With a woman’s busy schedule, we often go through a fast food drive through to pick up a quick lunch or dinner on hectic days.
If your tummy is rumbling for something more filling than a salad, you probably will order the usual burger or chicken deal. My favorite burger treat is the Carl’s Jr. Original Six Dollar Burger.
Granted that is probably a full day’s quota, but a once in awhile treat so I can take the night off from cooking is worth it.
Most of us know these choices are unhealthy, but when you look at the nutrition numbers you may just be shocked!
The Daily Beast ran an article on The 40 Deadliest Fast-Food Meals which includes stats for calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium.
Most of us wouldn’t be the least bit phased by the caloric and fat content in fast food. It’s not exactly breaking news that fast food is fattening.
The more alarming statistic for me was the sodium content. I’ve been watching sodium more closely since I developed high blood pressure. Also, with my sister’s cirrhosis of the liver, her sodium levels are wildly unstable.
I love a good bacon burger as much as the next carnivore. However, I am not so sure I love it enough to send me to the emergency room in cardiac arrest!
The Wendy’s Baconator Triple (my 18 year old son’s favorite) not only has 1330 calories (almost a day’s worth for an average person), the sodium level is 3150 mg!!
According to the Mayo Clinic website, daily sodium intake should fall between 1500 and 2400 mg a day.
Anyone who is working on losing weight or who has high blood pressure, is at high risk for stroke or cardiac disease, or is diabetic should keep their sodium intake at the 1500 mg/day range.
My sister’s doctor advised she keep her sodium even lower at about 1200 mg/day.
Other very popular meals from Taco Bell, Sonic, McDonald’s, Arby’s, Jack In the Box, Popeye’s Chicken, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, In & Out Burger, White Castle and KFC were from 1400 to over 2000 mg.
Who would have thought a taco salad could be so deadly? And think, one slice of a Domino’s cheese pizza contains about 600 mg of sodium! Who eats just one slice?
So, if I want to have my favorite 6 Dollar Burger from Carl’s Jr. with a side of onion rings and a diet Dr. Pepper (gotta watch that sugar for the diabetes), I’ll be consuming…
- 1440 calories (1000 from the burger, 440 from the O-rings, 0 from the pop);
- 2425 mg sodium (1690 from the burger, 700 from the O-rings, 35 mg from 8 oz of pop).
If I only ate that meal for the entire day, I would be over the 1200 calorie limit for a strict weight loss diet and way over the 1500 mg sodium/day limit for my health issues.
I’ll be satisfied with a pine box folks!
Seriously, though, indulging in a fast food meal as a rare treat is not going to kill you. Unless, of course, your doctor has strictly forbidden it due to your health issues.
If you will miss your favorite burger or chicken meal just too much, and are in danger of going on a bender, then plan out your next fast food meal.
Decide how often a month—once or twice—or once a week. Start wherever you can be successful! You can always work towards less.
You can also plan out your meal. What are you actually craving? Is it the fries, the chicken, the burger, or the chili dog? Or maybe you just really, really want a Reeces Blizzard.
Just order the one thing you are craving. Leave the rest for your next visit. Remember to balance out your meals for the rest of the week so you are eating more fresh, home prepared meals.
This doesn’t mean only eat broiled chicken, salad & broccoli all week. That kind of bland boring menu is very difficult to maintain and would drive the most disciplined person to binge. Bake, microwave, and steam your food and avoid frying.
Remember, here at Ladies Living Large and Healthy, we are talking about healthy lifestyle changes that you can live with forever.
If you’d like to check the nutrition “label” for your favorite fast food meals look up Calorie Count.
Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen
mentor.karen.imnotfluffy@gmail.com
