Right? I used to loathe them until a few years ago when I realized guacamole really is God's gift to mankind. Avocados can literally go on anything. I wish Subway had them.
Bean and Cheese Burritos, Jalapeno Poppers... there are still many things out there. Wendy's came out with a decent fish sandwich a few months ago.
The same reason McD's also did away with the veggie burger: because it didn't sell! As Newsweek columnist John Schwartz laments: "I'm not sure hamburgers should be healthy. If somebody wants to eat right under the golden arches, they can already scarf down a salad, cholesterol-free fries, even applebran muffins and carrot sticks at some stores." The columnist points out that "fat-free foods are crowding onto supermarket shelves" and that "other chains are trying to catch up to the trend," with KFC, for one, unveiling skinless chicken to lower the fat and sodium content. This is all well and good, he says, but adds that to defat a hamburger is to defile a hamburger. "Each of us carries an ideal fatty hamburger in our hearts," he observes. Some of McD's franchisees tend to agree with that assessment. About half of all customer requests for the new McLean Deluxe 91-percent fat-free burger include cheese, adding some 50 calories. "People don't go to fast-food places for health reasons," one franchisee observed. "They go to pig out. They might eat healthfully at home, but not when they go out." "Our menu keeps growing, and it's becoming operationally unmanageable," another maintained. "We're nowhere near as fast in service as we were 10 years ago." http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n22_v25/ai_10851281/
I always get diet soda when I'm porking out at a fast food joint. I just think it tastes better than regular soda. Like others have said, if a fast food item is low in one thing like fat, you can bet it's going to make up for it in another like calories/sodium/sugar etc. Best not to even try to deal with it if you're trying to stay healthy. That said, I don't think getting a Whataburger with cheese and fries once or twice a month is going to kill you.
Cool. Thanks for the links. I see what you are saying and agree for the most part, but when I think of "healthy". I think more in terms of organic ingredients, no preservatives, and nothing processed. Even a grilled chicken sandwich is processed and full of sodium from most fast food places. I do love the option of getting fresh fruit that some places are offering. You can eat more healthy conscienously at fast food places, but its just tough for me to actually define it as healthy eating in general.
My brother has told me on numerous occasions that the unhealthiest part of the Whopper is the bun, the ingredients that is. I'm pretty sure they don't oil/butter it like they do at Whataburger.
Agree it is tough, but I can prepare two days worth of healthy meals in about 1.5 hours at home before I go to bed. I suppose I could play video games or surf the interwebs during that 1.5 hours instead and then complain about how I don't have time to eat healthy due to the strains put on me by the society we live in. It also saves time in the long run because I don't have to run out and try to find something to eat and wait in drive thru lines. Maybe I'm in the minority, who knows, but my health is the most important thing in my life. I believe that if you don't have your health, then you have nothing. I also find it sad when people will spend $50 on a video game, event tickets, cable TV, a T-shirt, alcohol, but they will b**** if they have to spend over $5 on a healthy meal.
Taco Bell: Bean Burrito al fresco, Nachos no beef. 7 Layer Burrito. etc. Taco Cabana: Go late night friday, saturday or early sunday and get a 12 breakfast tacos, mix of potato & egg and bean & cheese. Veggie patty at Subway is pretty good. Tuna is good (although I eat that at home primarily now.) Stopped eating McDonald's (except vanilla cone) Filet o fish is still really bad for you so I don't eat that anymore. Stopped eating Wendy's (except Frosty) and Burger King (except icee's) Popeye's crawfish or shrimp po-boys and red beans & rice. It has been 9 months and I don't really miss meat or chicken and I truthfully am getting kind of tired of seafood. Wife and I are almost completely vegetarian now having seafood maybe 1-2 meals a week.
I agree with Vinsanity. You stay healthy when you package your meals. I eat breakfast at home and bring lunch from home so I rarely go out to eat for lunch, maybe one time every two weeks. I just went out for lunch today and I had some shrimp primevera at Olive Garden. It said it was low fat so I'm hoping it was low fat. I didn't even eat the whole breadstick. It's just how you control yourself when going out to eat. You can eat somewhat healthy at fast food joints. It's just a matter of choice. Always get a grilled chicken. Cook yourself a burger if you want healthy. Why is organic food so expensive?? They're good for our health. High prices are driving customers away. Only organic foods I get are strawberries and low fat milk. Boy, organic low fat milk tastes SO much better!
Great post. It's really something that I'm trying to aspire to...cooking my own meals and then being able to put it in the fridge or freezer for later days. I'm trying to slowly cut out cheese and other dairy products from my daily routine, so it requires creativity and real cooking. I love what you said about your health. I've taken mine for granted in the past, but I've also felt how wonderful it is to be very health-conscious, and have decided that's how I want to live out my life. People say, "ew, you don't eat that or that, how is that actually living?" But feeling naturally strong, healthy, and alive just seems more important than things like indulging. "eating to live," as they say.
*shudder* No beef is right - if you got the beef, it would probably still be "no beef". I may eat at a Taco Bell in the event of an emergency. Haven't tried, that, but ok, it at least sounds good. I looked at that veggie pattie and it looked nasty enough for me to not want it. Tuna is good, but with the fat content in that, you may as well get a burger, but I'll give you that. Now you're pushing it... Mmmm... a meal of ice. Fine. You got me... I've never had the po-boys and don't remember the crawfish, but I like Popeye's in general, so I'll give you that. One of those almost-but-not-quite vegetarians. Good luck!
Produce where you don't use chemical/artificial enhancers to grow them usually have less yield when grown. Also, since you can't use herbicides to kill things like weeds, you have to have more people out there pulling them. They pass those negative savings onto you. If you really want to save on produce - grown your own. My parents grow their own tomatoes, okra, peppers, pears, etc, etc. in their back yards. Get your kids' 8000 sq. ft., 4 story bounce house and rover's playpen outta there and grow stuff!
