FitSugar

All You Can Eat - Recession Buster or Fat Maker?

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:00:15 -0700

Taybarns restaurant is introducing a new dining concept to the English - all you can eat. It's nothing we haven't seen in the United States. We have all-you-can-eat baked potato and pizza bars, endless breadsticks and salad, and the kind of buffets that would make Elvis weep if he was still kickin' it in Vegas.

The Taybarns message is clear: "Enjoy as much as you like, as many times as you like. All for one fixed price!" That fixed price gives you a 111-foot counter filled with pizza, Chinese food, carving stations, fry stations, desserts, and more. The English are going crazy for the buffet-style chain, and while neighboring restaurants continue to close, Taybarns is on the up.

During tough economic times, giving people the most bang for their buck seems like a smart business model, but at what cost? As reported by the BBC, not everyone likes Taybarns. They think the chain encourages unhealthy eating habits and will cause England's collective waistline to expand.

It's a common argument, and one that's been batting around in the US for some time. Is it the fault of (insert any fast food giant here), or does the responsibility fall on the individual? Does walking into Taybarns rob a human of their free will, and why isn't healthy food more accessible to the masses?

From Bad to Worse: The Unhealthiest Fast Food Items

FitSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:00:04 -0700

In case you're wondering what not to eat at the major fast food chains, Next Generation Food has made it easy for you with this handy new chart. It's a colorful reminder of what we already know: fast food is not very good for you. However, the figures are still unsettling.

The chart illustrates the bad (Dunkin' Donuts) to the worse (Pizza Hut) and stacks them up against each other in fat, sodium, cholesterol, and calorie content. Here's a small sampling of what you'll see.

An Angry Triple Whopper from Burger King has a whopping 90 grams of fat.
A Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks contains 500 calories.
A Super Sonic Cheeseburger has 175 mg of cholesterol
A 14-inch Supreme Stuffed Crust Pizza from Pizza Hut has 4,500 mg of sodium

If you can't avoid eating fast food, try these healthier options instead.

6 Burger King Menu Items Under 300 Calories

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:52:32 -0700

When traveling on the road this Summer, grabbing a quick meal is sometimes unavoidable. So if you find yourself having to stop into a fast food chain, you'll need to know about some low-calorie options. I already told you about McDonalds menu items under 300 calories, but if you find yourself at a Burger King, here are five menu options that are also under 300 calories. I'm not saying they're super healthy or anything (many are high in sodium and fat), I'm just saying they won't break the calorie bank.

View Slideshow ›

Fast Food Salad Breakdown

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:37:50 -0700

Chances are, you're doing some traveling this Summer and toting along healthy on-the-go snacks. But there's always a chance you'll find yourself hungry on the road with no choice but fast food.

Thankfully, many fast food chains are selling surprisingly healthy salads, but beware: fat and calorie bombs also abound. Of course, you're best off avoiding creamy salad dressing and opting for vinaigrettes: one pack of McDonald's Newman's Own Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette has 40 calories and 3 grams of fat, while the brand's creamy Southwest dressing has 100 calories and 6 grams of fat per packet. If you opt for the creamy kind, try cutting the portion in half. Find out which salads have the most health appeal and which ones to avoid when you read more.

Food	Serving Size	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugar (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Arby's Market Fresh Santa Fe Salad With Popcorn Chicken, No Dressing or Tortilla Strip	12.1 oz	415	17	5	806	6	37	25
*Arby's Market Fresh Martha's Vineyard Salad, No Dressing or Almonds	11.6 oz	273	9	4	609	17	25	22
*Burger King TenderGrill Chicken Garden Salad, No Dressing or Croutons	10.3 oz	240	9	3.5	720	3	8	33
McDonald's Bacon Ranch With Grilled Chicken, No Dressing	11.3 oz.	260	9	4	1,010	5	12	33
*McDonald's Caesar Salad With Grilled Chicken, No Dressing	11 oz.	220	6	3	890	5	12	30
Quiznos Flatbread Chopped Salad With Roasted Chicken Honey Mustard and Dressing	1 salad	1,070	71	13.5	1,770	15	69	37
Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad, No Shell	1 lb 0.8 oz	460	23	9	1,520	9	41	23
*Wendy's Garden Sensations Mandarin Chicken, No Almonds, Noodles, or Dressing	11 oz.	180	2	0.5	630	12	16	24
Wendy's Garden Sensations Homestyle Chicken BLT With Croutons and Dressing	14.7 oz.	780	53	14	1,740	14	42	37

* FitSugar pick

5 McDonald's Menu Items Under 300 Calories

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

When on the road or in a rush, grabbing a quick meal is sometimes unavoidable. So if you find yourself having to stop into a McDonald's, here are five menu options under 300 calories.

