March 2008
Defensive eating at fast-food restaurants
A reasonably healthy meal can be had--if you're careful
MORE FLAVOR, LESS FAT
Tomato and onion salsa takes the place of high-fat cheese in Taco Bell's Fresco Steak Burrito Supreme. Opt for the Mexican Rice, top, or the Pintos 'n Cheese as a side. For a drink, nothing beats water.
Tomato and onion salsa takes the place of high-fat cheese in Taco Bell's Fresco Steak Burrito Supreme. Opt for the Mexican Rice, top, or the Pintos 'n Cheese as a side. For a drink, nothing beats water.
There are some good reasons for eating fast food. It's convenient, inexpensive, and appeals to older folks as much as the
little ones. And sometimes, when you're at the mall, on the road, or have to grab and go, it may be the only, or the easiest,
option available.
But health food it's not. A single fast-food meal can easily pack more calories, fat, and sodium than most people should get in a day. That's why you need a survival plan when you venture into the fast-food jungle.
Don't be too reassured by the efforts of some restaurants to become more healthful. For example, Wendy's ditched the "biggie" language for its fries and drinks but didn't actually cut portion sizes. In fact, its drink sizes increased—a large soda is now 40 ounces, more than the amount in three 12-ounce cans of soda.
Similarly, the growing concerns about trans fats, which simultaneously raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol, have prompted some chains to swear off trans fats. But Consumer Reports tests have continued to detect the substance in the french fries served at some fast-food franchises.
And while most chains offer at least a few token healthful items, such as Burger King's BK Veggie Burger, far more typical is its new BK Quad Stacker, "a mountain of meat and cheese" that features four hamburger patties, four slices of cheese, and eight slices of bacon, all slathered with a Stacker sauce that's loaded with sugar.
Of course, in many ways the restaurant menus simply reflect the dietary ambivalence of the American public. For example, while we may head to a restaurant that promotes its healthy choices, such as Subway, some of us feel so virtuous once we get there that we grab a bag of chips and load up on caloric toppings, such as cheese and mayonnaise. A study of 46 fast-food patrons published in the October 2007 Journal of Consumer Research found that those dining at Subway consumed about 350 calories more per meal than those eating at McDonald's.
Here's a quick rundown of the dietary pitfalls of fast-food restaurants and some strategies to help you emerge with waistline and arteries intact.
FAST FOOD OR FAT FOOD?
The chains' usual fare—high-fat, high-sugar foods served in portions that typically range from hefty to out of control—encourages customers to overeat. Not only do those oversized servings send more calories your way, but they also throw off your sense of how much you've consumed.
In one Cornell University study, fast-food patrons found that their ability to estimate the calorie content of their meals declined as the size of the meals ballooned. Ultimately, that leads to extra weight. A 15-year study published in the British journal The Lancet found that people who ate fast food more than twice a week gained an average of about 10 pounds more than those who ate it less than once a week.
HEART ATTACK TO GO
Those extra pounds, combined with the suspect nutritional profile of fast food, multiply your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and premature death. For example, fast-food meals are often packed with fat. And research shows that even a single high-fat meal significantly raises your risk of a heart attack for several hours afterward, especially if you're already obese.
Particularly worrisome are the high levels of saturated fats (mainly from animal products) and trans fats (from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) found in many fast-food items. Even when you find an item that's relatively low in those fats, the sodium content is often sky-high. One fast-food meal can easily provide more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the recommended total daily maximum for healthy adults, and well above the 1,500 mg recommended for people who already have high blood pressure or are at risk of it.
ORDERING STRATEGIES
If you have time, check the nutritional information on a chain's Web site before you go. Or, once you get to the restaurant, look for the charts that some establishments post on the walls. And don't hesitate to ask about ingredients or make special requests. Many chains will make items to order. If you passively accept the one-size-fits-all eating approach, you might discover that it's size extra-large. Avoid combination meals, which tend to have larger sizes and more calories. And when you can, select grilled or roasted meats, not fried.
Below, we list specific tips for navigating each part of your fast-food meal, from appetizer to dessert.
Appetizers and side orders
Burgers and sandwiches
Entrées
Salads
Beverages
Desserts
This article first appeared in the April 2008 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
But health food it's not. A single fast-food meal can easily pack more calories, fat, and sodium than most people should get in a day. That's why you need a survival plan when you venture into the fast-food jungle.
Don't be too reassured by the efforts of some restaurants to become more healthful. For example, Wendy's ditched the "biggie" language for its fries and drinks but didn't actually cut portion sizes. In fact, its drink sizes increased—a large soda is now 40 ounces, more than the amount in three 12-ounce cans of soda.
Similarly, the growing concerns about trans fats, which simultaneously raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol, have prompted some chains to swear off trans fats. But Consumer Reports tests have continued to detect the substance in the french fries served at some fast-food franchises.
And while most chains offer at least a few token healthful items, such as Burger King's BK Veggie Burger, far more typical is its new BK Quad Stacker, "a mountain of meat and cheese" that features four hamburger patties, four slices of cheese, and eight slices of bacon, all slathered with a Stacker sauce that's loaded with sugar.
