The Best and Worst of Fast Food

We all know that fast food isn’t the best for our health, in fact, its not good for our diets at all. But, fast food is so convenient and tasty, that even the healthiest of us can’t resist going through a drive-thru on occasion.

That said, you can still eat “somewhat” healthy at fast food restaurants if you pick the right choices off the menu. To help you out, we’ve created the
“healthiest” and “unhealthiest” fast food menus available today by combining foods from different chains.

Basically, please choose items from the “healthy” menu next time you want a burger or fries, and stay away from the “unhealthy” menu at all costs unless you enjoy clogged arteries and would enjoy a heart attack or stroke in the future.

The Healthiest Menu

Burger – The healthiest burger of the bunch is Wendy’s Jr. Hamburger….I know right, of course the smaller the healthier. This burger has 0 trans fats per serving, and only 8 grams of total fat as well as 500 miligrams of sodium. Although you won’t be very full after eating one of these, at least you’ll know that you made a healthy food choice — well, sorta.

Fries -The healthiest-portion-of-fries award goes to Sonic, which include 0 grams of trans fat and only have 11 total grams of fat. But stay away from those chili cheese fries…they include 9 whooping grams of saturated fat.

Chicken (Nuggets, Strips, etc.) – If you are a chicken-lover, Wendy’s Chicken Nuggets are your best bet. These little critters only contain 230 calories per 5 pieces, and include 0 grams of trans fat. There is less saturated fat and sodium as well in these chicken nuggets compared to most other chicken choices at other fast food chains.

Onion Rings – I for one hate onion rings, but if you like them, then go with A&W or Sonic’s versions. Sonic’s only include 0.5 grams of trans fat and 300 grams of sodium, while A&W’s has the lowest calorie, total fat, and saturated fat counts. Still, any onion ring is going to be really unhealthy for you, so only sample them here and there if you can.

The Unhealthiest Menu

Burgers – The worst burger is Carl’s Jr.’s Double Six Dollar Burger. This thing contains…get this, 1,520 calories, 111 grams of total fat, and 2,760 mg of sodium! This basically death-in-a-bun if you indulge in its tastiness too often.

Fries – The worst fries on the planet, health wise, are Dairy Queens. A side of regular fries has 730 calories and 1,530 milligrams of sodium. Wow! At least there are only 5 grams of trans fat in Dairy Queen’s fries compared to 11 grams of trans fat found in White Castle’s fries.

Chicken Stuff – Okay, again if you like chicken, try to stay away from Dairy Queen’s Chicken Strip Basket. Man, we are really railing on Dairy Queen today aren’t we? Well, this 6 chicken strip-containing meal manages to include 1,270 total calories, 12 grams of trans fat, and 2,910 mg of sodium in what amounts to an extremely, extremely, unhealthy meal.

Onion Rings – Hey Dairy Queen, you have a new best “most unhealthy” friend in White Castle. That’s because White Castle’s tops off the “worst foods chart” with 30 grams of trans fat in their onion rings. 30 grams! Case closed

Final Word

Just remember, when it comes to all of these counts and whatnot, that lower is better. If you stick to that rule of thumb you’ll always be eating healthier, even if you’re not eating healthy at all…if that makes any sense.

Organic vs. Non-Organic

Organic Craze

Everything is organic these days! Whether its fruit, potato chips, or even frozen dinners, you can pretty much find an organic substitute for any food in your local grocery store. That said, are these organic options actually healthier for you and your body? There has been much debate on this topic, with sound facts coming from both sides.

Organic is Definitely Better for the Environment

Whether or not organic foods are healthier, this much is known – organic farms tend to preserve the environment and cut down on waste production by leaps and bounds in comparison to their non-organic counterparts.

Organic farms do not spray their produce and food with artificial chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, and other food-preserving chemicals. These chemicals not only preserve the food, but they also kill the soil located around the food.

That said, organic food does spoil before non-organic food does…just one example of the pros and cons found on both sides of the debate.

Are Non-Organic Foods Harmful?

Some health and nutrition experts believe that all those chemicals sprayed on non-organic foods are actually poisonous to our bodies. Others, on the other hand, believe that the dosage levels of those chemicals are so small that they couldn’t possibly harm our bodies in a negative way.

After all, that’s why we have stomach acids right? Again, who should we believe in this debate?

The Verdict

I once talked to a gym trainer who told me that he never even bothers eating organically. He said that in large quantities, yes, the pesticides sprayed on non-organic foods could be potentially harmful. But those quantities are never large enough to affect our health in any negative way, according to the trainer.

In my own opinion, I’ll have to side with the gym and nutrition guru. Sure organic is better for the environment and it cuts down on the waste that we as humans produce, but the argument can’t be made at this point and time that organic foods are a healthier option.

That said, I could always change my mind if future findings can establish the health risks of eating non-organically. But for now, I’ll continue eating my chemically-sprayed foods just like many other healthy individuals around the world.

No Impact Man

By the way, if you would like to develop your own opinion on this issue, there is a great documentary titled ‘No Impact Man’ that you should watch. Basically, this man by the name of Colin Beavan, chronicles his family’s journey as they strive to not only eat organic but to live completely organic as well.

Here is Colin’s official blogspot: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/