Not so healthy "healthy" alternatives

meshellmybell76
meshellmybell76 Posts: 139 Member
edited September 27 in Food and Nutrition
McDonald’s Oatmeal, Wendy’s Salad Among Five Worst “Healthy” Fast Foods

Dietitians’ Analysis Shows Items Packed with Sugar, Sodium, Fat, and Cholesterol

WASHINGTON—Some menu items marketed as “healthy” by national fast-food chains are packed with more fat, sodium, or sugar than anyone should eat in an entire day, a new study says. On a list of the five worst “healthy” fast-food items released by the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine are Wendy’s Baja Salad with more sodium than most people should consume in an entire day and McDonald’s Fruit & Maple Oatmeal with more caloriesthan a hamburger and more sugar than many candy bars.

“Your health and your waistline will thank you for saying no to these so-called healthy foods,” says PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “Fast-food chains hope to cash in on consumer ignorance with labels like ‘fat-free’ and ‘low-calorie.’ But some of these foods contain more sugar, sodium, or fat than anyone should eat in an entire day, and eating them can increase your risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.”

KFC’s grilled chicken, marketed to health-conscious consumers as a “better-for-you” alternative to the chain’s high-fat fried chicken, contains a carcinogen called PhIP that has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer and other cancers.

The five worst “healthy” fast food items are:



1. Wendy’s Baja Salad

1,990 milligrams of sodium—more than most people should consume in an entire day.


2. McDonald’s Fruit & Maple Oatmeal

More sugar than a Snickers Bar.


3. Subway Fresh Fit 6” Turkey Breast Sub

With standards such as cheese and mayo, this “low-fat” sandwich jumps to 24 grams of fat. Contains processed meat, which is linked to increased cancer risk.


4. Sonic Strawberry Smoothie

More sugar than five Twinkies.


5. KFC Kentucky Grilled Chicken

Contains PhIP, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the federal government.


To speak with Susan Levin, contact Vaishali Honawar at 202-527-7339 or vhonawar@pcrm.org.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.

Replies

  • she_elf
    she_elf Posts: 108
    I already knew about fast food salads and McDonald's oatmeal, but every time I hear it I go O_O

    What ever happened to punishing companies who falsely advertise their products??
  • Yocum1219
    Yocum1219 Posts: 400 Member
    If you leave the chili off of the Wendy's salad & the tortilla strips, you lose a lot of the sodium...which most people who are truly trying to be fit would know! :-)
    The McDonald's Oatmeal has no flavor to boot! For 50 more calories...I can have my Sausage McMuffin that I prefer, so if I'm gonna "cheat" at McD's...I'm going for it! :-)
    Thanks for the info! I never get cheese at Subway anyway also! And KFC is just evil for anybody trying to be healthy, grilled chicken or not! Sonic too!!
  • AngelsKisses75
    AngelsKisses75 Posts: 595 Member
    As I started this journeyI started checking information on foods a lot more. I was amazed at how many unhealthy things are able to be marked as healthy. Some of the stuff I eat is live and learn, others ehhhhh I may just eat less of. :wink:

    Thanks for the post!
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Yeah, I expect that when/if I go to fast food, it's going to be a less healthy meal day. I still order sweet-potato fries over regular ('cause they taste better), but I certainly don't expect to be getting any extra nutrients. It's all been leeched out by the deep-frying process.
    I just go for smaller sizes and only get fast food once in a while.
  • annacataldo
    annacataldo Posts: 872 Member
    Anyone who would order the baja salad has got to know that---guacamole is a high calorie food, and so is chili because beans are also a high calorie food; and id expect that coming from a fast food resturant that the chili wouldnt be reduced sodium. Anyone that is serious about weight loss and eating right would know these things--also, its probably that might in sodium with the dressing included, and i for one rarely ever eat dressing because of the sodium content; If i do use it, i only use 1tbls or less.

    Haivng the oatmeal at mcdonalds--fruit is really high sugar.. I cant go a day with eating fruit without not going over on sugar. You think itd be common sense when something says "maple"; its probably loaded with brown sugar, especially coming from mcdonalds. I for one am scared to try oatmeal from mcdonalds anyway.

    If I go to a fast food place for something "healthy"; I skip the dressing, skip the croutons, and order salads that dont include items that will really increase calories alot--like a local place has a blue cheese salad with bacon bits--i would never order it.

    Liek with any sandwich, served anywhere, even at your own home, mayo and cheese are options... u go to subway and order a sandwich with mayo and cheese--is that subways fault or is it your own? I dont order my sandwichs with olives, oil, mayo, mustard, cheese, or any sauce, and make sure to get a whole wheat bread, with extra spinach; and hot peppers that boost your metabolism. The turkey has alot of sodium in it; I was having the roast beef but went with turkey cuz of lower cal, but with more sodium i think id rather go with the roast beef. They have other stuff there besides sliced turkey---how about the chicken breast? I also can stand 24g of fat because I rarely ever go over on fat, and always have tons extra sitting there to use up.

    Any smoothie from anywhere is gunna be loaded with sugar---even if its oraganic or fresh, because fruit has sugar.
  • gaeljo
    gaeljo Posts: 223 Member
    I don't trust McDonalds even for a cup of coffee or a glass of water. *kitten*.
  • nikki_zav
    nikki_zav Posts: 320 Member
    OMG! I don't eat any of these foods....but the fast food industry continues to shock me more and more each day and I learn more about their truths. I mean, who makes a conscious decision to make Oatmeal unhealthy?! It's one of natures best 'sponges' for soaking up all the crap in your body. How do you expect it to do what you need if it's already soaking soaked up all the crap in the dish itself!