Of course, in many ways the restaurant menus simply reflect the dietary ambivalence of the American public. For example, while we may head to a restaurant that promotes its healthy choices, such as Subway, some of us feel so virtuous once we get there that we grab a bag of chips and load up on caloric toppings, such as cheese and mayonnaise. A study of 46 fast-food patrons published in the October 2007 Journal of Consumer Research found that those dining at Subway consumed about 350 calories more per meal than those eating at McDonald's.
Here's a quick rundown of the dietary pitfalls of fast-food restaurants and some strategies to help you emerge with waistline and arteries intact.
FAST FOOD OR FAT FOOD?
The chains' usual fare—high-fat, high-sugar foods served in portions that typically range from hefty to out of control—encourages customers to overeat. Not only do those oversized servings send more calories your way, but they also throw off your sense of how much you've consumed.
In one Cornell University study, fast-food patrons found that their ability to estimate the calorie content of their meals declined as the size of the meals ballooned. Ultimately, that leads to extra weight. A 15-year study published in the British journal The Lancet found that people who ate fast food more than twice a week gained an average of about 10 pounds more than those who ate it less than once a week.
HEART ATTACK TO GO
Those extra pounds, combined with the suspect nutritional profile of fast food, multiply your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and premature death. For example, fast-food meals are often packed with fat. And research shows that even a single high-fat meal significantly raises your risk of a heart attack for several hours afterward, especially if you're already obese.
Particularly worrisome are the high levels of saturated fats (mainly from animal products) and trans fats (from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) found in many fast-food items. Even when you find an item that's relatively low in those fats, the sodium content is often sky-high. One fast-food meal can easily provide more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the recommended total daily maximum for healthy adults, and well above the 1,500 mg recommended for people who already have high blood pressure or are at risk of it.
ORDERING STRATEGIES
If you have time, check the nutritional information on a chain's Web site before you go. Or, once you get to the restaurant, look for the charts that some establishments post on the walls. And don't hesitate to ask about ingredients or make special requests. Many chains will make items to order. If you passively accept the one-size-fits-all eating approach, you might discover that it's size extra-large. Avoid combination meals, which tend to have larger sizes and more calories. And when you can, select grilled or roasted meats, not fried.
Below, we list specific tips for navigating each part of your fast-food meal, from appetizer to dessert.
Appetizers and side orders
- Share appetizers with your dining partners, or turn a side dish into an entrée.
- Order a baked potato, steamed rice, fruit cup, or corn, broccoli, or carrots instead of fries. If you must have fries, order
a small serving; that can save about 300 calories and often lots of saturated or trans fat compared with the large size.
- Stick with a chain's "original" or "traditional" burgers or sandwiches; they are usually smaller and thus have fewer calories
than more recent concoctions. For larger items, order a half-portion if possible. If not, ask the server to cut it in half
and share it with someone, or wrap half to take home.
- Order whole-grain bread whenever possible, and double the vegetable toppings.
- Take off the top bread slice and eat the sandwich open-faced.
- Ask for salsa, mustard, ketchup, or low-fat mayonnaise instead of regular mayo or creamy dressings. And use ketchup and barbecue
sauces sparingly, since they often add extra salt and sugar.
- At fried-chicken outlets, ask for chicken without the skin.
- In Chinese restaurants, order vegetable dishes with shrimp or chicken, preferably steamed, which tend to be leaner; ask for
brown rice, which has more fiber and nutrients than white rice; and pour off excess sauce and ask for light soy sauce to spare
yourself extra calories and sodium.
- In Mexican restaurants, ask for salsa instead of shredded cheese, sour cream, or nacho-cheese sauce, and order grilled vegetables
or beans in place of meat.
- At pizza places, order thin-crust pizza with half the cheese and extra vegetables.
- For fish dishes, ask for cocktail sauce instead of tartar sauce, which cuts about 75 calories and 9 grams of fat per ounce.
- Order a large salad with grilled chicken, shrimp, or garden vegetables as your entrée.
- Avoid salads served in deep-fried shells or sprinkled with cheese, croutons, breaded fried chicken, or other breaded or fried
toppings.
- Order light or nonfat salad dressing, or if there's only regular dressing, order it on the side and dip your fork into it
before spearing each bite of salad.
- Instead of regular soda (one 32-ounce serving can have 400 calories), ask for water (tap, bottled, or mineral), low-fat milk,
diet soda, or unsweetened iced tea.
- At coffee places, order blended drinks like cappuccino with skim milk and half the sugar, and skip the whole milk or cream
with your regular coffee.
- Order a child's cup or cone, even if you're an adult, or opt for sorbet, frozen yogurt, or light ice cream.
- Order smooth flavors rather than those mixed with chunks of candy bars or cookie dough.
- Get a cake, or wafer, cone, which has fewer calories than a sugar or waffle cone, and resist the urge to have it dipped in
chocolate, which can add 10 or more grams of fat.
