Have you been ordering the fish or chicken at the drive through believing you are eating lower fat? The truth is the chicken and fish sandwiches from McDonald’s restaurants both have more fat than the cheeseburger. But the amount of fat really isn’t the problem anyway.
Health pundits often repeat the claim that fast food is bad for you because it’s too high in fat. In Paleolithic times, humans averaged 38% of their calories from fat. The typical American consumes 35% of their calories from fat. We are eating less fat than our ancestors.
Fast food can be bad for you all right. But not for the reasons you might think. In today’s Health Alert, I’ll explain some of the real pitfalls of fast food so you can make smarter choices for a quick lunch.
Super-sized Carbs
Processed carbohydrates are the real major cause of obesity and heart disease in the modern diet. Government health agencies giving you that misguided, low-fat “health” advice completely ignore this fact.
When you choose you food solely by the quantity of fat it contains you will inevitably consume more carbohydrates. And, the typical lower-fat fast food choices are loaded with the worst kinds of processed carbs. You’ll find these worst offenders in:
• Breaded fried fish and chicken
• Oversized white-flour buns
• French fried potatoes
• Sugar-based sodas
The media has perpetuated the myth that animal fat is responsible for the weight gain and high cholesterol levels associated with modern living. Low fat may be the most profitable food but its recommended consumption is based on a false assumption.
The fact is that animal fat has been a central part of our diet for millions of years. During this period, both obesity and heart disease were rare phenomena. Processed carbohydrates were not a part of that diet. Excessive amounts of these unnatural carbs combined with excessive calories made us fat and caused our cholesterol levels to soar. The fault does not lie with the quantity of fat.
Many studies have shown that low carb diets are more effective than low fat diets for reversing our overweight condition. The most recent study reported in The Journal of Family Practice concluded, “Low carbohydrate diets result in more weight loss than low-fat/low-calorie diets after 6 months, with no adverse impact on lipids, bone density, or blood pressure.”
Healthier Solutions
The real problem with fast food is not that it has too much fat. It’s that it contains man-made trans fats, it’s loaded with processed carbs, the fish, chicken and potatoes are fried in unnaturally processed oils and the red meat comes from grain-fed, artificially maintained and fattened animals.
So what can you do?
If you need nutrition in a hurry, the selection at Boston Market has little trans fats or processed carbs and there are several high protein choices. If you must eat at one of the other fast food chains, here are some tips to follow:
• Choose their leanest red meat
• Choose grilled fish or chicken over fried
• Hold the trans fat containing salad dressing
• Throw the bun in the garbage
• Skip the vegetable oil cooked fries
• Drink water with your lunch
Or you can do as I do for lunch. I order take-out from a local seafood restaurant or go to the local supermarket. I find the supermarket is not that busy at lunchtime and I can pick up a much healthier lunch in about the same time. As always, I build the meal around a good quality source of protein. A typical favorite lunch is:
• Fresh sushi or sashimi
• Individual portion of roasted chicken
• One whole, raw tomato
• Quart of milk
• Peach, plum or berries for dessert
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD