Is fast food really THAT bad?

puffidredz
puffidredz Posts: 119 Member
in Food and Nutrition
i realize that fast food isnt entirely healthy, but its not intended to be eaten on a daily basis either. my weakness is mcdonald's fries sadly. the other day i had a fish sandwich, med fries and med diet dr pepper from there which added up to 760 calories, 87 carbs, 37 fat and 20 in protein.

i was still able to remain within my daily goals in MFP. so should i stop eating there even if it doesnt put me over my daily limits? does it do some other unhealthy things that MFP just doesnt keep track of?
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Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    you can get fairly high sodium (salt) levels, and possibly trans-fats but to be honest most fast food chains are doing the "healthy" thing where they can. Portion sizes and excess calories in products are another issue.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    i realize that fast food isnt entirely healthy, but its not intended to be eaten on a daily basis either. my weakness is mcdonald's fries sadly. the other day i had a fish sandwich, med fries and med diet dr pepper from there which added up to 760 calories, 87 carbs, 37 fat and 20 in protein.

    i was still able to remain within my daily goals in MFP. so should i stop eating there even if it doesnt put me over my daily limits? does it do some other unhealthy things that MFP just doesnt keep track of?

    Assuming you're not eating it frequently and you're making an effort to stay within your calorie and macro goals, I wouldn't stop eating it.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    Yes, it is that bad. You don't have to stop eating it, but I'd reduce it as mush as possible and avoid eating there whenever you can.
  • I_love_frogs
    I_love_frogs Posts: 340 Member
    Really, my own opinion is if it fits into your calorie goals for the day, its fine to have as an occasional treat. Just not every day for lunch or stopping on the way home to binge.

    Having a serving of fries and a little cheeseburger is fine if that's what you want. If you want a fish sandwich then go for it. Just be sure that you are A) in your goals for the day or b) if it is not then maybe some extra time at the gym.

    Most people I know tend to weigh it out...would I rather have the fries and the tiny burger? OR the larger steak, salad, and veggies? Which will fill me up better?
  • TheDeviation
    TheDeviation Posts: 149
    Assuming you're not eating it frequently and you're making an effort to stay within your calorie and macro goals, I wouldn't stop eating it.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html
    ^This. To quote that article, "it is not death on a plate".
  • llgeisz
    llgeisz Posts: 34 Member
    A lot of it also comes down to how the food is pre prepped for the chain (preservatives) and the quality of the food (fatty burgers) and what they are cooked in... While a splurge once in a while will not kill you or your diet (for most) doing this more then once or twice (fast foods) will probably hurt your progress...
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,282 Member
    Its not a regular thing for me but for an occasional treat that I can fit in my numbers, its fine. But I do avoid certain places. My favorite one is Chick-Fil-A. I can have 12 nuggets and a side salad with dressing and not feel at all guilty.
  • lhelgren
    lhelgren Posts: 5
    If it is something that would make you feel deprived then you should have it once in a while.. That means once in awile don't justify having it every day because you can stay in your numbers.. There are many easier healthier ways to stay in your numbers.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    I usually do my best to eat healthy at a fast food place. Most do offer many healthy alternatives, but you have to make that choice yourself. Fries is not a healthy alternative he he.
  • WarriorPrncss
    WarriorPrncss Posts: 13
    I agree with the other comments here-- yeah, it's bad, but you don't HAVE to stop eating it as long as you don't go over.

    HOWEVER, I have found that the less you eat fast food and replace with healthier stuff the more you'll crave healthier food. I've had fast food a few times since I began and eating it I don't feel great. Not that it makes me sick... I just feel... "blah".

    I don't think it's just me.

    Good luck!
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    Low quality protein, terrible for you fats and carbs.

    I don't get the reasoning of "as long as it fits into my calories then it is ok to eat it.".

    I focus on health and getting food that is good quality nutrition, not the amount of calories that is in something.
  • dailyguy
    dailyguy Posts: 11 Member
    Everything is based on moderation and how quickly you want to loose weight. Eating healthy is a habit, same way your McDonald's eating habit...that's why you crave for it. Once you perform the habit of eating healthy, you'll crave water, instead of soda and anything fried makes you think twice...even free doughnuts.

    You mentioned you are still under the MFP calories...you have to realize there are good calories and bad (empty) calories. Most food at McDonalds, are any fast food places are bad calories. Yes, they do have some healthy items...but you'll have to search for them.

    I used to crave for BK Whoppers...glad that has done and passed :) Good luck.
  • 811mimi
    811mimi Posts: 14 Member
    There are some healthier fast food choices out there, but you need to preplan you meal. Think about what you want to eat, log it in, and then stick to your plan. Be aware of the sodium in the food you are getting. You do not want to go over your allowable sodium intake. Also, you do not want to use all your calories on one fast food meal, or you will end up hungry some other time during the day. Preplan is the key here.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I usually do my best to eat healthy at a fast food place. Most do offer many healthy alternatives, but you have to make that choice yourself. Fries is not a healthy alternative he he.
    I respect your opinion, but to me there's no point in making the healthy choice at a fast food place. If I wanted healthy food I would not go there in the first place. ;)
  • JanSmelly
    JanSmelly Posts: 143 Member
    I don't like the way it me make me feel.

    I don't like cleaning up the vomit after my oldest daughter eats it.

    IMO the problem isn't so much the food (except for the really bad taste), but the portion sizes.
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
    Yes, it's that bad, and compared to a whole landslide of other alternatives, it has little nutritional value. I still eat it every now and then as well, but it's better to limit the intake. Again, moderation. Good things > Less good things.
  • beccarockslife
    beccarockslife Posts: 816 Member
    Low quality protein, terrible for you fats and carbs.

    I don't get the reasoning of "as long as it fits into my calories then it is ok to eat it.".

    I focus on health and getting food that is good quality nutrition, not the amount of calories that is in something.

    This for me ^
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    the other day i had a fish sandwich, med fries and med diet dr pepper from there which added up to 760 calories, 87 carbs, 37 fat and 20 in protein.

    Once in a while, no... it's not that bad.

    But for perspective, last Tuesday, I had two cheeseburgers cooked on the grill. Two 4oz 80/20 beef patties, two buns, two slices of cheese, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, plus a serving of steak fries (purchased frozen, also cooked on the grill on a sheet of aluminum foil).

    970 calories 85 carbs 44 fat 58 protein. So about 200 more calories, less carbs, not much more fat, and almost THREE TIMES the protein.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    My problem with trying to eat out more than once a week is that I cannot stop and moderation goes out the window when I'm putting my order in. I plan to get 1 qdoba burrito but come out with $20 worth of food and endup eating it all. Hey, fast food was the reason I used to eat 6,000+ calories daily (well, maybe not the reason but the method rather?)

    I think if you're eating fast food or eating out once every 2 weeks or once a week you should be fine. I personally HATE fast food and I prefer to enjoy my eating out allowance by going to a nice sit down restaurant or something. Except maybe Qdoba. I LOVE QDOBA!
  • bigdawg025
    bigdawg025 Posts: 774 Member
    Once in awhile (in moderation as I say) it is perfectly fine. Nothing is so bad for you that you have to NEVER eat it, especially if you like it and crave it. Life is way too short to not enjoy some of the finer things.

    However, I do find that without eating fast food very often... I don't want it nearly as often. When I do have it... it's never quite as good as I'd imagined it would be, either.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,330 Member
    No it isn't THAT bad. As Sidesteal said, having it occasionally is just fine. Fit it in your calories, and if possible in your macros.
  • Maude_Lewbowski
    Maude_Lewbowski Posts: 395 Member
    OP have you ever seen Super Size Me?

    It's a must.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I don't personally eat it but that's because since I started eating better, my body doesn't handle it very well anymore. It has a tendency to make me quite ill when I eat it. So, I avoid it.

    However, to me it is like anything else - you don't HAVE to give it up if you enjoy it. Simply learn to eat it in moderation. I eat what I want, when I want it - I just make sure I follow serving sizes and am reasonable about what I'm eating.

    Some people will swear fast food will kill you if you eat it.. my response to them is no one gets out of life, alive. So, calm down, relax and live a little.

    If you like it, have it. If you don't, don't.
  • marieautumn
    marieautumn Posts: 928 Member
    you may be within your caloric goal but fast food doesn’t offer any nutritional benefits, so i wouldn’t recommend making it a habit. maybe once a week is a fair amount? When I eat fast food I order a kids meal and water. Soda is wasted calories (to me at least) since you don’t really taste what you’re drinking when eating. And smaller portions = less calories.
  • Sapporo
    Sapporo Posts: 693 Member
    It isn't that bad when you don't eat it too often. I had Harvey's yesterday, cheeseburger and poutine so I just had to weigh myself this morning out of curiously (sunday is weigh in day so i had yesterdays weight already) and I was exactly the same, sodium be damned. :)
    Some people will eat it weekly, others don't want to or can't because it causes them to fall off the wagon completely.
    Preplan to fit it into your goals and enjoy.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    OP have you ever seen Super Size Me?

    It's a must.

    Come on. He ate it for 3 meals a day for 30 days. That is A LOT different (and not comparable) to someone who eats it once in awhile. Good grief. I don't even eat fast food and your post is plain silly to me.
  • rebeccasedwards
    rebeccasedwards Posts: 208
    We eat fast food some. But I make the best choices I can. If I want fries my family will give me the few that satisfy my craving without blowing my diet. Yes, it is hard to watch them eat some of their choices but I'm doing what's best for me.
  • bpwparents
    bpwparents Posts: 359 Member
    If you can fit it in on occasion, fine. Personally the standard MFP does not track sodium and I started tracking it. It is amazing how often you can have calories left over yet the sodium is over the amt. This definately happens to me on my fast food days.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    i realize that fast food isnt entirely healthy, but its not intended to be eaten on a daily basis either. my weakness is mcdonald's fries sadly. the other day i had a fish sandwich, med fries and med diet dr pepper from there which added up to 760 calories, 87 carbs, 37 fat and 20 in protein.

    i was still able to remain within my daily goals in MFP. so should i stop eating there even if it doesnt put me over my daily limits? does it do some other unhealthy things that MFP just doesnt keep track of?

    As long as you're doing what you say you're doing--eating it on occasion--it's perfectly fine to eat it once in a while and it will not affect you medically.
  • OhKelsey1
    OhKelsey1 Posts: 139
    All of that was really only around 700? Whoa. That said, it's not GOOD for your body because it's salty and fatty and not prepared well, but it won't kill your progress as long as you keep to your calorie count. I haven't had fast food in awhile, mostly because I'm used to eating smaller meals and I would feel heavy and unhappy having that many calories at once. But if I do, I usually go for kids' meals or small servings off the dollar menu. Still getting the fix, but not having a 700-1000 calorie meal.

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