Nutritional Scavenger Hunt You are planning to go out to lunch with a co-worker
ID: 57843 • Letter: N
Question
Nutritional Scavenger Hunt
You are planning to go out to lunch with a co-worker and want to find a healthy fast food option. To plan, go to the website of two restaurants – one that you think will provide you with the healthiest meal and the other that will be the unhealthiest. Using the websites chosen put together one proposed lunch menu from each restaurant. Create one healthy meal and one unhealthy meal for a total of two lunch menu options.
In your post, include the following nutritional information for each meal:
total calories
grams of fat
saturated fat
cholesterol
sodium
Then, discuss how you would convince your co-worker to choose the healthier menu. Be sure to include what health benefits that would be gained by choosing the healthier meal.
Guidelines for your initial post:
The meal plan MUST be realistic in what is being consumed.
You must use two different restaurants.
Meal plans can be “supersized.”
Nutritional information can be obtained directly by visiting the restaurant or finding the nutritional information online.
In addition, describe the role of fast food in your everyday life and if you foresee a change in the future of how much, how often or what foods you choose will change after this class.
Explanation / Answer
Choose 9-grain wheat or hearty italian bread: healthy meal has breads because they have fewer calories and less fat than the other breads.
The 9-grain wheat 6” has 210 calories, 40g of carbs, 2g of fat, and 280 mg of sodium. Compare that to the supposedly healthier 6” flatbread that has 220 calories, 38g of carbs, 4.5g of fat, and 340 mg of sodium.
Subway also has some soups, like the Homestyle Chicken Noodle and Tomato Basil, and salad options that can be somewhat decent as well. Follow the basic guidelines above and this place is can be one of the better options out there.
Some fast food items are marketed as being the “healthy” option, but don’t be fooled. Salads,or things that call themselves salads,are the biggest abusers of this. Don’t ever assume that something called a salad is healthy. For example, the Premium Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad at McDonald’s is not very healthy at all. It’s packed with as much fat and sodium as one of their burgers before you even add any dressing to it.
You should also be careful of things labeled “premium.” This can give off the vibe that the ingredients are higher quality, and thus healthier, but it’s rarely the case. For example, the Premium Grilled Chicken Bacon Clubhouse Sandwich at McDonald’s is one of the least healthy sandwiches on the menu. Yes, it’s “premium” chicken, but the sodium from the the extra sauce and the “artisan” bun make it a poor choice.
Lastly, be wary of vegetarian options. Just because something is vegetarian or made without meat doesn’t mean that it’s healthier. For example, the BK Veggie Burger at Burger King might seem like it’s a healthier option than a regular burger, but it’s actually packed with sodium and potentially worse for you than a Whopper Jr. Remember, when in doubt, always double check by looking up the fast food chain’s menu and nutrition facts. It can be confusing, but it’s worth looking into for you your health.
While it’s good to avoid the worst stuff when you eat at these places, it’s important to keep everything in perspective.
.Eating fast food every once in a while won’t ruin your whole diet, so don’t let it get you down:
When it comes to nutrition, it is the big picture that matters. If you find yourself in a situation where you. have options .can have four or five times a year—and the bulk of your diet is low in processed foods, rich in whole plant-foods, and you avoid or strictly limit sugar-sweetened beverages—then those four or five meals are the exception to the rule and are truly not worth worrying about. The problem, of course, is that the average American diet is in such a crummy state (low in fruits and vegetables, high in added sugars, high in red meat) that fast food meals only exacerbate the problem.
. What’s important is not making it a habit and that you build other healthier habits instead. Yes, you want to try and still avoid the really bad stuff at these fast food joints, but a burger or two won’t set you back completely.
Some questionable food choices include Steak n Shake's "Wisconsin Butter Burger" (which has a quarter stick of butter on it), McDonald's sweet tea (made with a pound of sugar per gallon), and Tim Horton's muffins (containing more fat than the doughnuts).
fast food offers some fairly reasonable options with a limited number of calories. Choosing a Big Mac at McDonalds isn't as bad as it's made out to be, as most of the saturated fat and high sugar content you'll get from fast food comes from the soda and fries that come with combo meals. Avoid those and you could stand to eat far worse. .It also should be noted that you're served far larger portions at restaurants and receive free refills on your sugary sodas. Because there's more food, you often get fries with your burger by default, and sugar drinks are virtually unlimited, you end up consuming far more calories than you intend. Basically, fast food can give you better opportunity for restraint.
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