The Hidden Dangers of Fast Food Choices: Think twice before you order!
Category: Eye Health
Boy that hamburger sure looks tasty!! And the meal has potatoes too! And a glass of orange juice!
Basic Food Groups!!
But hold on folks! I’m sure it tastes very good, but what is the nutrient value? Unfortunately not so good.
Holiday time is a time of not enough time! We rush through the day and screech to a halt come supper time. What to fix? Is there anything in the freezer? But it has to be thawed and I’m hungry NOW.
This is where Fast Food Drive-thrus come into play. They are so enticing. Ready to serve and ready to eat!
But hold on! Are you remembering:
There are 232 unhealthy calories in a 1 fast food hamburger; single, regular patty; plain. The calorie breakdown is 36% fat, 42% carbs, and 9 grams protein. Sodium: 497 mg. (If you choose a double burger, just double all of the above.)
Leaf lettuce: Nutrient-wise, a cup of lettuce (any type) has up to: 56 micrograms of vitamin K (47% of DV). 40 micrograms of folate (10% of your daily value, or DV). 205 micrograms of Vitamin A (23% of DV). Unfortunately, one leaf is not a cup; it looks more like one leaf. So divide the benefits by many more needed?
Cheese? 1 serving of sliced yellow american cheese contains 80 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 5% carbs, 76% fat, and 10 grams protein. This has a relatively high calorie density, with 381 Calories per 100g. Cheese also contains 400 mg of sodium. (You are suppose to only get 1200 grams of sodium a day.)
White bread hamburger bun: Hamburger bun, white (1 medium – 3 1/2″ diameter) contains 21.6g total carbs, 20.8g net carbs, 1.7g fat, 4.2g protein, and 120 calories. Sodium: 206 mg.
Condiments? According to the Kraft Heinz Company, one packet of Heinz ketchup contains 10 calories. This small serving of ketchup also contains 2 grams of sugar. It has 95 milligrams of sodium, which is 4 percent of the daily value.
We are at 442 calories. (Daily calories: 1800 for women to 2500 for men.) But how much sodium? 1198 mg of salt. You just shot yourself in the foot!
Your daily intake of salt is to be 1200-2000 a DAY. We are not counting the salt on the fried potatoes. Many times they are over 150 grams for a small order of french fries.
Orange juice sort of saved the day: One cup of orange juice (8oz) provides 110 calories, 2g of protein, 27g of carbohydrates, and 0g of fat. Orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. But it did add calories.
Where am I going with this?
The recommended calorie intake per adult per day is 1,600 to 2,400 calories for women. For men, it is 2,200 to 3,200 calories. This hamburger consumed a great portion of your calories per day. (with orange juice: about 520 calories)
What was the nutrient value? A burger gives you 50% of your protein for the day, but in a fried piece of meat. The potatoes are most likely fried in a not-so-good oil.
We all know what fried foods does to our bodies. Fried foods contain high levels of saturated and trans fats. These fats increase blood cholesterol levels. They also damage the walls of your arteries. These damaged areas in your blood vessels eventually develop plaque, narrowing the artery and making it harder to pump blood.
Extra lean beef contains less than 5 g of fat. It has less than 2 g of saturated fat. It also contains less than 95 mg of cholesterol per 100 g. Additionally, 100 g of 97% lean ground broiled beef contains 153 calories and 26.4 g of protein.
I don’t need to calculate the numbers. You can see that the usual hamburger meal we all depend on today is not doing us any good. We are not getting good nutrition from it.
The FDA made the Food Pyramid easy for us to follow. But the hardest part is the fruits and vegetables that are so important to our daily diet.
Think twice before you order.
We don’t need to order a plate or a bowl for lunch.
Preparing ahead is always better. No one will turn you out at a restaurant with your lunch bag when you order a drink from them.
Most restaurants have fruit juices available. At fast food places, this can be difficult, but remember some offer Milk.
Take the time to eat healthy. Your body will thank you. Your body will thank you even more in the future years.
Mealtime needs to be thought about; especially when you are dining with your children. Kiddos today are putting on weight. I don’t blame video games as much as a lack of direction for the importance of exercise and good foods.
Don’t make a habit of eating at Fast Food places. You can cook a burger at home, serve on a plate, and add to that. Vegetables are coming with some cheese sauces that would go well with a burger. Baked fries are still potatoes, but without the unhealthy fats of deep frying. (I’m aware that some of those “cheese” sauces in frozen veggies are not always good, but it is a start.)
Plan ahead for your Meals.
If you need some help with planning and budgeting, I’ll would be happy to help. It takes a few times of planning, and then I know you can do this on your own.
With today’s fast moving world, I know you can’t always prepare a healthy meal. In those cases, you should be thinking of supplements.
There are shake mixes available. This can turn a dull meal into something tasty. Use ice and it becomes more of a smoothie. Add fruits and vegetables, even if they are frozen. Consider dressing up the glass with real whipped cream and for kiddos, add some sprinkles. Even a peanut butter sandwich will taste good with a chocolate shake or a fruit shake.
A fast and easy recommendation.
I recommend Shaklee Corporation’s Life Shakes. I use them often. I add them as a coffee creamer. Chocolate Latte can really make a cup of coffee taste good, but also nutritious for people on the go!
Shakes offer multiple advantages. They add nutrient value. They also provide the milk and calcium values that children, especially, need. Adults still need calcium as we age. Our bones do become brittle with age. Keeping up with drinking milk every day will help to keep aging bones strong.
What is in a Shaklee Shake? The Life Shake™ contains:
- 20 g Ultra-pure, non-GMO protein with precise ratios of all 9 essential amino acids to support energy and satiety
- 24 Essential vitamins and minerals to support heart, brain, immune, and overall health
- 6 g Dietary fiber and a proprietary prebiotic from an ancient grains blend to support digestive health and regularity
- Our new, low-glycemic sweetener system, Reb M + 5 g natural sugar cane
The new Life Shake is Powered by Leucine® to help build lean muscle, burn fat, and support metabolism.† I know we all want to have a more efficient metabolism.
(When you look for a shake mix, do some research as to the ingredients. Look for proven science behind the canister or bag. Look at guarantees. After doing the research, this is why I settled on this brand.)
Prepare the shake mix at home. Put it in a thermos and add water when you are ready to drink. This is a good start to lunch. If you are going out, order a salad or a bowl of fruit. Make this meal as important as your main meal.
Make lunch choices good healthy choices by planning ahead.
Hugs! Mary
REFERENCES:
https://wellness.maryjessen.com
https://medlineplus.gov/calcium.html
https://nationalpeanutboard.org/news/5-reasons-pbj-is-best-sandwich-ever
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