This is for all my Fast Foodies out there. Did you know that McDonalds just rolled out a list of “Favorites Under 400 Calories”? It lists foods in categories of 100, 200, 300 and 400 calories. You all know that I am not an advocate of fast food and will suggest that you eat anything but…..BUT, if you have to get something at McD's let’s look at their new list.
Don’t be fooled by this list, while it may seem appealing to you to get a cheeseburger and a diet soda for lunch that would be just 300 calories, you also have to consider other aspects of its nutrient content: 36% of its calories come from fat (as recommended by the AHA and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans your total fat intake should be less than 25% of your total calories for the day, so this high fat item does not help in reaching that goal) and not to mention it’s sodium content, 720mg (almost half the recommended amount for the day!). So, with that being said, and just looking at one example (I won’t even mention the Filet-O-Fish sandwich with its hefty 43% fat content and 610 mg Na) there are more things to consider than the calorie content when looking at this list.
What I will recommend to anyone that needs to grab a quick meal or snack, stick with something liked the grilled chicken snack wrap, NO SAUCE (McDonald’s nutrient info only includes the wrap with the sauce, without the sauce it’s a good low fat alternative) or the Fruit and Maple Oatmeal (without brown sugar) that is only 14% fat and has a whopping 5 g fiber (we need about 25-30 g fiber/d). Of course I am all for a Latte, with non fat milk, 90 calorie snack which gives you one of your servings of low fat dairy (think Calcium) for the day. If you think a skim milk (non fat) latte won’t taste as good as one made from whole milk, try it. The skim milk foams up better and it tastes just as good!
So, here’s the list, if you must make a McD’s pit stop, but remember there is more to consider than a calorie.
