HEALTHY FAST FOOD???

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  • Gwen7121
    Gwen7121 Posts: 126 Member
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    The thing is - nothing is bad for you IN MODERATION. A McDonald's cheeseburger every once in a while isn't going to kill anyone, it's not even going to remove a full minute from your life.
  • Cr357
    Cr357 Posts: 238
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    I think people worry about sodium way too much. A person with healthy kidneys and adequate water intake should have no problem at all secreting excess salt. The menu at Wendys isn't bad, grilled chicken breast at KFC, Whopper Jr no mayo at BK. Strive for choices where at least 25% of the calories come from protein and take your total caloric intake into account and you should be fine.
  • wannababyH
    wannababyH Posts: 106
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    Not really, but each place will have something that is "healthier" than the rest.

    Taco Bell's "fresco" menu is pretty tasty. If I need food in a pinch I'll get their fresco chicken soft taco with no cheese.
  • solpwr
    solpwr Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I just ate McDonald's for lunch. TWO double hamburgers. Yum.

    I get double hammies at McD's also. Once per week probably.

    At Taco Bell I get fresco chicken soft tacos, once per week.

    At Subway I get 6 inch black forest ham on honey oat with cheese, honey mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno, twice per week.

    We have Frugal's in the northwest, I get regular hamburger there once in a while.

    I skip fries.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The thing is - nothing is bad for you IN MODERATION. A McDonald's cheeseburger every once in a while isn't going to kill anyone, it's not even going to remove a full minute from your life.

    But that wasn't the topic. The question was whether there was any healthy fast food. Just because one serving of something doesn't kill you doesn't make it healthy. I doubt eating one serving of dog crap would kill you. That doesn't mean it is healthy food.
  • Katherine_Nelson
    Katherine_Nelson Posts: 70 Member
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    I really like the charbroiled chicken sandwich from chik fil a. And i usually get a fruit cup on the side instead of fries. Oh, and a diet lemonade.
  • solpwr
    solpwr Posts: 1,039 Member
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    The thing is - nothing is bad for you IN MODERATION. A McDonald's cheeseburger every once in a while isn't going to kill anyone, it's not even going to remove a full minute from your life.

    But that wasn't the topic. The question was whether there was any healthy fast food. Just because one serving of something doesn't kill you doesn't make it healthy. I doubt eating one serving of dog crap would kill you. That doesn't mean it is healthy food.

    This is a good point. Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is. If ground beef and bread are part of your normal diet, a McDonald's hamburger is not going to be different than your normal diet. Yes, they put more salt in their foods. All restaurants do that. Fast food joints don't have the corner on salting foods. I worked at a French restaurant; they used more salt than I did, because of the average person's tastes.

    Look at the ingredients of what you are eating, and make informed choices for yourself. I personally pick a double hamburger at McDonald's instead of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

    The QP has 510 cals, 26g fat, 1190 sodium, 40g carbs, 29g protein.
    The DBurger has 330 cals, 15g fat, 510 sodium, 28g carbs, 19g protein.
    So my choice is 35% less calories, 42% less fat, 57% less sodium, 30% less carbs, and 34% less protein. Most of the reduction comes from the two slices of cheese.

    Looking at the macro breakdown of each, the QP is 46% fat, 31% carbs, and 23% protein.
    The double burger is 41% fat, 34% carbs, and 23% protein. Neither of these are particularly stellar.

    EDIT: Thinking outside the bun, look at 2 Fresco chicken soft tacos at Taco Bell.
    They have 300 cals, 7g fat, 960 sodium, 36g carbs, and 24g protein.
    Macros are 19% fat, 44% carbs, 29% protein. Much better, in line with my goals. So depending on the rest of my day, those may be what I need to eat to make better choices. The double burger is close in calories, but much higher in fat, which by elimination means lower in beneficial carbohydrates and protein.

    I don't think I need to explain why I don't get french fries.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is.

    No, healthy is food that improves your health when you eat it. Perception really has nothing to do with it. Believing or pretending that unhealthy food is healthy doesn't make it healthy.
  • solpwr
    solpwr Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is.

    No, healthy is food that improves your health when you eat it. Perception really has nothing to do with it. Believing or pretending that unhealthy food is healthy doesn't make it healthy.

    So a double burger at McDonald's will improve my health, guaranteed. Using the argument of purely "improving my health" the french fries will do that too, especially if I need those calories and nutrients in my diet for that week. And as far as sodium, I need the salt. I sweat it out in my daily workouts.

    I choose not to eat the french fries because of how they fit into my daily meal planning. Healthy is relative to the rest of the meal planning process. Eating McDonald's 3 times per day doesn't work, but once per day might be just fine, DEPENDING ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL MEAL PLANNING.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is.

