HEALTH

Eat Right

5 signs McDonald's isn't as healthy as they say

Mickey D’s Director of Nutrition Cindy Goody declared that the iconic fast food chain isn’t nearly as artery-clogging and unhealthy as you might think. But, uh, we beg to differ.  While we applaud their baby steps towards healthful eating, they’ve still got a long way to go. Here are five signs McDonald’s isn’t exactly health food paradise.

#1 Oatmeal—healthy when ya make it at home and keep the yummy add-ins like brown sugar to a minimum.

But even if you get it without the brown sugar at McDonald’s, you’re still eating 18 g of sugar. That’s a lot—more than 4 teaspoon-fulls of sugar and 6 g short of what nutritionists recommend you consume on a daily basis.

 

#2 The McWrap--yeah, we know it sounds like a healthy fast food sandwich option, but it’s not.

Even when you opt for grilled over fried—ahem, crispy—you’re still ingesting at least a quarter of your recommended fat intake for the day and half your recommended sodium. And that’s without fries and a soft drink.

 

#3 Chocolate milk is now fat-free—awesome! Except, not.

Know how dairy companies make fat-free chocolate milk taste good? More sugar—think 22 g worth in this case.

#4 Whole wheat buns FTW! But, wait…

Only one of their buns has whole wheat flour, and it’s not even the first ingredient (that would be enriched white flour, thank you very much—the only flour included in the other buns). McD’s boasts 8 g of whole grains in their buns, but even that is only half of a full serving, per the USDA. Weirder? If you’re eating real whole grain bread, one one-ounce slice is one 16 g serving. Hm.

#5 Just ‘cause it’s fruity doesn’t mean it’s health food

Case in point? The Wild Berry Smoothie, which packs 54 g of sugar. To be fair, fruit does have natural sugar. But generally speaking, not that much sugar. 

Bottom line: No matter where you eat, it’s important to look beyond the surface. When you’re picking out bread at the grocery store, analyze the label before tossing it in the cart. Check out the additives in your favorite yogurt. Even if you’re not going to change the way you eat, it’s important to know what, exactly, your putting in your body. Consider balancing high sugar snacks with fiber and protein, or making easy swaps elsewhere to lighten up your daily dish.

 

POSTED IN

by Brittany Taylor | 2/1/2016
share