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What do you think of Fast Food restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King offering healthy food choices?
Are the choices actually healthy, or just a feeble attempt to appeal to more health-conscious consumers?
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I think it's great that they are giving customer's a selection of salads and other healthy meals. However, I think they should make the decision to offer these products- not have a law forcing them to be "healthy"
New York City recently limited trans fats in many restaurants. I think this is pushing us down a dangerous path- the best solution is to let the market decide, and hey, it's working so far!
New York City recently limited trans fats in many restaurants. I think this is pushing us down a dangerous path- the best solution is to let the market decide, and hey, it's working so far!
Their health-conscious foods are actually healthier than their burgers, fries, sundaes, etc, but it's still fast food. It's still not complete quality. Moderation is key here.
Healthy is a really tricky word. McDonalds can sell anything they want, because you don't have to buy it.
Below, you said the same I did. They have healthier choices. I didn't say anything was nutritionist approved healthy - just healthIER. I guess I'm confused on what you were refuting.
It's like admiting their food isn't healthy in general.
No it is not. It is like admitting that these "healthy" food are MORE HEALTHY than the rest of their stuff.
I think it's a study in irony.
They're playing a dirty game, sopping off to give the illusion of concern. The money made in fast food is made on high sodium, low quality junk, and there's no other reason to pretend otherwise.
They're playing a dirty game, sopping off to give the illusion of concern. The money made in fast food is made on high sodium, low quality junk, and there's no other reason to pretend otherwise.
I think everyone has the choice of eating the non-healthy food of fast-foods, but they offer healthier food for people who are accompaning their children or friends that are eating the non-healthy stuff.
I think I wouldn't eat there anyway, because no matter how healthy they claim it is, it will still be loaded with chemicals to 'preserve flavor' and 'preserve color' and 'preserve freshness.' These national/international food chains very literally ship tons of frozen foods around the country by truck every day. And they are always after the bottom dollar, always exploring new ways to offer their products cheaper, which is why they cover them with chemicals. It's much healthier to buy your own food and make your own meals. The US is a nation of gluttony, but not me. I seriously never eat fast food, and I never eat pre-processed foods, which basically means 'comes in a box.'
I see it as an interesting new foray into a new market for them, but personally I don't go to McDonald's or Burger King for healthy food and I don't know anyone who does. These are places you go to indulge your cravings for obviously less than healthy food options. I guess it's a nice PR gesture, but in reality I don't think it makes financial sense if they aren't turning a profit on them. I don't know if they are making money on it or if it is just a way to seam more caring by not dismissing the people who are calling out they they are responsible for the obesity plaguing America. Either way, I don't see it as bad for the general public, I just don't think what they do have to offer that they call healthy food actually competes with real healthy food.
I think all fast food restraunts should offer food that is for the health concious people. And like "cherman" said, everyone has theyre choice of eating non healthy fast foods.
Ive seen the msnbc special on mcdonalds keeping the cholestorol down, and I went searching for the story. so here it is... written online, and posted in video.
Ive seen the msnbc special on mcdonalds keeping the cholestorol down, and I went searching for the story. so here it is... written online, and posted in video.
At least it is an attempt at eating better.
I don't know if I trust them to offer "healthy choices" when they are really doing it out of public pressure to comply with current diet trends and obesity studies. They advertise caffeinated soda as a way to quench your thirst, when in reality caffeine creates thirst, and MSG in food scientifically creates the craving for more food. They try to make their "food" as addicting as possible, which makes sense in fierce competition, but isn't something I think should be done. I don't think the food is all that healthy.
Well, they're healthIER. That's all relative, of course, and depending on what kind of shape you're in, what's "healthy" to you may not be to someone else.
It is pretty much a marketing thing--I think these corporations are well-aware that the fattiest and most calore-stuffed foods are the most popular, and just getting people in there to look at them is already making them more money.
And then you have foods that are "healthy" in name alone. Like calling something a salad even though it's slathered in dressing and has chunks of chicken and bacon in it. It gives a psychological 'high' for eating healthy if you eat a "salad", even though it only hangs onto the name by a thread because there are a few green things in there somewhere.
