Friday, August 14, 2009

What's for Lunch?



Blogs are buzzing about USA Today nutritionist Elizabeth Ward's suggestions for finding "healthy" food on the road, which is mostly the same old tired attempts at finding healthy choices from the menus at McDonalds and Burger King, KFC, etc., clearly suggesting that people are too stupid or lazy to seek out food sources other than fast food restaurants. (or heaven forbid, pack a home prepared cooler of real food)

Steer Toward Healthy Road Food

Just for kicks, let's take a look at the ingredient list of two of Ward's healthy suggestions...

McDonald's Scrambled Eggs-

Pasteurized whole eggs with sodium acid pyrophosphate, citric acid and monosodium phosphate (added to preserve color), nisin (preservative). Prepared with Liquid Margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin, mono-and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color).



KFC Grilled Chicken-

Fresh Chicken Marinated with: Salt, Sodium Phosphate, and Monosodium Glutamate. Seasoned with: Maltodextrin, Salt, Bleached Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Secret Kentucky Grilled Chicken Spices, Palm Oil, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Chicken Fat, Chicken Broth, Autolyzed Yeast, Beef Powder, Rendered Beef Fat, Extractives of Turmeric, Dehydrated Carrot, Onion Powder, and Not More Than 2% Each of Calcium Silicate and Silicon Dioxide Added as Anticaking Agents. Contains Wheat and Soy.

How Yummo !! Doesn't everyone use Rendered Beef Fat when they make grilled chicken at home? Show of hands please...

If you want an eye opening and stomach churning experience, check out the official ingredient statements from some of the major fast food chains...

McDonalds Ingredients

KFC Ingredients

Burger King Ingredients

Taco Bell Ingredients

Wendy's Ingredients

3 comments:

ScottHokunson said...

Christoper,

An eye opening post. How right you are that we are too lazy a population. I include myself in that group, as someone who is always trying to get better. I will think of this entry the next time I am tempted by the golden arches.

Keep up the good work,

Scott Hokunson

Matt said...

It's so hard to find something wholesome in fast food these days. Practically everything has junk added for the purpose of making the food stay in "acceptable" quality for a longer period of time. Sure, it results in consistent, cheap food, but it would be so much better if they actually made things FRESH.

Some of the junk they add is very detrimental to the health of certain susceptible groups - those with certain chronic illnesses or conditions. Eggs don't need phosphates. Guacamole doesn't need milk powder. Chicken shouldn't taste like beef.

Christopher Paquette said...

Scott- I wrote the post mainly to keep myself away from these places...glad it might help you too!

Restorer- What could be easier to make "fresh" than scrambled eggs? And yet, they load them with additives.