So you CAN eat McDonald's every day...
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maillemaker wrote: »So what? When I go to McD's (or any other fast food joint), I eat what I want and work it into my calorie goals. If that's a Big Mac, so be it. If it's a parfait, that's fine, too. That's the whole point of this "experiment," to show that you can meet your nutritional needs while eating a wide variety of McDonald's offerings.
Yeah, but you missed what he was responding to.
John asked:I STILL can't get over people who think that the food HAS to be burgers and fries just because it is McDonalds.
And Bluefish correctly noted:Let's be real... most people don't go to McDonald's for their salad menu.
You are absolutely right that if you understand calorie goals you can eat anything at McDonald's. But most people don't go to McDonald's with a calorie goal in mind. They go with a Quarter Pounder with cheese, a large fries, large soda, and a shake in mind as one of the 2-3 meals of the day, when that one meal consumes 75% or more of the day's calories.
You'll be hard pressed to fit any of the top value meal choices into a day's calorie limit unless you eat hardly anything else for the day. More so if you get a non-diet soda and desert.
If you get a Quarter Pounder with cheese, a large fry, a large Coke, and a large chocholate milk shake, you will consume 2,150 calories. That could be an entire daily allotment of calories for one meal. It's going to be hard to work that in to your calorie goals, unless you eat nothing else that day.
yeah, we're arguing apples and oranges.
I'm saying one can make smart choices, and y'all are saying most go in there for the treats.
We're both right in the context we're putting it in. A typical value meal (burger, medium fries, and I'd even give you a diet soda vs. regular) is almost impossible to "correct" during a 24 hr. period within IIFYM principals for a "typical" weight woman.
Honestly, I'd say McDonalds is some of the top tier of this too - their web site lets you calculate calories for any added or subtracted item.
Compare that with Whole Foods, supposedly a bastion of clean, healthy foods. Their hot bar doesn't publish half their stuff, or has it wrong (0 calorie foods? Nope) and last I looked, their website didn't want to go into details about any of the missing things either. I'll admit, despite my general distaste, my cousin working there has lead me to eat at their pizzaria a few times - I have no honest clue how many calories were in my items. I have MFP's best guess from who knows where numbers, and I don't honestly trust them.
Isn't it a little odd that McDonalds is really forward and open about their ingredients and nutrition but gets vilified, but Whole Foods avoids reporting anything they can get away with, but they're the darling of healthy eaters?0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »maillemaker wrote: »So what? When I go to McD's (or any other fast food joint), I eat what I want and work it into my calorie goals. If that's a Big Mac, so be it. If it's a parfait, that's fine, too. That's the whole point of this "experiment," to show that you can meet your nutritional needs while eating a wide variety of McDonald's offerings.
Yeah, but you missed what he was responding to.
John asked:I STILL can't get over people who think that the food HAS to be burgers and fries just because it is McDonalds.
And Bluefish correctly noted:Let's be real... most people don't go to McDonald's for their salad menu.
You are absolutely right that if you understand calorie goals you can eat anything at McDonald's. But most people don't go to McDonald's with a calorie goal in mind. They go with a Quarter Pounder with cheese, a large fries, large soda, and a shake in mind as one of the 2-3 meals of the day, when that one meal consumes 75% or more of the day's calories.
You'll be hard pressed to fit any of the top value meal choices into a day's calorie limit unless you eat hardly anything else for the day. More so if you get a non-diet soda and desert.
If you get a Quarter Pounder with cheese, a large fry, a large Coke, and a large chocholate milk shake, you will consume 2,150 calories. That could be an entire daily allotment of calories for one meal. It's going to be hard to work that in to your calorie goals, unless you eat nothing else that day.
yeah, we're arguing apples and oranges.
I'm saying one can make smart choices, and y'all are saying most go in there for the treats.
We're both right in the context we're putting it in. A typical value meal (burger, medium fries, and I'd even give you a diet soda vs. regular) is almost impossible to "correct" during a 24 hr. period within IIFYM principals for a "typical" weight woman.
A cheeseburger and medium fries would have 678 calories. I'm maintaining and I have meals that contain that many calories regularly. If it was a Quarter Pounder instead of a cheeseburger, it would be 918 calories -- more challenging to fit it, but certainly doable.
I had an "almost" in there to couch that statement
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Wasn't there also a documentary called super size? My son watched it in class and has never eaten at McDonalds again. I've never seen either do have no personal opinion but at 15 he still will not eat it willingly. And he does not have to worry about weight at all.0
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superhockeymom wrote: »Wasn't there also a documentary called super size? My son watched it in class and has never eaten at McDonalds again. I've never seen either do have no personal opinion but at 15 he still will not eat it willingly. And he does not have to worry about weight at all.