It is pretty much a marketing thing--I think these corporations are well-aware that the fattiest and most calore-stuffed foods are the most popular, and just getting people in there to look at them is already making them more money.
And then you have foods that are "healthy" in name alone. Like calling something a salad even though it's slathered in dressing and has chunks of chicken and bacon in it. It gives a psychological 'high' for eating healthy if you eat a "salad", even though it only hangs onto the name by a thread because there are a few green things in there somewhere.
The fast food industry is ultimately responsible for catering to the whims of consumers. I would suggest that they are offering these foods for two reasons:
1. People are becoming more health conscious (or younger people that were better educated on the affects of poor eating are now at the age where fast food is sometimes necessary, due to working hours)
2. By offering these foods, they are attracting people who may have avoided the fast food chains altogether. There isn't a crappy daily broadsheet that hasn't had the "How to eat healthy at fast food chains" article, and not a local news channel that hasn't had a "best and worst fast food choices" story when news is slow.
And I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "feeble attempt," as they have been making drastic changes to their menus and their cooking methods (eliminating trans fats), marketing campaigns, product development, and information dissemination methods. They are spending a lot of cash to make this happen.
I'm sure, if one wants to be cynical, it is easy to say, "They wouldn't do it if there weren't public pressure / raised government eyebrows," but they are, after all, a business, and if they didn't think it was an ultimately profitable move (even profitable in a public image manner), they wouldn't do it.
1. People are becoming more health conscious (or younger people that were better educated on the affects of poor eating are now at the age where fast food is sometimes necessary, due to working hours)
2. By offering these foods, they are attracting people who may have avoided the fast food chains altogether. There isn't a crappy daily broadsheet that hasn't had the "How to eat healthy at fast food chains" article, and not a local news channel that hasn't had a "best and worst fast food choices" story when news is slow.
And I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "feeble attempt," as they have been making drastic changes to their menus and their cooking methods (eliminating trans fats), marketing campaigns, product development, and information dissemination methods. They are spending a lot of cash to make this happen.
I'm sure, if one wants to be cynical, it is easy to say, "They wouldn't do it if there weren't public pressure / raised government eyebrows," but they are, after all, a business, and if they didn't think it was an ultimately profitable move (even profitable in a public image manner), they wouldn't do it.
Long overdue. They should actually branch off and open 100% healthy food chains.
They have to do that to reach a wilder customer base.
or to stop the media from criticizing them so much about unhealthy foods. this way they can say "hey, we have healthy alternatives, its the consumer who ultimately makes the choice"
Do they think that they are going to attract health-conscious customers? They're going to go someplace else, or probably make something healthy at home. I think people go to McDonalds to order a greasy, artificial hamburger, not a salad.
MacDonalds and Burger King sell the cheapest possible food. They have no concern for the health of their patrons and the majority of burger consumers have no interest in the healthy choices. The best way to eat healthy at MacDonalds et. al. is not to eat there, but if forced to eat there simply order the smallest sandwich on the menu, no fries, and water to drink. A healthy option is bound to be loaded with corn based calories snuck in there in the interest of taste. By calling only certain menu items healthy, what are they saying about the rest of their menu? That's right, what's not healthy will kill you.
Pfft...I say more power to them...maybe with the healthy food option, I won't get in as much trouble when I drag a girl there because I'm in the mood for a quad-stacker...she can have her rabbit food too!
to answer your question simply put - the healthy alternatives at fast food joints are healthier than their regular "big macs" - however, not much food out there (INCLUDING restaurants - take Dennys, Red Robin, TGIF etc.. are any healthier.) in fact restaurants are JUST AS BAD as fast food.
take a salad: all it is is lettuce, tomato, onion, carrots etc.. that's going to be THE SAME if you make it at home, fast food or restaurant. the difference comes in the DRESSING and the meat choices. the dressing that mcdonalds most likely uses is the same or similar to the one you buy at a grocery store.
the only place to eat healthy now is: whole foods food or one's you make yourself (literally - from scratch).
take a salad: all it is is lettuce, tomato, onion, carrots etc.. that's going to be THE SAME if you make it at home, fast food or restaurant. the difference comes in the DRESSING and the meat choices. the dressing that mcdonalds most likely uses is the same or similar to the one you buy at a grocery store.
the only place to eat healthy now is: whole foods food or one's you make yourself (literally - from scratch).