    No, healthy is food that improves your health when you eat it. Perception really has nothing to do with it. Believing or pretending that unhealthy food is healthy doesn't make it healthy.

    So a double burger at McDonald's will improve my health, guaranteed. Using the argument of purely "improving my health" the french fries will do that too, especially if I need those calories and nutrients in my diet for that week. And as far as sodium, I need the salt. I sweat it out in my daily workouts.

    I choose not to eat the french fries because of how they fit into my daily meal planning. Healthy is relative to the rest of the meal planning process. Eating McDonald's 3 times per day doesn't work, but once per day might be just fine, DEPENDING ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL MEAL PLANNING.

    As I said, pretending that the food at McD is healthy will not make it so. But good luck with that.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is.

    No, healthy is food that improves your health when you eat it. Perception really has nothing to do with it. Believing or pretending that unhealthy food is healthy doesn't make it healthy.
    You just don't get it. What is unhealthy for one person may be healthy for another.....Restating fast food is always unhealthy, is flawed logic and repeating yourself doesn't make it any more correct.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is.

    No, healthy is food that improves your health when you eat it. Perception really has nothing to do with it. Believing or pretending that unhealthy food is healthy doesn't make it healthy.
    You just don't get it. What is unhealthy for one person may be healthy for another.....Restating fast food is always unhealthy, is flawed logic and repeating yourself doesn't make it any more correct.

    edit - why bother? Eat fast food if you want.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Strive for choices where at least 25% of the calories come from protein and take your total caloric intake into account and you should be fine.

    McDs double hamburger has 40% from protein.
  • solpwr
    solpwr Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Strive for choices where at least 25% of the calories come from protein and take your total caloric intake into account and you should be fine.

    McDs double hamburger has 40% from protein.

    Are you sure Rachel? I must be using wrong data. I'm calculating using 9 cals per gram of fat, and 4 cals per gram of carbohydrate and protein.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is.

    No, healthy is food that improves your health when you eat it. Perception really has nothing to do with it. Believing or pretending that unhealthy food is healthy doesn't make it healthy.
    You just don't get it. What is unhealthy for one person may be healthy for another.....Restating fast food is always unhealthy, is flawed logic and repeating yourself doesn't make it any more correct.

    edit - why bother? Eat fast food if you want.
    I only eat fast food once in a blue moon and not that is healthy or not, it's because it all tastes pretty nasty. I do get cravings and I'll generally jump all over it, but soon regret it....it's a vicious circle lol. Overall I probably eat out once a month.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Strive for choices where at least 25% of the calories come from protein and take your total caloric intake into account and you should be fine.

    McDs double hamburger has 40% from protein.

    Are you sure Rachel? I must be using wrong data. I'm calculating using 9 cals per gram of fat, and 4 cals per gram of carbohydrate and protein.

    Crap. I did it wrong. For some reason I was thinking 7 grams. Wishful thinking I guess. Either way I like them and will continue to eat them.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is.

    No, healthy is food that improves your health when you eat it. Perception really has nothing to do with it. Believing or pretending that unhealthy food is healthy doesn't make it healthy.
    You just don't get it. What is unhealthy for one person may be healthy for another.....Restating fast food is always unhealthy, is flawed logic and repeating yourself doesn't make it any more correct.

    You're arguing with the same person who told me that a head of lettuce magically becomes unhealthy because it's delivered to a McDonald's instead of a grocery store. It's a lost cause.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Healthy is what people's perception of "healthy" is.

    No, healthy is food that improves your health when you eat it. Perception really has nothing to do with it. Believing or pretending that unhealthy food is healthy doesn't make it healthy.
    You just don't get it. What is unhealthy for one person may be healthy for another.....Restating fast food is always unhealthy, is flawed logic and repeating yourself doesn't make it any more correct.

    You're arguing with the same person who told me that a head of lettuce magically becomes unhealthy because it's delivered to a McDonald's instead of a grocery store. It's a lost cause.

    LOL It's not magic.
  • wendorfa
    wendorfa Posts: 53
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    I'm still confused as to why the BREAD at Subway is considered "high in sodium" they list the 6 inch white as 290 mg of sodium. The daily guidelines say 2300 mg of sodium, or if you have heart issues 1500 mg. Let's say you decided to only use HALF of that 2300 mg so 1150 mg. If you at the bread you still have 860 mg of sodium left for the day. This would be a meal, and you can drink it with water. So I don't see that as high sodium at all. There are FAR worse things than bread for sodium.
  • ONE03
    ONE03 Posts: 125 Member
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    Transcribing what is considered healthy from my college nutrition class is probably not going to help. :laugh:

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