Just how bad is fast food? Look inside for my story...

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monk3y

Lifer
Jun 12, 2001
12,699
0
76
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: monk3y


What do you usually eat at McDonald's that's healthy? I'm just wondering... I also haven't stepped foot in a fast food place in AGES!!!

They have many grilled chicken sandwiches and salads. You can also get fruit instead of fries. And to be honest, their salads are pretty tasty.

Sounds good, I might have to try their salad sometime. Like I said, I haven't been in ages. Still I think I'm going to have to stick with my current regimen. I pretty much avoid those places just to block temptation. I find cooking at home is both enjoyable and cost effective. Plus my portions usually end up smaller than when I eat out.
 

monk3y

Lifer
Jun 12, 2001
12,699
0
76
Originally posted by: TheAdvocate
Originally posted by: Amused
The myth here is that a hamburger at a fast food place is any less healthy than a burger anywhere else. That's just not true.

Actually, it is. Fast food burgers and fries are injected with very controlled chemcial cocktails deisgned to get you addicted to the food (mainly through your sense of smell, not taste). Chicken sandwiches are pumped full of phosphates, and other chemicals. A burger pattied from 80% lean ground chuck at home, or a homemade chicken sandwich (made from a bonesless breast from the local supermaket, even if marinated and spiced) are far more healthy from the stanpdoint of chemicial processing. Also, they tend to contain a LOT less fat due in part to the meat itself and the preparation style (most people inadvertently grill out a lot of fat from a hamburger on the webber at home - doesnt taste as good, but it's healthier), especially if they are using something like a foreman grill, which does improve the healthiness of your food. McDonald's fries theyre ultra-fatty sorburgers. That burger is miles away from the one you'd make at home.

French fries though - you're right about those. They're pretty much all terrible for you, because almost no one cuts & bakes their own fries. A processed bag of fries from the supermarket isn't a whole lote different from what you get at a fast food joint.

I'd have to disagree with you there. You CAN make healtheir burgers at home, by using less fatty meat, fresh vegies, whole wheat buns, maybe subing turkey meat for beef, etc. but a regular burger made at home is definately comperable to a McD burger.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
Originally posted by: SampSon
Originally posted by: Amused
"Fast food" has nothing to do with this. If you ate burgers and fries at home, you'd have the same problem.

You can eat healthy at most fast food places. It wasn't "fast food" that did that to you. It was your overall diet choices. You can eat equally bad anywhere, including at home.
I understand your point whenever you argue about fast food, but the reality is that fast food in America is equated with burgers, fries, tacos, fried chicken, nachos, pizza and roast beef sandwiches.

Not until recently has any single fast food establishment made it a point to include healthy choices items on their menus or try to convince the public and governing bodies that they have a balanced menu suited for all dietary needs.

Fast food was marketed perfectly to get people to eat it and made readily available. Sure it's not to blame for human obesity, but it in no way helped. It was also held up as a standard meal choice throughout it's existence, though it really turned out to be just junk food, though up until recently that wasn't popular opinion. So yes poeple are ultimately responsible for their choices, but to negate all outside influences on thoes decision thoughout history based on the body of human knowledge at the time and how it evolved, is not a fair argument.
Ever read a school lunch menu? Poor dietary choices are taught early in life, and they stick. Fast food chains are just selling people what they demand to have. There are a multitude of inexpensive healthy choices out there, most people just don't choose them.
 

SampSon

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
7,160
1
0
Amused, you cannot sit there and honestly claim that McDonalds food is equal in quality to food you make at home.

My french fries: Hand sliced potatoes from a 10 lbs bag.

McDonalds fries: French Fries:
Potatoes, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor (beef, wheat and dairy sources), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains derivatives of wheat and dairy.

My chicken nuggets: Boneless chicken breasts or filets cut into strips or chunks and dredged in flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.

