How the Fast Food You Love Stacks Up on My Health-o-Meter

By Theresa

While many people have a “sweet tooth” I consider myself more of a “salt tooth.” While others dream of decadent chocolate desserts, I envision salty French fries dancing in my head. In high school after a complete physical examination by my MD, I found out I had high cholesterol.

The guilty culprit was a Ma-and-Pa fast food joint which catered to a student’s meagre budget—a “lunch box special” which consisted of a slurpie, fries, gravy and a hamburger for only $3 was the hot seller, and what I devoured a few times a week. The fact that I had high cholesterol came as quite a shock to me. My petit frame did not divulge any unhealthy eating habits; I had what some people call “a fat person trapped in a skinny body” syndrome.

Since that day, I’ve been more mindful of what I consume and am trying (often unsuccessfully) to curb my salt tooth cravings. In an attempt to discourage myself and others from succumbing to greasy deliciousness, here is a very unscientific compilation of the nutritional value of a standard hamburger and fries from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and Dairy Queen. Since there is a smorgasbord of bad components in every fast food item, I’ve highlighted just a few of the worst: calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium content.

So if you are like me and are trying to eat more fruits and veggies, the next time you have a hankering for fast food, remember these pictures.

McDonald’s Hamburger

Serving Size: 101 g

McDonald’s Medium Fries

Serving Size: 113 g

Wendy’s 1/4 lb. Single Burger

Serving Size: 241 g

Wendy’s Value French Fries

Serving Size: 113 g

Burger King WHOPPER® Sandwich

Serving Size: 290 g

Burger King Medium Fries

Serving Size: 116 g

Dairy Queen Original Hamburger

Serving Size: 142 g

Dairy Queen Regular Fries

Serving Size: 114 g

The Worst Offenders

Not surprisingly, since the Burger King WHOPPER® has the largest serving size, it also takes the prize in highest caloric and fat content. Wendy’s ¼ lb. single is not far behind.

Serving Size – BK WHOPPER® (290 g)
Calories – BK WHOPPER® (670 calories)
Total Fat – BK WHOPPER® (40 g)
Cholesterol – Wendy’s ¼ lb. single (80 mg)
Sodium – Wendy’s ¼ lb. single (910 mg). (The WHOPPER® also has 910 mg, however Wendy’s ¼ lb. single packs more sodium for its serving size).

On average, the typical adult requires about 2,000 calories per day (of course the number of calories required differs per person depending on a variety of factors such as sex, age, weight, and activity level). A fast food meal which consists of a burger, fries and a soft drink easily eats up your allotted daily calorie intake.

Sadly for many people I know, myself included, eliminating fast food is akin to refraining from drinking water on a hot summer’s day. Personally, my goal is to limit it to once a week however I am constantly tempted by the cheap prices and convenience. My friends and I say that there is a vicious fast food cycle:

Stage 1 = Craving (on a regular basis)
Stage 2 = Anticipation (this occurs once you’ve decided to cave in to your craving)
Stage 3 = Satisfaction (short-lived satisfaction, I might note)
Stage 4 = Regret (also short-lived)
Repeat the cycle

Talking about all this food is making me hungry.

Sources:
http://www.mcdonalds.ca/NutritionCalculator/index_en.html
http://www.wendys.ca/food/Nutrition.jsp
http://www.burgerking.ca/RTEContent/Document/nutritionalGuide_webFormat_Nov2009_2.pdf
http://www.dairyqueen.com/upload/DQFoodandTreatNutritionBrochure.pdf

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