He kind of took kind of an ignorantly approached stereotype and ran with it, but the hyperbole led to a lot of positive changes with how fast food nutrition is communicated...(almost like internet "trolls" are often "useful" for bringing out meaningful discussion on topics).0 -
I can get two Quarter Pounders with cheese, no bun or ketchup, and an unsweet tea for 680... 17.5% of my daily total.
Admittedly, the In-n-Out double-double protein style is easier to handle and only 527 calories, but not as filling.0 -
superhockeymom wrote: »Wasn't there also a documentary called super size? My son watched it in class and has never eaten at McDonalds again. I've never seen either do have no personal opinion but at 15 he still will not eat it willingly. And he does not have to worry about weight at all.
It's called SuperSize Me. I was taken in by it, too, when it first came out. But he stopped most of his daily exercise, took taxis everywhere, and then chose higher calorie options to see if he would gain weight. Guess what? He did. Once you see past the cool graphics and cherrypicked facts, it's really not a very good example.0 -
Most documentary's are biased toward whatever they are trying to prove. Many don't use equal time to counter whatever claims they've set out to prove.superhockeymom wrote: »Wasn't there also a documentary called super size? My son watched it in class and has never eaten at McDonalds again. I've never seen either do have no personal opinion but at 15 he still will not eat it willingly. And he does not have to worry about weight at all.
One could go out and show the setbacks and disadvantages of exercising with weights with weight loss. Does that legitimately prove that exercising with weights is bad for weight loss?
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bluefish86 wrote: »
Let's be real... most people don't go to McDonald's for their salad menu.
I usually go for a grilled chicken wrap if that's where I am going. But I gotta say, if my routine included 45 minutes of exercise 5 days a week, I'd probably not have much problems fitting that double cheeseburger and fries into my day's count. Probably an occasional apple pie, too.
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does it say in there anywhere? does he eat his exercise calories back? or just straight 2000 cals?0
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diannethegeek wrote: »superhockeymom wrote: »Wasn't there also a documentary called super size? My son watched it in class and has never eaten at McDonalds again. I've never seen either do have no personal opinion but at 15 he still will not eat it willingly. And he does not have to worry about weight at all.
It's called SuperSize Me. I was taken in by it, too, when it first came out. But he stopped most of his daily exercise, took taxis everywhere, and then chose higher calorie options to see if he would gain weight. Guess what? He did. Once you see past the cool graphics and cherrypicked facts, it's really not a very good example.
And he never provided documentation for the weight gain.
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_Terrapin_ wrote: »diannethegeek wrote: »superhockeymom wrote: »Wasn't there also a documentary called super size? My son watched it in class and has never eaten at McDonalds again. I've never seen either do have no personal opinion but at 15 he still will not eat it willingly. And he does not have to worry about weight at all.
It's called SuperSize Me. I was taken in by it, too, when it first came out. But he stopped most of his daily exercise, took taxis everywhere, and then chose higher calorie options to see if he would gain weight. Guess what? He did. Once you see past the cool graphics and cherrypicked facts, it's really not a very good example.
And he never provided documentation for the weight gain.
And he never will.0 -
I am not really sure how this has anything to do with McDonalds. If he wanted to teach about responsibility (which is NOT part of a science class btw) he could have found hundreds of other examples. If he wanted to make it about nutrition, or plain and simple calories, he could have again made the same experiment by asking the students to help him make up a more generic plan, or even a junk-food based plan not tied ot a specific brand. The whole thing revolving around McDonalds and ending up with a video McDonalds are using to promote their products and as a counter-argument to Supersize Me, I am not sure this is really promoting anything other than McDonalds. My first thought when I saw this was "How much did he get out of it?". If the students did not ask themselves first the same question when the whole thing was planned, I think the lesson in critical thinking in this school needs definitely to be taught again
Responsibility is a perfectly reasonable element to include in science classes. If you are going to discuss how to conduct research, you can't talk about human subjects without addressing IRB requirements, for example, and that's just one way of addressing the question. There are countless others!
In a lesson on qualitative or survey-based research, I could even see incorporating analysis of the responses in this thread as part of the lesson. Teaching science - at least for me - isn't just about perfectly-executed double-blind experiments, the difference between correlation and causality, or when to apply regression analysis.
It appears that some of the reaction to the OP is because of the specific link to the McDonald's brand - and while I understand that reaction, it doesn't make the students' experiences in meal planning and assessing nutritional information any less valid.
