The McDonald’s Dollar Menu, El Pollo Loco’s Loco Value Menu, Taco Bell’s Why Pay More value menu and  the Wendy’s Super Value Menu are all great for our pocketbooks, but what about our waist lines?  When it comes to eating out, everyone would like a deal, but after reviewing the $1 menus at several fast food restaurants, a deal may not be what our body really wants….or needs!

When it comes to fast food, the tricky part is figuring out if a true “value” is being offered, or if it’s an “eat now, pay later” kinda thing? 

Fast food is notorious for being two things, cheap and loaded with fat – especially our heart’s enemy, saturated fat.  Although the cost of the food may leave you with a few extra dollars in your pocketbook for the week, the high fat content can really do some damage on the scale and to your long-term savings. 

What if $1 today would cost you (not your insurance) more than $10,000 in the future? Not sounding much like a value now, does it?

The American Heart Association recommends eating foods with less than 25- 35% of calories coming from fat, eating foods with calories from fat >35% can greatly increase your risk of heart disease, especially if you have high blood pressure or extra weight!  Heart Disease is the #1 killer in the US, and one of the most expensive diseases to treat. Yikes!

So, knowing that we want to keep the % of calories from fat below 35% (ideally below 30%), here’s what I found out about the real value offered at these fast food giants…..

Let’s start with Wendy’s. The Wendy’s Super Value Menu has some delicious items, such as the Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, 5-piece Chicken Nuggets, French Fries, and 3 types of Chicken Go Wraps, but on average 46% of the total calories of all of these “value” items comes from fat!  This (meaning the 46%)  is 150% of our desired maximum calories from fat, which should have 30% or less of the total calories coming from fat.

So these $1 dollar deals are not the best, but what can you order that won’t put your heart and health in danger?  The Grill Chicken Go Wrap has the lowest % of calories from fat at 36%, this would go nicely with a side salad, mandarin orange cup, or baked potato that would decrease the meals fat composition closer to 30%. 

America’s favorite fast food chain, McDonald’s, received the wrath of the media with the documentary “Super Size Me”, but also responded with an attempt to make their menu items “healthier”.   But how did they do?  Yes, they are using healthier oils, trans fat free, and have added the Apple Dippers, yogurt parfaits, and a variety of  salads to the menu, but what about the Dollar Menu?  The lunch (or non breakfast) menu contains one sandwich, the McDouble, which has 44% calories from fat, again 150% of our desired maximum calories from fat (which should be less than 30%) and don’t forget the fries, another whopping 45% calories from fat! 

The dollar menu does include healthier options of the side salad and Yogurt Parfaits, both great choices all around! 

This topic could go on and on, including the Jack in the Box Value Menu as well as the Taco Bell Why Pay More Menu, both containing multiple items with 50% calories from fat! 

When eating out, you must do your homework!  Look for key words such as grilled and baked and ask for no mayo or dressings!  Looking for healthy dining choices marked on the menu or check out www.healthydiningfinder.com to find the best choices on the run!    

Oh, and don’t fall into the label trap! Nutrition labels can be very misleading. Remember to look at the cute little line “Calories from fat”, it is hiding below the total calories, to see what percent of the calories in your food is coming from fat.  Our goal is to have the calories from fat be less than 20-30% of the total calories.   The other line that says total fat, followed by daily value % is usually a small number that doesn’t tell us what we really need to know! 

Still a little confusing? Here’s an example…. Quaker Corn Bran cereal has 90 calories per 3/4 cup serving – 10 of the 90 calories are from fat, therefore we can conclude this in an excellent choice of cereal with a total of 11% calories from fat!  The confusing part of the label says the cereal is 2% daily value of fat, but that is based on a 2000 calorie diet – but it’s not specific to you!  Another reason this cereal is a great choice is the 5 whopping grams of fiber, but we can talk more about that later!

If you have questions about reading labels and finding  the % of fat, please email me at healthyhome@jmossfoundation.org.

By Emily Barr, MS, RD, CNSC

1. Trim the fat- Cut off the “white stuff”
2. Choose the leanest cuts of meat you can find (try ground chicken or ground turkey)
3. Reduce fat when cooking and bake, broil, grill and steam food
4. Use low-fat dairy products, which can also slim your waistline
5. Exercise your heart-try doing moderate intensity exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week
6. Increase foods that are high in soluble fiber, which will helps to specifically lower cholesterol
7. Find the fiber, read labels and look for foods with 2 or more grams of fiber per serving
8. Eat at least three 1-ounce-equivalent of fiber-rich whole grains a day
9. Get your 32 grams of fiber- it could shave off 10 pounds of yearly weight gain
10. Reach for Fruits and Vegetables. You need at least 4.5 cups a day
11. Go Fish, the American Heart Association  recommends 2 servings of fish (3.5 oz each) a week (Not fried, of course)
12. Reach for foods with Omega-3 fatty acids. They can decrease risk of abnormal heartbeats), decrease triglyceride levels, and lower blood pressure (slightly)
13. Try fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids
14. Pass on the added salt. High-sodium diets are linked to an increase in blood pressure and a higher risk for heart disease and stroke
15. Uncover the hidden salt-  Major sources of sodium include: Tomato sauce, Soups,Condiments, Canned foods , and Prepared mixes
16. Aim to eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day
17. Am. Heart Assoc recommends that you stock up on heart-healthy cookbooks
18. Make recipes or egg dishes with egg whites, instead of egg yolks.  Substitute two egg whites for each egg yolk. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol and fat
19. Use reduced-fat, low-fat, light or no-fat salad dressings (if you need to limit your calories) on salads, for dips or as marinades
20. Avoid using prepackaged seasoning mixes because they often contain a lot of salt.  Use fresh herbs whenever possible.  Grind herbs with a mortar and pestle for the freshest and fullest flavor
21. Use liquid vegetable oils or non fat cooking sprays whenever possible
22. Use the oils that are lowest in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol – such as canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil
23. Stay away from coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.  Even though they are vegetable oils and have no cholesterol, they are high in saturated fats
24. When stir frying, cook food in vegetable stock,wine or a small amount of oil.Avoid excessive use of high-sodium seasonings like teriyaki and soy sauce
25. Use a rack when roasting, grilling, or broiling so the fat drips away from the food (and does not sit in it). Consider change your basting style.  Instead of basting with pan drippings, use fat-free liquids like wine, tomato juice or lemon juice
26. Consider a different way to make grave. When making gravy from the drippings, chill first then use a gravy strainer or skim ladle to remove the fat
27. Use a non stick vegetable spray to brown or saute foods. You can also use a small amount of broth or wine, or a tiny bit of vegetable oil rubbed onto the pan with a paper towel
28. Steam vegetables in a basket over simmering water.  They will retain more flavors and will not need any salt

Your heart is important to us. A recent study indicates that prediabetes more than doubles the risk of death due to heart attack. Please take these 28 steps to improve the health of your heart.