Comments on: Terrific new fast food nutritional calculator

By: Kim

Kim — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:34:12 +0000

Clair: It’s harder with a family than it is for a single person like me, for sure, but I cook nearly all my meals even though I frequently work late (usually no later than 10pm, but occasionally past midnight). I do make my breakfast fresh every day, but otherwise I only cook 2-3 nights a week. I usually cook 2 recipes at once on Sunday night, portion it all out for work lunches, and then cook again Wednesday or Thursday. If I run out of food before I have time to cook again, I’ll usually get some deli chicken or turkey and salad greens from the grocery store near work and just throw that together. I also keep cans of tuna and a package of walnuts in my desk, and sometimes some cheese in the fridge. At home I keep some individually frozen burgers and chicken breasts and some bags of frozen veggies so if for some reason I’m home from work before dinner time I can get a pretty basic meal together in about 15 minutes.

Incidentally I’m not one of those people who was taught good home ec skills growing up: I’ve only been doing this for about 2 months and only after fumbling through a painful baked-chicken-breast-every-day phase (monotony!), but it’s been a very easy routine to establish. If you find a good cookbook to work from it’s surprisingly low effort.

Dr Mike: To be honest, I don’t think most consumers know what they want with respect to nutrition, or even what they’re getting. I’ve certainly had a variety of friends, men in particular, say some variation on “I’d like to eat better but I don’t know how”, and who have really no concept of what they get out of their food.

I agree with you. I doubt that most people give their nutrition a second thought. Most people reading this blog do, but I figure the population at large couldn’t care less.

It’s a sad state of affairs.

Best–

MRE

By: Karen J

Karen J — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 02:23:53 +0000

If you’re willing to eat with a fork, my Sister says that Quiznos has a “Black and Blue Salad” that’s pretty good. It’s Black Angus steak, Blue Cheese, tomatoes, red onion, and greens with a Balsamic Vinaigrette. Toss the bread. I’ll be skipping the vinaigrette (served on the side) until I find out what’s in it.

They also have a Classic Cobb: Chicken breast, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, bleu cheese crumbles, tomatoes, red onion, Ranch Dressing.

I don’t do fast food unless absolutely necessary (I cave to my kids once a month or so), but those Quiznos salads sound pretty good.

I agree that Burger King at least understands the plight of the low carb fast food eater. Every time I’ve gotten bunless burgers from them, they’ve come with lots of lettuce and even a fork. Not so with McD’s
Plus, Burger King grilled chicken salad with Ken’s ranch dressing is the lowest carb fast food salad available amongst the “giants”. Still needs a fork, though.

I’ve been known to peel off the breading on McNuggets. All so my kids can have a death burger.
???

I’ve never had the Quiznos salads either. But they do sound good. Next time MD and I are on a road trip (which is about the only time we ever even consider fast food) we may give them a try. Thanks for the tip.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Clair Nielson

Clair Nielson — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 14:12:57 +0000

The discussion of fast foods is important because for many of us who don’t have time or energy to cook, we have to get food somewhere. (The terrific recipes posted by MDE are wonderful, but how many busy people these days are mixing or cooking any recipes at all? If I lived in South Beach Florida or the Hamptons in NY, perhaps I could have my own private cook.) Taking the bun off burgers is one useful suggestion. Let’s have more. If only more fast food outlets would offer more low carb foods.

Fast food restaurants make money by providing what their consumers want. What we need to get is more low-carb consumers.

Cheers–

MRE

By: simon fellows

simon fellows — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:26:15 +0000

well last week the Mrs was timing of the monthing and was after a burger.
Me went to Wendys and had 2 3/4 pounder avec bread which have not eaten pretty much in 12 years and though i felt a bit shite the next day those 2 3/4 burgers were rooty tooty bleeding greee-at and far better than Veras a famed burger place in Vancouver which costs a kings ransom.

Beef tallow fried anything..actually one could do chips and battered ‘fosh’ in ghee de ghee surely ? That’d be ‘well hard’ i.e very good.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:17:57 +0000

Dr. Mike,

Would you please shed some light on my latest blood test results.

