From McDonald's® SoCal Nutritionists
July 10th, 2009
In the March 2009 issue of Health, McDonald's ranked eighth in their list of the healthiest fast food establishments. This positive nod towards McDonald's may come as a surprise to many people, but it was no surprise to me.
For the last three decades, fast food has been falsely associated with junk food - an association that has been reinforced for so many years that even health care practitioners, public health policy activists, politicians and journalists rarely question the facts behind this association. I believe it is time to investigate. In the next few installments, this blog will look at how food choices at McDonald's stack up against food offered inside supermarkets, full service restaurants and other food establishments.
SUPERMARKETS TODAY
Today's supermarket has drastically changed over the last few decades. The average number of food items carried by a typical supermarket has more than tripled since 1980, from 15,000 to 50,000. In 1998 alone, manufacturers introduced more than 11,000 new foods.[1] More and more food manufacturers are also offering indulgent foods that are highly processed and adulterated. This has resulted in a food environment that has become increasingly difficult for many consumers to navigate. In fact, deciphering what it means to eat "healthy" is a feat that many individuals find near impossible to master.
NO SINGLE "HEALTHY" WAY TO EAT
In reality, no food passes the "healthy" litmus test. Oftentimes there are problems when trying to interpret the definition of healthy and finding foods that are healthy for everyone in the same way. I find the biggest problem to be that most people expect certain foods to fall under an umbrella definition of "healthy."
When eating, the most important question to ask yourself is: What approach to food works for me? For example, vegans and vegetarians avoid animal products, while others can not tolerate the lactose found in dairy products, and some are allergic to soy. There truly is no one right way to eat.
Therefore, it is most helpful to arm yourself with nutrition information. The goal is to understand how the combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats can give you energy, focus and a healthy immune system. Also, it is very important to understand how much is enough for you.
The most user friendly approach to food that I use with clients is a plate, marked with lines similar to a peace symbol. When filling that plate, I always recommend a strong source of protein (animal or vegetarian), adequate fruits and vegetables and modest amounts of starch - particularly from beans and legumes or whole grains - as a good place to start. Some people will prefer more or less starch, fat and protein than others. The point is to adjust the margins of what fills your plate until you reach a balance that works.
Food labels and nutrition charts can be helpful if you know how to read the information and remember they are just tools, they are not absolute rules. For example, the 2,000 calorie diet on the nutrition facts label is used as a reference. It is not uncommon for very small inactive people to need less than 1,500 calories a day, and I have worked with athletes who commonly eat 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day.
It is also important to note that the recommendations for the carbohydrate, protein and fat have little to do with what is a balanced diet for any one person. To this end, McDonald's gives consumers multiple ways to find out the nutrition information for their meal. Nutrition information is posted in every restaurant and available on the back of all trayliners and most food packaging.
On the internet you can access "Bag-a-McMeal" on www.mcdonalds.com. Here you can go beyond assessing each individual food to assessing your full meal. This is helpful because it is your overall diet that influences whether or not your food is working for you.
In addition, the Bag-a-McMeal site allows you to personalize your order, just as you would at the restaurant. It is not difficult to cut the mayo or see what happens if you order the chicken sandwich and skip the bun. This nutrition assessment tool allows you to come to know what is in your food at McDonald's and know how to order it so that what you eat works for you.
When determining the right balance of food for your body, remember that eating natural or unrefined foods does not mean that there is no room for occasionally including a more refined food product. Eating well simply means consuming a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat that work for your body and your health.
[1] Marion Nestle "The soft sell: how the food industry shapes our diets". Nutrition Action Health Letter. Sept 2002.
Send a Question or CommentApril 14th, 2009
It's Not Where You Eat...But What You Eat When You Get There
Last Sunday, my husband and I embarked on a day of errands with our 10 year old son, until we mercifully dropped him off at Grandma's house for the afternoon. His cooperation was rewarded, choosing where we would eat lunch. McDonalds. It was a pleasure.
I ate the Southwest Salad, my husband opted for the Big N' Tasty® hamburger, no mayo please, and a few Chicken Selects®. My son ordered a cheeseburger Happy Meal® with Apple Dippers and diet soda. We all shared a Fruit & Walnut Salad. For twenty dollars we ate a meal that I could have served at home. This is exactly what I envisioned six years ago when the Salads and More Menu was first conceived, and I was asked what I would like to see on the menu.
A Happy Meal option topped the list. Now we get to order apples and milk or juice or water with the entrée for our kids at no extra charge. Other requests focused on more fruit and vegetable options. Now we enjoy a wide range of salads with 16 different types of lettuce and an array of colorful produce, from grape tomatoes and carrots to red bell peppers and fire roasted corn. The Fruit & Walnut salad complements the vegetable salads. Extra Value Meals are offered with the standard fries or an easy swap with the Apple Dippers, Fruit N' Yogurt parfait, or a side salad.
There have always been options at McDonald's to limit added fat and sugar. Salad dressings are available in regular and low fat versions, and there are a variety of low fat and/or low sugar beverages. The range of food choices at McDonald's is wider than ever and the quality is comparable to the items carried in our neighborhood grocery store.
At McDonald's it is easy to choose a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat that works. If you haven't been to McDonald's in awhile, I encourage you to stop in and take notice of the nutritional profile varieties on the menu. Knowing that half of every food dollar is spent away from home, it's important to remember that it's not where you eat, but what you choose to eat when you get there.
Bonnie Modugno, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian in private practice specializing in weight management in sports nutrition.