Fast Food Restaurants Revisited

I did NOT mean to pick on McDonalds in my recent post on fast food chains. What can be said about one, pretty much tracks for all of them. They are after all, NOT in the health food business. On a positive note, if you find yourself traveling and do stop at McDonald's for lunch or dinner, here is an item you can probably eat pretty much guilt free.

It is their Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken. It contains 270 calories,10 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 trans fats, 60mg of cholesterol, 600 mg of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of dietary fiber, 13 grams of sugar and 28 grams of protein. When you add in a packet of  Newman's own low fat sesame ginger dressing, the ante goes up a little. A full packet contains another 9 grams of sugar, however I rarely use more than 1/2 a packet adding only 4.5 grams of extra sugar.

To partially offset that sugar content 21 grams IF you use the entire packet of dressing, your have the veggies, iceberg lettuce, red peppers, snap peas, etc. plus the grilled chicken.

Let's be honest, "It ain't like Mama fixed it, but for getting off and back on the highway fast while on vacation, you could do worse."

DON'T wash it all down with a super sized cola drink or you have blown the whole purpose of the salad. They do now carry ZERO calorie vitamin water. It is filling and will keep you more alert on the road and it will not blow your blood sugar readings out of whack for the rest of the day.

The point of this post is to train yourself to read labels, even on vacation and in fast food chains. Anyone's salad is going to be a better bet for a diabetic than a super sized cheese burger, and fries washed down by a 16 ounce coca-cola with 40 grams of pure sugar. This is especially true if you grab a coffee and (2) apple pies for the road as the two pies contain another 26 grams of sugar.

McDonald's is kind enough to publish the nutritional value of their foods on the back of the place mats given to you with each tray.

Dan

The Many Blessings of God

Psalm 103:2-5


Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits--who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.