McDonalds chicken nuggets: Chicken McNuggets® Made with White Meat:
Boneless chicken breast, water, modified cornstarch, salt, chicken flavor (yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (animal source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (natural extractives of rosemary, canola and/or soybean oil, mono-and diglycerides, and soy lecithin). Battered and Breaded with: Water, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, bleached wheat flour, modified corn starch, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch. Breading set in vegetable oil. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat, milk and soybean ingredients.

or you could go with the "Chicken Selects": Chicken Selects® Premium Breast Strips:
Chicken breast strip fritters with rib meat containing: Up to 25% of a solution of water, modified food starch, salt, monosodium glutamate, sodium phosphates, chicken broth, natural flavor (vegetable and animal source), maltodextrin, spice, autolyzed yeast, chicken fat, polysorbate 80, gum arabic. Breaded with: Wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, salt, spices, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), garlic powder, onion powder, dextrose, spice extractive, and extractives of paprika. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat ingredients.

My scrambled eggs: Two eggs bought daily from the farmer down the street or 2 Grade A eggs from the store.

McDonalds scambled eggs: Scrambled Eggs (2):
Pasteurized whole eggs with sodium pyrophosphate, citric acid, monosodium phosphate ? all added to preserve color, nisin. Liquid Margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, vegetable monoglycerides and soy lecithin (emulsifiers), sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), artificial flavor, vitamin A palmitate, colored with beta carotene (source of vitamin A). Contains soybean ingredients.

My fish filet: Choice of white fish filet from the market.

McDonalds fish filet: Fish Filet Patty:
Pollock or Hoki, bleached wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, yellow corn flour, salt, whey, sugar, dextrose, dried yeast, disodium pyrophosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, cellulose gum, colored with extractives of paprika and turmeric, natural flavoring (vegetable source). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat, milk and fish (Polluck or Hoki) ingredients.

My Chicken sandwich: Boneless chicken breasts or filets, pounded flat and dredged in flour, salt, pepper and paprika.

McDonalds chicken sandwich (crispy): Crispy Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat. Contains: Up to 29.3% of a solution of water, seasoning (salt, modified food starch, spices, carrageenan, spice extractives), sodium phosphates. Battered and breaded with: Wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, bleached wheat flour, salt, spice, wheat gluten, egg white solids, dextrose, yeast, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate). Breading set in vegetable oil. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat and egg ingredients.

So in your kitchen you regularly use preservatives like that, in thoes amounts when you cook your food? The meat you get cut fresh from the butcher is loaded with preservatives, water, and flavorings like it is at McDonalds? If you continue to claim that McDonalds food is on par with fresh market food then you are continueing to propagate a fallacy, or a myth as you like to call it.
Though one of the items on that list that has no real list of additives is the Beef patties, and the grade A eggs, so I'll give ya that.

You also claim grilled chicken sandwiches to be a healthy choice...

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat, colored with paprika and caramel color added. Contains: Up to 20% of a solution of water, seasoning [salt, sugar, modified corn starch, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed (corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten) proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (animal and vegetable source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika], modified food starch, sodium phosphates. Grilled with liquid margarine. Contains wheat and soybean ingredients.

sorry, not when injected with the amount of preservatives they put in there, though it is tad lower than their other fare, it's still garbage compared to a piece of grilled chicken at my home.

So you can continuously and endlessly defend fast food with convicted fervor, but you're just flat out wrong about the contents and nutritional measure of McDonalds food vs home cooked meals. Personally I enjoy the taste of fast food, I have nothing against it. Though I do mind when you come in, claim to be more than a laymen with nutrition and compare fast food to home cooked meals.
 

Ausm

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,213
14
81
Originally posted by: Amused
"Fast food" has nothing to do with this. If you ate burgers and fries at home, you'd have the same problem.

You can eat healthy at most fast food places. It wasn't "fast food" that did that to you. It was your overall diet choices. You can eat equally bad anywhere, including at home.


:thumbsup:
 

Ausm

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,213
14
81
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I eat fast food quite a bit at my cholesterol was 151 the last time I checked. My uncle can look at a hamburger and the doctors have to start using multiples of Graham's number to measure his cholesterol.