I have been on PP for 8 months, feel better than ever, but I am perplexed by the numbers here are the numbers

——————— Pre-PP——7/24/07—–11/15/07—————

Fasting Glucose—128———–114———-113—expected better
Tot Chol.————275———–269———-301—No good, no worry
HDL——————-37————–43———–47—-GOOD!
LDL——————-199————208———-226—No Worry
Triglyceride——-197———— 88!———138—What happened!

I wonder why my Trig. went up. Could it be related to the fact that when I had the test I had fasted for 24 hrs (I do IF) and it was about 1-hr after my workout, maybe there were extra triglycerides in my blood stream for energy.

Last test on 7/24/07 my Hg1C was 5.2–Normal. This time it wasn’t tested. I am eating a bit more carbs now not much more, about 50-60 ECC on days after I IF, some days just <30 ECCs.

Your response is greatly appreciated.

I never worry about a single lab result because there are so many things that can cause temporary perturbations that will show up as weird lab values. In your case I really wouldn’t worry about the triglycerides because they are certainly within the normal range. Most people on low-carb diets drop their triglycerides into the sub-100 range, but a little over that from time to time certainly isn’t worrisome.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Guru

Guru — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:30:43 +0000

I find it difficult saying anything good about fast food and used to completely avoid it period. Not anymore!

I found that McDonalds’ Canada has actually an excellent nutritional calculator… I believe Wendy’s in Canada has a website that is similar also. Check this out.
http://www.mcdonalds.ca/en/food/calculator.aspx

The great feature is that it helps include/ exclude ingredients like bread from their sandwiches by simply clicking the ingredients on and off… it is pretty slick and gives you the resulting carbs, protein etc. I am not sure of the website in the US and the portions may be higher… but I thought I should bring this up.

I am a type 2 diabetic and now on occasion eg. when traveling will go in and have a side salad with Caesar dressing and a grilled chicken sandwich (of course less the bun) for about 11g of carbs, 24g of protein and 410 calories according to the website … and if not satisfied I add a second grilled chicken sandwich and cut back to half the dressing (12g of carbs) … my blood glucose stays very stable which means maybe the information is correct.

The culprit is the bun and the fries as you say in Protein Power and perhaps if we are careful it ain’t that bad. Life is not too bad … I think I am living the high life with diabetes thanks to learning about low carbs and dietary protein!

Is there a problem with this nutritionally, Doctor? Thanks.

If there is a problem with it, then I’m in trouble because it’s how I eat most of the time. Not fast food, but cutting the carbs at every opportunity.

Cheers–

MRE

By: LCforevah

LCforevah — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:03:10 +0000

BTW, the egg breakfast I have is 200-300 calories depending on butter or low carb sauce, and the croissant is 230.

Yeah, a calorie is a calorie.

By: LCforevah

LCforevah — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:56:20 +0000

Dr Mike

Yes! Quite a lot actually. Now that I don’t have the “plain” croissant every morning monday thru friday, the weight is melting off effortlessly.

All it took for me to stop weight loss, was to start my day with a coffee and a croissant. So even if I ate a bunless fast food burger or threw away the tortilla from a chickten taco and ate only the filling, I was still sabotaging myself.

Now that I’ve given up both the croissant and the fast food lunch, my body is really responding positively by releasing the pounds, just as Taubes deduces from his research.

I could just kick myself.

I’m glad it’s working so well.

Cheers–

MRE

By: mrfreddy

mrfreddy — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:09:42 +0000

don’t most of those fast-food burgers contain a lot of transfats, even when bunless? (not here in NYC, of course, thanks to our crusading Mayor…). And not to mention that the meat doesn’t even taste like meat, yuk….

As the food calculator shows, not all of them contain trans fats.

By: Miriam

Miriam — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:07:30 +0000

Dr. Eades,

I go to In and Out Burger once a month or so and get their protein burger. Their food is probably the best fast food because everything is so fresh.

The lettuce they use for the “bun” is so crunchy. Yum.

In-N-Out is good. Too bad it’s not all over the country.

Cheers–

MRE