View Slideshow ›

Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Joints

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:30:55 -0800

When you're out and about, sometimes your only dining option is to pick up some food to go. So if you're faced with a few food chains to choose from, here are the top 10 healthiest fast food restaurants recommended by Health magazine.

Panera Bread
Jason's Deli
Au Bon Pain
Noodles and Company
Corner Bakery Cafe

To see the last five, read more.

Chipotle
Atlanta Bread
McDonald's (yes, this one really did make the list)
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Taco Del Mar

For more details on why these restaurants scored high, check out Health.com.

Tell me, which of these 10 food chains would you most likely grab a quick meal from?

Top 5 Unhealthiest Fast Food Value Meals

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:08:15 -0800

There are a few reasons why you might find yourself in a fast food restaurant, two of them being cost and convenience. Whether you're in a rush, looking to save money, or simply have a hankering for fast food, know that some of the big menu options are better than others.

The Cancer Project surveyed the largest fast food chains in the US to come up with a list of what the initiative has deemed the five unhealthiest items. The survey coincides with new research that says cancer is projected to be the world's leading killer, with particular concern about high-fat diets in Western countries, and comes at a time when people might be sacrificing their health to save money. To see the five unhealthiest fast food items on value menus, read more.

Wendy’s junior bacon cheeseburger ($1.53): 310 calories, 16 grams of fat
McDonald’s McDouble ($1): 19 grams of fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol
Burger King breakfast sausage biscuit ($1): 27 grams of fat (15 grams of saturated fat), more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium.
Taco Bell cheesy double beef burrito ($0.89): 460 calories, 20 grams of fat, 1,620 milligrams of sodium.
Jack in the Box junior bacon cheeseburger ($1): 23 grams of fat (8 grams of saturated fat), 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 860 milligrams of sodium.

Source

More or Less: Calories in Fast Food

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Since many of you will be traveling over the holidays, fast food may be your only option while on the road. In order to give you a little insight before ordering, take this quiz to check your calorie-count smarts. I'll give you the name of a food and a calorie amount and you tell me if it contains more or less calories.

Question 1 of 5

Wendy's Gourmet Mushroom Swissburger: 1,022 calories

The Counter: Healthier Burgers You Custom Build

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:45:00 -0700

I am not in the habit of eating at fast-food joints regularly, but when traveling sometimes I just can't avoid them. Next time I'm on the road, I will be looking to feed my family at The Counter. New on the fast food scene, The Counter is going to revolutionize the way we eat burgers. With over 312,120 possible burger combinations, this restaurant allows you to customize your meal anyway you like.

Using a clipboard menu, you build the burger exactly how you want starting with the protein: certified humane beef, turkey burger, veggie burger, or grilled chicken. There are 10 cheese options, and you also get to choose five toppings from a long list including carrot strings, dried cranberries, hardboiled eggs, avocado, and sun-dried tomatoes. Further customize your burger by selecting a sauce and bread. I love that there are healthy choices in each category so you're not just stuck with beef high in saturated fat, iceberg lettuce, and a white flour bun.

To see a sample of their menu read more.

Pretty inventive, huh? With all these choices it's possible to create a uniquely delicious burger that's also healthy. Locations are cropping up all over the US so I'd definitely choose The Counter over Mickey Dee's any day. Have you eaten at The Counter? If yes, tell me what you thought in the comments section below.

Burger King Ditches Trans Fat

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

If you're a big fan of an occasional Whopper, you'll be happy to know that Burger King will be cooking with trans fat free cooking oil. By Nov. 1, in all of its restaurants nationwide, every item on the menu including baked goods will contain zero grams of artificial trans fat. This is big news for the nation's number two hamburger chain, and it's sure to make customers feel better about eating there.

Hydrogenated oils contain trans fat. The reason this fat is so bad for us is that it's proven to raise bad cholesterol levels in the body, lower good cholesterol, and can increase a person's risk for heart disease. Companies use this type of oil to increase the shelf life of products, to preserve flavor, and in the long run to save money.

Many customers enjoying foods made with the trans fat free oil are noticing no difference in taste, or they say the foods taste even better. Although it's been a slow process for Burger King to get on the trans fat free bandwagon (Taco Bell, KFC, and Wendy's have already made the switch), I say it's better late than never.