Don’t Blame Ronald!
What is the first fast food restaurant that comes to your mind? Is it McDonalds? Well that’s the first one that comes to my mind. I have eaten McDonald’s my entire life starting with the chicken nugget Happy Meal. As I have gotten older and more conscious of my health and weight, I have had to alter my McDonald’s choices. “But McDonald’s is bad for you, it’s so greasy and the food isn’t even real!” Okay I am sure everyone has either said or heard this phrase. As consumers, we have become like sheep following one another off a cliff. We hear one opinion and deem it true, and then we begin using this idea as truth without ever doing our own research. I have done a lot of research and discovered some amazing things that most consumers wouldn’t consider.
Would you think someone is crazy to go on a McDonalds diet? That sounds very counterproductive doesn’t it? Well John Cisna proves that McDonalds does indeed have some quality, healthy food choices. Cisna was a high school teacher and as a class experiment decided to only eat McDonalds food for 3 weeks and see what happens. He was seeing great results in the 3 weeks so decided to extend his experiment to 3 months. He went on to lose more than 60 POUNDS, on McDonalds food alone! People, it is your food choices that make the difference, not exactly the place or type of food. He went along to track 15 different nutrients, ate only 2,000 calories a day, and walked briskly for 45 minutes, 4 to 5 times a week. Along with the 60 pounds that Cisna lost, his cholesterol level went down 79 points. Cisna let his students plan out his menu and keep track of his nutrient intake. The biggest thing he learned is that portion control and discipline can make a world of difference.
So what kinds of foods did this guy eat? As hard as it is to believe there are healthy food choices made with the same ingredients you would find at the grocery store. Cisna and his students put together a couple different options for meals for a day that are under 1,400 calories. The first would consist of breakfast being the oatmeal, apple slices, and black coffee totaling 320 calories. Lunch consists of a hamburger, the Strawberry go-gurt, and an apple juice box totaling 370 calories. Dinner would be a Southwest Salad without chicken, a Fruit ‘n Yougurt parfait with granola, and a diet soda totaling 430 calories. This comes out to be 1,120 calories for the day! Depending on you and your body and what your goals are, that is a very healthy diet for the day. Another great day’s worth of food starts out with an Egg White delight McMuffin, strawberry go-gurt, and black coffee ending at 300 calories. Then for lunch, a grilled chicken ranch snack wrap, apple slices, and a small orange juice for 450 calories. And dinner includes a McChicken sandwich (w/o mayo), a Fruit ‘n Yogurt parfait with granola, and a water to drink at 470 calories. Another day ending around 1,220 calories can keep you right on track with your goals. See there are some really wonderful food choices at McDonalds and the media gives McDonalds such a hard time for being “greasy, disgusting, and so unhealthy”.
There are many ways to eat the same McDonald’s food you love even if you are trying to watch your figure. If you are watching your sodium levels here are some things to keep in mind. Ask for your hamburgers without the salt and pepper seasoning, ask for French fries without salt, hold the cheese on anything, or cut back on your condiments. To cut calories, here are some suggestions. Eat the salads with grilled chicken, not crispy, use the vinaigrette dressing instead of ranch, or get a Filet-O-Fish sandwich without tartar sauce. If you are trying to trim some fat from your life, try this. Get apple slices instead of French fries, choose an egg mcmuffin instead of a sausage mcmuffin, or a Big Mac without the special sauce.
McDonald’s burgers get such a bad reputation, and for what?? If I were craving a burger, I would choose a McDonald’s burger over most other restaurants. Think about it, a McDonalds cheeseburger only contains 290 calories. If you were to go to Chili’s a cheeseburger would contain 790 calories for an Old Timer with cheese. Yes the other burger is quite a bit bigger but they both contain a bun, burger, cheese, and some veggies. You could eat 2 of McDonalds burgers for the calories of the other one. So what sounds like the better choice for your healthy lifestyle you’re trying to accomplish??
Say you don’t want to have a full meal but are still craving something from Mickey D’s? There are plenty of better snack options that won’t make you regret it later. There are fresh apple slices for only 15 calories, a side salad also only 15 calories, or even a cookie that will only cost you 160 calories. You can even get a vanilla ice cream cone for 170 calories if you are craving something sweet!
So with me saying all this, don’t blame Ronald McDonald for having fast food options! Sure there are some things that aren’t as good for you, but hey they’re popular and people keep eating it! Don’t blame Ronald, thank him for offering some healthy alternatives to the fast food industry!!
