It wasn’t quite the Thank God It’s Friday moment for McDonalds afficionados as the morning papers bore tidings of a statement from the global fast food chain that it is not safe to eat in some of its outlets in the north and the eastern parts of India.
The implication is a bit of a conundrum – it is safe to eat in other outlets, the fast food giant would have us believe.
Girl eating McFries
Is it? And nothing could be farther from our minds than the ongoing dispute between the fast food chain and its franchise owners.
High calories, high sodium, high sugar too if you take that coke and the murmurs of how those pasties do not rot even if you keep them for days, vehemently denied by McDonalds at all times. They are simply too dry, they say.
Let’s look at what McDonalds admits its products contain (DV stands for daily values based on a total calorie consumption of 2000 calories)
Big Mac
Burger
540 Calories
28 grams Total Fat: (43% DV)
46 grams Total Carbs: (15% DV)
25 grams Protein
Calories From Fat:250
Saturated Fat:10 grams (49% DV)
Trans Fat:1 grams
Cholesterol:80 milligram (26% DV)
Sodium:950 milligram(40% DV)
Dietary Fiber:3 grams (13% DV)
Sugars:9 grams
Vitamin A:510 IU (10% DV)
Vitamin C:2 milligram (2% DV)
Calcium:140 milligram (15% DV)
Iron:4.5 milligram (25% DV)
French Fries
One small fries
230 Calories
11 grams Total Fat: (17% DV)
29 grams Total Carbs: (10% DV)
3 grams Protein
Calories From Fat:100
Saturated Fat:1.5 grams (7% DV)
Trans Fat:0 grams
Cholesterol:0 milligram (0% DV)
Sodium:160 milligram (7% DV)
Dietary Fiber:3 grams (10% DV)
Sugars:0 grams
Vitamin A:0 IU (0% DV)
Vitamin C:8 milligram (15% DV)
Calcium:10 milligram (2% DV)
Iron:0.5 milligram (2% DV)
Chicken McNuggets
Chicken McNuggets (4 pieces)
180 Calories
11 grams Total Fat: (16% DV)
11 grams Total Carbs: (4% DV)
10 grams Protein
Calories From Fat:100
Saturated Fat:2 grams (9% DV)
Trans Fat:0 grams
Cholesterol:30 milligram (10% DV)
Sodium:340 milligram (14% DV)
Dietary Fiber:1 grams (3% DV)
Sugars:0 grams
Vitamin A:0 IU (0% DV)
Vitamin C:1 milligram (2% DV)
Calcium:6 milligram (0% DV)
Iron:0.5 milligram (2% DV)
Diabetes and obesity were among the commonest associations of regular consumption of fast food. A 2007 article in the International Journal of Obesity that looked at the health effects of fast foods, argued: “Fast-food restaurant chains may argue that the evidence linking their products to the super-sizing of their customers is too weak. But should not the customer be given the benefit of the doubt? Appropriate actions would include reducing portions to normal sizes, eliminating industrially produced trans fat, and selling burgers of lean meat, whole grain bread/buns, fat-reduced mayonnaise, more vegetables, lower-fat fried potatoes, reduced-sugar soft drinks, etc. Moreover, reliable nutritional information should be given by the chains, which requires better standardisation of the foods used.”
