Friday, January 16, 2009

Watch out for "Healthy" fast foods!

Be careful when seeking out "Healthy" foods when you shop or go to fast food spots. You would think that certain Veggie or Tuna Sandwiches would be great to eat and provide a Healthy alternative to Burgers and Fried Fish Sandwiches but just look at this profile:

Worst "Healthy" Sandwich
Blimpie Veggie Supreme (12")

1,106 calories
56 g fat (33 g saturated fat)
2,831 mg sodium
96 g carbohydrates

Subway
Tuna Sub, 6-inch Classic sandwich
Serving Size: 1 6-inch sub / 250g
Amount per Serving
Calories 530 Calories from Fat 280
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 31g 48%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 45mg 15%
Sodium 1030mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 15%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 7g
Protein 22g 44%

Now the Blimpie Veggie sandwich is OUT OF CONTROL (I guess if you eat half a sandwich it isn't too bad...right!) The fat alone is enough fat for a couple of days, let alone ONE meal! I put the Subway sandwich profile there because I used to eat it a lot. Now the fat content isn't too bad if this was your ONLY meal of the day containing fat, but my problem was I ate the 12 inch portion which doubles all those numbers...NOT GOOD! A Subway worker told me they load so much Mayo in the sandwich it was ridiculous!

I am just writing this to tell you to read the nutritional labels of what you eat. Most fast food places now are required to tell you exactly what is in their food. DON'T IGNORE IT! Here is a list of "Healthy Foods" that aren't so healthy! (click "Healthy Foods")

Here are some alternatives (taken from WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - By Leanna Skarnulis)


# McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (380 calories, 5 fat grams, just 2 of which are saturated fat). "In my wildest dreams, I never thought you'd find luscious strawberries and blueberries layered with low-fat yogurt and granola at McDonald's," she says. "As opposed to some foods that just have an absence of bad, this has a lot of things that are good for you, and it's delicious as well." She cites the calcium in yogurt, the fiber and nutrients in fruit, and fiber in granola. Order the smaller snack size, and you cut the calories in half.

# Burger King's BK Veggie Burger (330 calories, 13 fat grams, 2 of which are saturated fat). "It's the first time a major burger chain put a meatless sandwich on the menu," she says. "They deserve an enormous amount of credit for taking that step. Personally, I don't think it's the best-tasting veggie burger that's come down the pike, but once you put it between a bun with lettuce, tomato and all the other fixings, it's fine."

# Burger King Chicken Whopper Jr. (370 calories, 23 fat grams, 3 of which are saturated fat). Hurley commends the sandwich for its true grilled flavor but cautions against ordering the full-sized version, which packs 580 calories.

# Wendy's Garden Sensations (calories and fat vary). "Prior to these salads, fast food salads were iceberg lettuce with cheese on top," Hurley says. "Now Wendy's offers a base of dark leafy greens topped with interesting, high-end salad ingredients that make them more tempting."

Read those labels, limit eating fast foods, cook at home (you know exactly what goes into it)

Nasara

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