It really seems to vary from person to person.

Anyway, good for you for getting healthy. I hope that you can stick with it, despite the juicy, cheesy goodness that calls you... beckons you... day after delicious day...

:p

Yep, my numbers are fine and barely budge no matter how good, or bad I eat. High cholesterol at anything but advanced age is something someone is genetically predisposed to. Much like a diabetic they have to modify their diet to care for their condition.


I am diabetic and your statement is correct.

Ausm
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Your doctor just called. He said their printer accidentally left the "1"'s off of each number.

Sorry.
 

SampSon

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
7,160
1
0
Ever read a school lunch menu? Poor dietary choices are taught early in life, and they stick. Fast food chains are just selling people what they demand to have. There are a multitude of inexpensive healthy choices out there, most people just don't choose them.
You just reiterated a point I made in the numerous other school lunch threads on this forum. So I understand what you're saying.

Now make me your list of inexpensive healthy choices out there, also tack on "easy" in your list of adjectives.
 

DaShen

Lifer
Dec 1, 2000
10,710
1
0
Originally posted by: Bibble
My doctor said that fast food should be eaten once a month or less. I was doing very well with this (only once a month about) until the summer, when it turned into almost once a week, eep!

Once a month sounds about right. It is definitely not good for you.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,586
986
126
:thumbsup: Good for you!

I'm doing my first century bike ride in a little over 2 weeks (that's 100 miles) ;). I've lost over 20lbs training for this ride with little change in diet. I don't really eat much fast food though.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,586
986
126
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I eat fast food quite a bit at my cholesterol was 151 the last time I checked. My uncle can look at a hamburger and the doctors have to start using multiples of Graham's number to measure his cholesterol.

It really seems to vary from person to person.

Anyway, good for you for getting healthy. I hope that you can stick with it, despite the juicy, cheesy goodness that calls you... beckons you... day after delicious day...

:p

I'm guessing that your uncle is older and heavier than you? Your body changes when you get older. You won't be able to eat fast food "quite a bit" throughout your life without gaining weight and increasing your cholesterol.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,586
986
126
Originally posted by: SampSon
Amused, you cannot sit there and honestly claim that McDonalds food is equal in quality to food you make at home.

My french fries: Hand sliced potatoes from a 10 lbs bag.

McDonalds fries: French Fries:
Potatoes, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor (beef, wheat and dairy sources), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains derivatives of wheat and dairy.

My chicken nuggets: Boneless chicken breasts or filets cut into strips or chunks and dredged in flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.

McDonalds chicken nuggets: Chicken McNuggets® Made with White Meat:
Boneless chicken breast, water, modified cornstarch, salt, chicken flavor (yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (animal source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (natural extractives of rosemary, canola and/or soybean oil, mono-and diglycerides, and soy lecithin). Battered and Breaded with: Water, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, bleached wheat flour, modified corn starch, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch. Breading set in vegetable oil. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat, milk and soybean ingredients.

or you could go with the "Chicken Selects": Chicken Selects® Premium Breast Strips:
Chicken breast strip fritters with rib meat containing: Up to 25% of a solution of water, modified food starch, salt, monosodium glutamate, sodium phosphates, chicken broth, natural flavor (vegetable and animal source), maltodextrin, spice, autolyzed yeast, chicken fat, polysorbate 80, gum arabic. Breaded with: Wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, salt, spices, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), garlic powder, onion powder, dextrose, spice extractive, and extractives of paprika. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat ingredients.

My scrambled eggs: Two eggs bought daily from the farmer down the street or 2 Grade A eggs from the store.

McDonalds scambled eggs: Scrambled Eggs (2):
Pasteurized whole eggs with sodium pyrophosphate, citric acid, monosodium phosphate ? all added to preserve color, nisin. Liquid Margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, vegetable monoglycerides and soy lecithin (emulsifiers), sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), artificial flavor, vitamin A palmitate, colored with beta carotene (source of vitamin A). Contains soybean ingredients.

My fish filet: Choice of white fish filet from the market.