    Does anyone else get more scared of food as they learn more?
  • mbvenske
    mbvenske Posts: 239 Member
    Anyone who would order the baja salad has got to know that---guacamole is a high calorie food, and so is chili because beans are also a high calorie food; and id expect that coming from a fast food resturant that the chili wouldnt be reduced sodium. Anyone that is serious about weight loss and eating right would know these things--also, its probably that might in sodium with the dressing included, and i for one rarely ever eat dressing because of the sodium content; If i do use it, i only use 1tbls or less. ......

    But there is a difference between good fats and bad fats. alvocados, altho being high in fat, are a good fat and in moderation they are good for you. Same goes with fresh fruit, altho high in sugar, it is better to have these sugars in fresh fruit than it is to have it in processed fruits or foods. I just don't want people to be scared of these foods and think they can no longer eat them.
  • meshellmybell76
    meshellmybell76 Posts: 139 Member
    ^ Exactly!!! The guacamole is probably the best thing that salad has going for it!!! I think a lot of people totally missed my point of this post. I was trying to point out what a shame it is that people who lack knowledge are being tricked into thinking they are doing something good for themselves. For example, the little pile of fruit is NOT the source of the crazy high sugar content in that oatmeal, it is all the other garbage they add to it, all the while marketing it as a "health food".
  • unhinge
    unhinge Posts: 318 Member
    Just goes to prove you cannot trust fast food chains, and need to educate yourself when it comes to eating at restaurants. Best choices are those you make at home so you know what goes in your food and reading the nutrition information BEFORE going out to dine.
  • Moriarty_697
    Moriarty_697 Posts: 226 Member
    I've always figured that when it came to Wendy's salads, you're probably better off buying a burger. At least then you are not trying to deceive yourself into believing you're eating healthy.

    The Toronto Star runs an occasional column called The Dish where they take foods from local restaurants to a lab to test them. They do some obviously unhealthy options (like my beloved St. Lawrence Market Peameal Bacon on a Kaiser) to others that will surprise you (like supposedly healthy salads or greek food). Always interesting reading. It's not the easiest to find but if you dig around the life pages of www.thestar.com, you'll find them.
  • VeganInTraining
    VeganInTraining Posts: 1,319 Member
    Is it bad that while that does make me go "wow, I need to stay away from fast food!" but at the same time go, "well now I don't feel as bad about opting for the chicken McNuggets rather than a "healthier" option last time I was at McDondalds. I really don't eat much fast food (MAYBE once a month) but when I do, I am sure to indulge in something I will enjoy (and something I am sure to say "why did I do that to myself" afterward)....maybe I have a problem lol
  • Moriarty_697
    Moriarty_697 Posts: 226 Member
    I agree about the healthy sugar. As for going over on sugar, I've just accepted that that is going to happen on MFP because I eat a fair bit of fruit. I just make sure that the vast majority (actually, pretty much all) of the sugar in my diet comes from fruit and not from ultrefined stuff lurking in processed foods/snacks. I'm a type 2 diabetic and even with the fruit, my blood sugars are well within the optimal range for controlled diabetes.
  • Ali_TSO
    Ali_TSO Posts: 1,172 Member
    Anyone who would order the baja salad has got to know that---guacamole is a high calorie food, and so is chili because beans are also a high calorie food; and id expect that coming from a fast food resturant that the chili wouldnt be reduced sodium. Anyone that is serious about weight loss and eating right would know these things--also, its probably that might in sodium with the dressing included, and i for one rarely ever eat dressing because of the sodium content; If i do use it, i only use 1tbls or less. ......

    But there is a difference between good fats and bad fats. alvocados, altho being high in fat, are a good fat and in moderation they are good for you. Same goes with fresh fruit, altho high in sugar, it is better to have these sugars in fresh fruit than it is to have it in processed fruits or foods. I just don't want people to be scared of these foods and think they can no longer eat them.

    THANK YOU! I make smoothies every morning, and even though they're high in sugar, it's not "bad" sugar. AND i'm not stopping at Hardee's every morning anymore. Sick of people telling me my smoothies are bad bc of the sugar. Ugh. :grumble:
  • Harkins86
    Harkins86 Posts: 58 Member
    Anyone who would order the baja salad has got to know that---guacamole is a high calorie food, and so is chili because beans are also a high calorie food; and id expect that coming from a fast food resturant that the chili wouldnt be reduced sodium. Anyone that is serious about weight loss and eating right would know these things--also, its probably that might in sodium with the dressing included, and i for one rarely ever eat dressing because of the sodium content; If i do use it, i only use 1tbls or less. ......

    But there is a difference between good fats and bad fats. alvocados, altho being high in fat, are a good fat and in moderation they are good for you. Same goes with fresh fruit, altho high in sugar, it is better to have these sugars in fresh fruit than it is to have it in processed fruits or foods. I just don't want people to be scared of these foods and think they can no longer eat them.

    I agree. Avocados contain monounsaturated fats that help reduce cholesterol, and are an excelent source of potassium and vitamin K. Fruit may contain sugars but they also contain vitamin C and fibre. They are thought to help protect against Alzheimers, some forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Avoid processed and refined foods, eat natural foods with complex sugars and natural fats! Thats all there is to eating well, it's a lot harder than it sounds though :-P
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