• dave
• Aug 29,2008
• In: Health & Fitness

Read This Before You Eat Fast Food

It seems like every few weeks there is a news story about how local governments are trying to “healthy up” fast food restaurants with various laws and restrictions. Whether it’s by banning trans fat or requiring chains to post nutritional information for their patrons, these restaurants are constantly getting bitch-slapped by new legislation in hopes of curbing the current obesity problem in our country. New York and Los Angeles are the two cities taking the biggest strides in this fight; they were the fist two cities to completely ban trans fat in restaurants. With Chicago close behind in this trend, many more cities are expected to join this cause.

For the most part, I’m in favor of anything that will better society (eg. Kim Kardashian in So Low pants), but I just don’t buy into the effort that the majority of these restaurants are supposedly putting in to this initiative. It seems that most fast food chains are trying to side step these new laws. In a 2007 American Journal of Public Health study, researchers analyzed the purchasing patterns of 11 fast food chains in New York City and found that only one produced an easy and useful way customers could process nutritional information. That chain was Subway Restaurants. Unfortunately they also produced Jared, who may not be fat, but yet still manages to be a huge douche.

If only 1 of 11 chains is providing useful nutritional information, how are we expected to make smarter decisions when indulging our taste buds amidst the American landscape of processed food-like substances? Well, as a matter of fact, it’s quite simple, by choosing the lesser evil. A few weeks back I found myself starving in New York’s Penn Station, craving sustenance, and about to vomit from the smell of hobos. I walked into a McDonalds all set to order my sausage, egg and cheese on a biscuit; I took one last glance up at the menu board and surprisingly saw calorie information for each sandwich. Noticing that the sausage and egg McMuffin had significantly fewer calories (510 compared to 300, along with 21 less grams of fat), I chose to forgo a delicious biscuit the McDonald’s equivalent of an English muffin. In this case, the McMuffin was the lesser evil.

To make a smart choice, we need more than just calorie counts. The adage knowledge is power never rang more true as it does when it comes to your nutrition. Thanks to the people at Men’s Healthand their Eat This, Not That section, I can see exactly how much saturated fat comes in a Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch, or the amount of sugar in a McDonald’s chocolate shake. Along with full nutritional disclosure, Eat This, Not That also gives you “better” options. Remember we’re going for the lesser of two evils here. For instance, thanks to their research, you now know that the next time you go to In-N-Out Burger (for the west coast folks), you can order a Double-Double Hamburger Protein Style, which has 320 less calories, 30 grams less carbs (it is wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun), and 7 grams less saturated fat then it’s original counterpart.

You now have the tools and knowledge to eat healthier at fast food restaurants, and I use the word healthier very loosely here (and throughout the article). What you need now is the will power. There no excuse for ordering the Big Bell Value Meal. Always keep in mind, a true Alpha Man must look the part, even if it means ordering a burger without the bun.

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