McDonalds fish filet: Fish Filet Patty:
Pollock or Hoki, bleached wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, yellow corn flour, salt, whey, sugar, dextrose, dried yeast, disodium pyrophosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, cellulose gum, colored with extractives of paprika and turmeric, natural flavoring (vegetable source). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat, milk and fish (Polluck or Hoki) ingredients.

My Chicken sandwich: Boneless chicken breasts or filets, pounded flat and dredged in flour, salt, pepper and paprika.

McDonalds chicken sandwich (crispy): Crispy Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat. Contains: Up to 29.3% of a solution of water, seasoning (salt, modified food starch, spices, carrageenan, spice extractives), sodium phosphates. Battered and breaded with: Wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, bleached wheat flour, salt, spice, wheat gluten, egg white solids, dextrose, yeast, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate). Breading set in vegetable oil. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat and egg ingredients.

So in your kitchen you regularly use preservatives like that, in thoes amounts when you cook your food? The meat you get cut fresh from the butcher is loaded with preservatives, water, and flavorings like it is at McDonalds? If you continue to claim that McDonalds food is on par with fresh market food then you are continueing to propagate a fallacy, or a myth as you like to call it.
Though one of the items on that list that has no real list of additives is the Beef patties, and the grade A eggs, so I'll give ya that.

You also claim grilled chicken sandwiches to be a healthy choice...

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat, colored with paprika and caramel color added. Contains: Up to 20% of a solution of water, seasoning [salt, sugar, modified corn starch, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed (corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten) proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (animal and vegetable source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika], modified food starch, sodium phosphates. Grilled with liquid margarine. Contains wheat and soybean ingredients.

sorry, not when injected with the amount of preservatives they put in there, though it is tad lower than their other fare, it's still garbage compared to a piece of grilled chicken at my home.

So you can continuously and endlessly defend fast food with convicted fervor, but you're just flat out wrong about the contents and nutritional measure of McDonalds food vs home cooked meals. Personally I enjoy the taste of fast food, I have nothing against it. Though I do mind when you come in, claim to be more than a laymen with nutrition and compare fast food to home cooked meals.

Excellent post Sampson! Well said. I couldn't agree more! :beer:
 

Fraggable

Platinum Member
Jul 20, 2005
2,799
0
0
How do you feel, Jules? do you have more energy? feel healthier? more stamina? easier to exercise? get sick less often? less shortness of breath?

Just curious since you said you didn't lose weight. With that much of a difference in cholesterol and triglycerides you've got to feel different.

This may be just want I needed to puch me over the edge of eating much less fast food. I've gotten so many nasty burgers lately I have almost no desire to eat out anymore.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,454
19,923
146
Originally posted by: SampSon
Amused, you cannot sit there and honestly claim that McDonalds food is equal in quality to food you make at home.

My french fries: Hand sliced potatoes from a 10 lbs bag.

McDonalds fries: French Fries:
Potatoes, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor (beef, wheat and dairy sources), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains derivatives of wheat and dairy.

My chicken nuggets: Boneless chicken breasts or filets cut into strips or chunks and dredged in flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.

McDonalds chicken nuggets: Chicken McNuggets® Made with White Meat:
Boneless chicken breast, water, modified cornstarch, salt, chicken flavor (yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (animal source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (natural extractives of rosemary, canola and/or soybean oil, mono-and diglycerides, and soy lecithin). Battered and Breaded with: Water, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, bleached wheat flour, modified corn starch, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch. Breading set in vegetable oil. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat, milk and soybean ingredients.

or you could go with the "Chicken Selects": Chicken Selects® Premium Breast Strips:
Chicken breast strip fritters with rib meat containing: Up to 25% of a solution of water, modified food starch, salt, monosodium glutamate, sodium phosphates, chicken broth, natural flavor (vegetable and animal source), maltodextrin, spice, autolyzed yeast, chicken fat, polysorbate 80, gum arabic. Breaded with: Wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, salt, spices, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), garlic powder, onion powder, dextrose, spice extractive, and extractives of paprika. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat ingredients.

