The Great Calorie War of 2011

By: Emily Bush

One of the biggest healthcare crises facing America is obesity. Studies indicate that adult obesity rates in the United States have doubled (from 15 to 30 percent) and tripled in American children since 1980. Along with these escalating rates comes an increase of other health-related issues such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease—and the associated costs of treating these diseases.

Contributing to our society’s increasing girth are the fast food chains located throughout the country. From large metropolitan areas to one-light towns, the golden arches, that red-head with pig tails or that scary burger “king” with the large head seem to be ubiquitous. McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King—all ranking in the top ten largest chains in the country—have their outrageous items full of fat and calories. As a challenge, I wanted to find out if there were any fast and healthy food options for the calorie conscious to eat at these restaurants.

The first thing you notice when looking at the McDonald’s nutritional information is that there is 17 pages of nutritional information – almost twice as much as the other restaurants. Some of the shocking items on the McDonalds menu were an Angus Mushroom and Swiss “Snack” Wrap that is 430 calories and 26 grams of fat, which may not seem like a lot of calories, but you have to take into consideration that people eat it as a snack – not just for a meal. Also, one of the worst items on the McDonalds menu is the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes (eggs,  sausage, a buttermilk biscuit, hash browns & pancakes) for 1,150 calories and 60 grams of fat.  For most people, the recommended calorie intake is 2,000 per day.  This pancake breakfast would consume more than half a day’s worth of calories.

The worst item on the Burger King menu is the Triple Whopper Large Value Meal totaling 1,960 calories and 104 grams of fat.  This is an entire day’s worth of calories in one meal!  Burger King also offers breakfast meals.  One new item is the restaurant’s Ciniminis with icing.  For four small cinnamon buns, you will eat 500 calories and 18 grams of fat and most likely still be hungry.

The ¾ pound triple burger on the Wendy’s menu is 1,020 calories and 62 grams of fat before the addition of fries or a drink.  Also the Baconator Double is 940 calories and 59 grams of fat and is something to steer clear from.

Not all food at these popular chains is loaded with calories.  There are easy ways to make healthy choices on the go.

McDonald’s

• Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich – 360 calories and 9 grams of fat
• Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken – 220 calories and 6 grams of fat
• Fruit and Yogurt Parfait – 160 calories and 2 grams of fat

Wendy’s

• Small Chili – 220 calories and 7 grams of fat and 15 grams of fat
• Apple Pecan Chicken Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing – 460 calories and
• Crispy Chicken Sandwich – 360 calories and 16 grams of fat

Burger King

• TenderGrill Garden Salad with Fat Free Ranch Dressing – 290 calories and 7 grams of fat
• Veggie Burger with the usual condiments – 410 calories and 16 grams of fat (this can come with a side – opt for the garden salad for 70 calories instead of French fries)

For the Kids

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic that is receiving national attention bolstered by the involvement of Michelle Obama. With that in mind, parents should really look at the calorie and fat content in children’s meals at fast food restaurants.

Some of the worst kid’s items are Burger King’s Double Cheeseburger, small french fry, and chocolate milk, which totals 850 calories and 29 grams of fat, and McDonalds’ Cheeseburger Happy Meal with a small fry and chocolate milk, which adds to 700 calories and 27 grams of fat. The best option for your children is chicken nuggets or a plain burger.  Instead of  fries soaked in oil and salt, opt for the apple dippers at McDonalds or the apple fries at Burger King.

Drinks could be a category of its own – but to keep it simple, water, unsweetened ice tea or diet soda are the best options for adults.  For children – water is best.

For the French-Fry Fanatic

Some people have an obsession with French fries, which we all know are not the healthiest.  After comparing the caloric content in the medium and large fries at McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s, there was a winner for the least amount of calories.

McDonald’s medium French fries have 380 calories and 19 grams of fat and the large order has 500 calories and 25 grams of fat. Burger King’s fries tipped the scale weighing in at 440 calories and 20 grams of fat in the medium order and 540 calories and 25 grams of fat for the large order.

The frequent French fry eater should also remember that the sauce added to the fries could pack on the calories as well. Ketchup is loaded with sugar and beware of honey mustard and barbeque sauces which pack a lot of fat.  The Ranch dipping sauce offered at Wendy’s serves up a whopping 120 calories per small container.

Isn’t this supposed to be good for me?

Whenever someone wants to keep calorie intake down at fast-food chains, he or she is often drawn to order salads.  But beware, many salads at fast food restaurants can trick you.

Low calorie salads can take a turn for the worst depending on salad toppings (like crispy fried tortilla strips and cheese) and the dressing that you choose.  As a rule of thumb, stay away from anything that has “creamy” in the description! Creamy dressings are highly caloric.

A healthy option is Burger King’s plain Garden Salad for 70 calories and 3.5 grams of fat; paired with the fat-free ranch dressing, that total increases to 330 calories.  Again, be cautious with dressing choices. The honey mustard dressing is 340 calories alone.

The worst salad is Wendy’s Baja Salad with 550 calories before dressing and 33 grams of fat.  The recommended dressing to go with the salad is another 100 calories.  Also you should know that the calorie content does not include the caloric content in everything that comes with it , for example, tortilla strips, nuts, or dried fruits.

Not everything at fast food restaurants is bad – you just have to be knowledgeable about your choices.  All of the nutrition information is available online, and Burger King also allows you to go online and “build” your meal before you go to the restaurant so you can see just how many calories and fat you will be eating.

Bottom line – don’t be afraid to ask for nutrition information at fast food restaurants.  It could save you unwanted and unnecessary calories!

Emily Bush is a student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio studying History and Journalism. Emily wrote for Miami’s on-campus magazine called the Miami Quarterly. She has a passion for writing about things that she loves – Pittsburgh, food, and fun! She also loves sports and playing games. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh.