Eating at Chain Restaurants May Actually Be Worse for Your Health Than You Think
You might want to think twice about consuming that Big Mac and fries or that Whopper with cheese.
A new study has revealed that nine out of 10 fast food chain entrees fail to meet federally recommended nutrition standards and exceed their imposed limits. You might want to hold back on that Happy Meal for your kids, too, since the study indicates that the meals for both adults and children are not up to snuff.
Ninety-six percent of the entrees sold at the leading fast food establishments exceed the daily limit for calories, sodium, fat and saturated fat. One meal provides more than what is recommended by the Department of Agriculture.
None of this is actually shocking, if you’ve ever watched ‘Supersize Me,’ Morgan Spurlock’s entertaining and informative documentary about the fast food industry, where he consumed three squares per day from Mickey Ds and saw a rapid decline in his overall health, in addition to weight gain.
According to USA Today, the 18-month study scoured the nutritional content of 30,923 menu items from 417 restaurant brands across the country.
Even with the addition of calorie counts to the menu board and the offering of supposedly healthier items, there are other “hidden” caloric additions in things like appetizers. Family restaurants showed themselves to be even worse than fast good, which seems obvious, since those types of dining situations mean large portions and extra items.