My scrambled eggs: Two eggs bought daily from the farmer down the street or 2 Grade A eggs from the store.

McDonalds scambled eggs: Scrambled Eggs (2):
Pasteurized whole eggs with sodium pyrophosphate, citric acid, monosodium phosphate ? all added to preserve color, nisin. Liquid Margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, vegetable monoglycerides and soy lecithin (emulsifiers), sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), artificial flavor, vitamin A palmitate, colored with beta carotene (source of vitamin A). Contains soybean ingredients.

My fish filet: Choice of white fish filet from the market.

McDonalds fish filet: Fish Filet Patty:
Pollock or Hoki, bleached wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, yellow corn flour, salt, whey, sugar, dextrose, dried yeast, disodium pyrophosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, cellulose gum, colored with extractives of paprika and turmeric, natural flavoring (vegetable source). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat, milk and fish (Polluck or Hoki) ingredients.

My Chicken sandwich: Boneless chicken breasts or filets, pounded flat and dredged in flour, salt, pepper and paprika.

McDonalds chicken sandwich (crispy): Crispy Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat. Contains: Up to 29.3% of a solution of water, seasoning (salt, modified food starch, spices, carrageenan, spice extractives), sodium phosphates. Battered and breaded with: Wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, bleached wheat flour, salt, spice, wheat gluten, egg white solids, dextrose, yeast, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate). Breading set in vegetable oil. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains wheat and egg ingredients.

So in your kitchen you regularly use preservatives like that, in thoes amounts when you cook your food? The meat you get cut fresh from the butcher is loaded with preservatives, water, and flavorings like it is at McDonalds? If you continue to claim that McDonalds food is on par with fresh market food then you are continueing to propagate a fallacy, or a myth as you like to call it.
Though one of the items on that list that has no real list of additives is the Beef patties, and the grade A eggs, so I'll give ya that.

You also claim grilled chicken sandwiches to be a healthy choice...

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat, colored with paprika and caramel color added. Contains: Up to 20% of a solution of water, seasoning [salt, sugar, modified corn starch, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed (corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten) proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (animal and vegetable source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika], modified food starch, sodium phosphates. Grilled with liquid margarine. Contains wheat and soybean ingredients.

sorry, not when injected with the amount of preservatives they put in there, though it is tad lower than their other fare, it's still garbage compared to a piece of grilled chicken at my home.

So you can continuously and endlessly defend fast food with convicted fervor, but you're just flat out wrong about the contents and nutritional measure of McDonalds food vs home cooked meals. Personally I enjoy the taste of fast food, I have nothing against it. Though I do mind when you come in, claim to be more than a laymen with nutrition and compare fast food to home cooked meals.

Food coloring, seasonings and preservatives are inert and harmless.

Many of the things you list are ALL the ingredients in the COOKED food. Especially the breaded chicken. Hell, have you LOOKED at the ingrediants of the seasoning you use on your meats? They read like a laundry list... much like the stuff listed here.

So, is the fat content higher? Is the cholesterol content higher? Keeping to the fscking topic of this thread, is there a VALID reason why a fast food burger would DOUBLE the OP's cholesterol over a home made burger?

That's what I thought. List a whole bunch of ingredients and act as if the big words most people don't understand are hidden boogiemen... when in fact they are inert preservatives, food colorings and flavor enhancers. NONE of which explain the OP's DOUBLED cholesterol numbers.

I'm not defending McDonalds. I'm defending reason and common fscking sense. I know an irrational witch hunt when I see one.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,586
986
126
Originally posted by: Fraggable
How do you feel, Jules? do you have more energy? feel healthier? more stamina? easier to exercise? get sick less often? less shortness of breath?

Just curious since you said you didn't lose weight. With that much of a difference in cholesterol and triglycerides you've got to feel different.

This may be just want I needed to puch me over the edge of eating much less fast food. I've gotten so many nasty burgers lately I have almost no desire to eat out anymore.

What do you mean? I've lost over 20 lbs. and stated that in my post. I think you're confusing my post with the OP? Or are you addressing both of us?

I feel younger than I have in 10 years. I've cut out quite a bit of fast food but I'm mainly just exercising, riding my bike 60-70 miles every week. I commute to work twice a week by bike and ride 30-40 miles or more on the weekends. When I started riding last August I could barely ride 10 miles on level ground. Now I can ride 50+ miles at a pretty good pace with some good long climbs. I built up a new road bike the last weekend in March and already have 1100 miles on it.

Diet and exercise are the best way to remain healthy though. I need to work on my diet. I don't eat much fast food though. I know how unhealthy it is.

Good luck! :thumbsup:
 

James3shin

Diamond Member
Apr 5, 2004
4,426
0
76
are you kidding? I see margarin, I see unnecessary oils and fats, I see sugars in all the McD foods listed, and how can you not say that a homemade burger is BETTER then a McD burger? I know for fact that my burgers and chicken breast are far better in taste and health (lower fat, lower cholesterol, lower sugar, and much better carbs) then a fast-food joints. I don't use sugars, salts or oils when cooking my burgers or chicken breast, I also use 97% lean ground beef and I trim any additional fat from chicken breasts. I also spend a hell of a lot less when I cook at home. But hey, you go your way, and other people will go theirs.
 

TheAdvocate

Platinum Member
Mar 7, 2005
2,561
7
81
I just love Amused's binary reasoning. Has it ever occured to you that there can be :gasp: multiple causation for anything?

Everything is better for you in moderation, but there are differences in that food. I absolutely guaranty you that a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder at McDonald's is more unhealthy in terms of cholestorol and especially saturated and trans fats than a home cooked one, unless you specifcally try to duplicate the fat content when you buy the meat. It's almost impossible to duplicate the chemical processing.

As for your claims that all those chemicals are inert and harmless? I beg to differ. Interestingly enough Arby's is marketing a chicken sandwich sans phosphates. It's starting to enter the public conciousness, which is key for that all important decision making. See, the thing about making decisions and personal responsibility is that the vendors need to make the choices available and not withhold or discredit nutritional information for the system to work. It's invigorating that several chains are highlighting this info in their menus, and at least attempting to offer healthier choices on their menus. Once that becomes the standard rather than the exception, then your argument will carry a lot more weight (bad pun intended).
 

DaShen

Lifer
Dec 1, 2000
10,710
1
0
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I eat fast food quite a bit at my cholesterol was 151 the last time I checked. My uncle can look at a hamburger and the doctors have to start using multiples of Graham's number to measure his cholesterol.

It really seems to vary from person to person.

Anyway, good for you for getting healthy. I hope that you can stick with it, despite the juicy, cheesy goodness that calls you... beckons you... day after delicious day...

:p

I'm guessing that your uncle is older and heavier than you? Your body changes when you get older. You won't be able to eat fast food "quite a bit" throughout your life without gaining weight and increasing your cholesterol.

QFT...

I used to eat like a horse when it came to fast food, and nothign would affect me. (I would regularly spend over $7-8 on dollar menu items and still be hungry) Now, though totally different.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,454
19,923
146
Originally posted by: James3shin
are you kidding? I see margarin, I see unnecessary oils and fats, I see sugars in all the McD foods listed, and how can you not say that a homemade burger is BETTER then a McD burger? I know for fact that my burgers and chicken breast are far better in taste and health (lower fat, lower cholesterol, lower sugar, and much better carbs) then a fast-food joints. I don't use sugars, salts or oils when cooking my burgers or chicken breast, I also use 97% lean ground beef and I trim any additional fat from chicken breasts. I also spend a hell of a lot less when I cook at home. But hey, you go your way, and other people will go theirs.

Notice of all the things he listed, he did not list any burgers?

Quarter Pound 100% Beef Patty*, Sesame Seed Bun, Ketchup, Mustard, Pickle Slices, Slivered Onions, Grill Seasoning

Beef Patty:
100% pure USDA inspected beef; no additives, no fillers, no extenders.