If you look at the health information for most fast food places healthy foods, like jack in the boxes salads, most of them have more calories and sodium than their burgers do, like mc donalds chicken selects have almot 3 tims the daily alowance of salt in them and you get less fod than if you had just bought a bigmac which has less sodium
What a great question Jenny! I think it's all down to the level of transparency that they provide in their product information sheet. A truly health-conscious food chain should be able to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision. If you ask behind the counter, or check the walls you should see a food information chart. The truly healthy options are those that are low in fat, sugars, salts and E-Numbers. I don't know about you Jenny, but I'd rather trust that chart over any marketing claims.
I think it is a step in the right direction. At least it allows for people looking for different things to be able to find something.
A better step would be to improve the quality and nutrional values for their existing menus by improving ingredients...
A better step would be to improve the quality and nutrional values for their existing menus by improving ingredients...
No they are not healthy. Every single one of them is still high in something bad, like insane amounts of sodium, high fructose corn syrup (in an sandwich?? yep), simple sugars, and yes, FAT.
I hate them. The sandwiches and the places serving them. They tend to be so false. Like Taco Bell's salad on the health food menu one year ago that is still there today, was the highest calorie and most fattening thing on their menu. It was ridiculous.
I hate them. The sandwiches and the places serving them. They tend to be so false. Like Taco Bell's salad on the health food menu one year ago that is still there today, was the highest calorie and most fattening thing on their menu. It was ridiculous.
For many of them, I think the healthy choice items are just more associated with salads and fruits, but they give you garnishes to make it more appetizing, which actually make it more unhealthy (fruit soaked in syrup, salad loaded with croutons and rivers of dressing). Some choices are actually healthy, but only because they give you hardly any food for what you pay for.
But why spend $5 for a sad, soggy salad at McDonalds, when you can go to a real restaurant and go to the salad bar to make your own -- In fact, you could even go to the grocery store and get the ingredients to make a lot of fantastic healthy salads for $10.
The same holds for other healthy food selections, especially fruit -- the markup and the difference in quality at fast food restaurants just isn't going to be worthwhile. And, it is probably not the best thing to be going to a fast food restaurant to eat healthy -- the smell of beef frying in grease can be enough to put an end to some diets ....
But why spend $5 for a sad, soggy salad at McDonalds, when you can go to a real restaurant and go to the salad bar to make your own -- In fact, you could even go to the grocery store and get the ingredients to make a lot of fantastic healthy salads for $10.
The same holds for other healthy food selections, especially fruit -- the markup and the difference in quality at fast food restaurants just isn't going to be worthwhile. And, it is probably not the best thing to be going to a fast food restaurant to eat healthy -- the smell of beef frying in grease can be enough to put an end to some diets ....
They are starting in the right direction, but they still have a long way to go, a long, long way.
Its marketing, they will never serve clean food.
They are industrials profit centers, not restaurants.
The only way they can save money on their variable cost, is with cheap fake food, because they always need employees to serve customers...they are already to the minimum...because its not FAST food
But def. FakeFood
:p
They are industrials profit centers, not restaurants.
The only way they can save money on their variable cost, is with cheap fake food, because they always need employees to serve customers...they are already to the minimum...because its not FAST food
But def. FakeFood
:p
Healthy Fast Food is an oxymoron if I've ever seen one.
source(s):
Common sense
Common sense
It's an issue of the market driving new options. I would be of the opinion that the healthier fast food is still not particularly healthy, and, truth be told, fast food isn't as bad as we have been led to believe. As I have said before, everything in moderation...
I think it's stupid. If you want to eat something healthy, you shouldn't be going to a fast food place.
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