, the Egg McMuffin has only 290 calories, 12 grams of fat and 760 mg of sodium. That's without the hash browns, which would add an extra 150 calories, 9 grams of fat and 390 mg of sodium.
But what if you're really hungry? Then how about dropping by the Burger King for their Double Croissant Sandwich with sausages, egg, hash browns and cheese? Get ready to consume a whopping 1,240 calories, 87 grams of fat and 2,440 grams of sodium. That's more than half of your recommended daily calories, MORE than your recommended fat, and 100% of your recommended daily sodium - all in one sitting!
A Muffin or a Donut for Breakfast?
Perhaps you are more likely to stop by a fast food restaurant to pick up a healthy muffin or a donut on your way to work. It may come as some surprise to realize that a chocolate covered donut may be a healthier choice than a muffin. For example, Tim Hortons (a Canadian chain) serves healthy sounding whole wheat carrot muffins. However, these little goodies have 400 calories, 19 grams of fat and 660 milligrams of sodium. On the other hand, at Krispy Kreme, a traditional glazed donut has 200 calories, 12 grams of fat and 95 mg of sodium. The decision becomes more complex when we consider that the ingredients in the muffin (whole wheat flour, carrots) are better for us than the relatively empty calories in the donut. The best choice, perhaps, would be to bypass both the donut and the muffin and look for a healthy sandwich instead.
Making Healthy Choices at the Fast Food Restaurants
Many nutritionists say that unless one has special dietary requirements, it is possible to eat at fast food restaurants occasionally without scarifying too much in terms of nutrition. The key is moderation, and wise choices. For example, ask for your burger or sandwich without the sauces and dressings, or ask if you can have half fries and half salad to cut the fat, calorie and sodium count. Choose oil and vinegar dressing or low fat dressing for the salad.
It may take some detective work on your part, but your body will thank you for making the effort to discover the nutritional content in the fast foods you eat. Although asking the server for the calorie count may not provide the details you need, the good news is that many restaurant chains post the nutritional content online.
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The nutritional content from the fast food restaurant chains is available on the company web sites. |
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