Yep, wow. Now please point out to me exactly how that can DOUBLE the OP's numbers over a home cooked burger.

So they add a little seasoning and oils to their food. EVERY restaurant does this. Any cook cooking for TASTE does this.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,454
19,923
146
Originally posted by: TheAdvocate
I just love Amused's binary reasoning. Has it ever occured to you that there can be :gasp: multiple causation for anything?

Everything is better for you in moderation, but there are differences in that food. I absolutely guaranty you that a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder at McDonald's is more unhealthy in terms of cholestorol and especially saturated and trans fats than a home cooked one, unless you specifcally try to duplicate the fat content when you buy the meat. It's almost impossible to duplicate the chemical processing.

As for your claims that all those chemicals are inert and harmless? I beg to differ. Interestingly enough Arby's is marketing a chicken sandwich sans phosphates. It's starting to enter the public conciousness, which is key for that all important decision making. See, the thing about making decisions and personal responsibility is that the vendors need to make the choices available and not withhold or discredit nutritional information for the system to work. It's invigorating that several chains are highlighting this info in their menus, and at least attempting to offer healthier choices on their menus. Once that becomes the standard rather than the exception, then your argument will carry a lot more weight (bad pun intended).

Just because Arby's is marketing to irrational fears doesn't make them any more valid.

Restaurants and canned chicken makers use phosphates to make the chicken less dry. If they didn't, they'd lose business to the guy who did. There is no valid, peer reviewed and repeated study showing harm from this and even Whole Foods Market (the king of the "organic food" markets) says they're harmless.

http://www.wholefoods.com/healthinfo/phosphates.html

Finally, I see lots of claims about McDonald's burgers being less healthy, but no proof.

So far, all I have seen is irrational fear mongering here.
 

James3shin

Diamond Member
Apr 5, 2004
4,426
0
76
check the chicken homie. My post regards to chicken and burgers. I know burger were not listed, and I can also assure you that my burgers are plenty more healthy and pleasing then some McD crap. And since when the fvck does McD have chefs or any fastfood joint for that matter? I know for damn sure that they don't taste what the slap together. But if you really want to knick and pick, check out the Double Quarter Pounder nutrtional info. You keep eating your way slim...hehe "slim", we'll see how long that lasts. Ofcourse I'm assuming you're in relatively decent shape, are you?
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,454
19,923
146
Originally posted by: James3shin
check the chicken homie. My post regards to chicken and burgers. I know burger were not listed, and I can also assure you that my burgers are plenty more healthy and pleasing then some McD crap. And since when the fvck does McD have chefs or any fastfood joint for that matter? I know for damn sure that they don't taste what the slap together. But if you really want to knick and pick, check out the Double Quarter Pounder nutrtional info. You keep eating your way slim...hehe "slim", we'll see how long that lasts. Ofcourse I'm assuming you're in relatively decent shape, are you?

I see the chicken. Look past the breaded chicken to the grilled chicken:

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat,


Food coloring: Inert and harmless:
colored with paprika and caramel color added.

Seasoning anf flavoring. Check the ingrediants of any "seasoned salt" and like product and find much the same thing:
Contains: Up to 20% of a solution of water, seasoning [salt, sugar, modified corn starch, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed (corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten) proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (animal and vegetable source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika], modified food starch,

Preservative... Harmless and life saving... not to mention without them food would spoil fsater and be far more expensive:
sodium phosphates.

Adds flavor:
Grilled with liquid margarine. Contains wheat and soybean ingredients.

Am I in good shape? Well, I just turned 39 and I'll bet you anything you wanna bet that I'm in better shape than you.

As for your burger... dream on. Your home burgers have much the same nutritional numbers as their's do.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,586
986
126
Originally posted by: Amused
Am I in good shape? Well, I just turned 39 and I'll bet you anything you wanna bet that I'm in better shape than you.

Do you eat at McDonald's every day? What is your diet like?

BTW-I'm 39 years old too.