@princessbride42 - it's very cool that you and your daughter got to watch this so soon after she'd also seen Supersize Me. If you're interested, here's a link to the teachers' discussion guide for the video. You'll see it includes questions for teachers who elect to show this video along with Supersize Me:mdpta.org/documents/JohnCisnaOverviewnDiscussionGuide.pdf
Thanks for the link! Will check it out.0 -
The bottom line to this thread is that main problem is not the type of food but inactivity or sedentary lifestyle.
When I was a kid, I used to eat whatever I wanted but I was very active.
Using bicycle for school, every evening outdoor play and extra hours of outdoor activities on weekends.
How many children on the average really do that these days? Lets not even discuss about the adults.0 -
No, the bottom line of this thread is that you can make choices at McDonald's that can meet your nutritional and caloric goals. The choices of what and how much to eat are what's important. McDonald's doesn't automatically mean unhealthy.The bottom line to this thread is that main problem is not the type of food but inactivity or sedentary lifestyle.
When I was a kid, I used to eat whatever I wanted but I was very active.
Using bicycle for school, every evening outdoor play and extra hours of outdoor activities on weekends.
How many children on the average really do that these days? Lets not even discuss about the adults.
I'm sedentary and losing weight because I'm carefully controlling my calorie intake. Today's work and school requirements often lead to sedentary lifestyles. You don't have to be overweight if you are sedentary as long as you carefully watch your calories.0 -
I'm sedentary and losing weight because I'm carefully controlling my calorie intake. Today's work and school requirements often lead to sedentary lifestyles. You don't have to be overweight if you are sedentary as long as you carefully watch your calories.
Yup. Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Or in McDonald's kitchen.0 -
No, the bottom line of this thread is that you can make choices at McDonald's that can meet your nutritional and caloric goals. The choices of what and how much to eat are what's important. McDonald's doesn't automatically mean unhealthy.
Exactly.
McDonald's in the 70s might have been just burgers and fries, but for years now McDonald's has had salads, wraps and lower calorie meals. And burgers and fries won't kill you, either, in moderation.0 -
This experiment is interesting and an inventive in its approach to engaging the students. Kudos to the teacher.
However, with a sample size of 1, this is more of a case study than an experiment with any statistical significant data.0 -
Not McDonald's, but I have gone to Wendys for their salad menu.bluefish86 wrote: »I STILL can't get over people who think that the food HAS to be burgers and fries just because it is McDonalds.
One could conceivably eat a diet that was nothing but egg whites/whole eggs, mixed fruit, walnuts, milk, grilled chicken, garden salads, yogurt, and fresh vegetables with food mcdonalds offers.
Even then, SOME fatty meat and vegetable oils on potatoes is still not bad in the overall context of the diet.
Sure, those aren't the stereotypical choices, but they are there.
Let's be real... most people don't go to McDonald's for their salad menu.
I'll order that or a pulled pork sandwich, depending on what I want. I just wish I liked their fries.0 -
spacequiztime wrote: »
Not McDonald's, but I have gone to Wendys for their salad menu.bluefish86 wrote: »I STILL can't get over people who think that the food HAS to be burgers and fries just because it is McDonalds.
One could conceivably eat a diet that was nothing but egg whites/whole eggs, mixed fruit, walnuts, milk, grilled chicken, garden salads, yogurt, and fresh vegetables with food mcdonalds offers.
Even then, SOME fatty meat and vegetable oils on potatoes is still not bad in the overall context of the diet.
Sure, those aren't the stereotypical choices, but they are there.
Let's be real... most people don't go to McDonald's for their salad menu.
I'll order that or a pulled pork sandwich, depending on what I want. I just wish I liked their fries.
I'm saving up my calories one day soon for that pulled pork/french fry concoction.0 -
spacequiztime wrote: »
Not McDonald's, but I have gone to Wendys for their salad menu.bluefish86 wrote: »I STILL can't get over people who think that the food HAS to be burgers and fries just because it is McDonalds.
One could conceivably eat a diet that was nothing but egg whites/whole eggs, mixed fruit, walnuts, milk, grilled chicken, garden salads, yogurt, and fresh vegetables with food mcdonalds offers.
Even then, SOME fatty meat and vegetable oils on potatoes is still not bad in the overall context of the diet.
Sure, those aren't the stereotypical choices, but they are there.
Let's be real... most people don't go to McDonald's for their salad menu.
I'll order that or a pulled pork sandwich, depending on what I want. I just wish I liked their fries.
Au contraire, some people actually do go to McDonalds for their salad menu. I LOVE their the southwest grilled chicken salad. Yum!0
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