LIL' BUDDY'S BLOG - Which Fast Food Hamburger is America's Most Unhealthy?
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!
Here in Wintry Chicago, with lotsa snow on the ground and temperatures below freezing for what seems like a week, my lil' mind wanders back to more wistful, warmer times! Here, my human daddy, Team Leader Dean, was catching a ballgame with me last July visiting friends up in St. Paul MN. What fun!
You know, you dogs, being canine does have its carefree side. I never even think about my cholesterol intake, or high blood pressure, or heart disease (although my Human Mom, Sue, probably does all the time). For me - and I'm sure for you - I have my own Corporate Mission - "Bring on the Meat! And . . . Add Bacon to It!"
Well, humans need to take heart disease more seriously, and really watch what they eat these days. However, much human food is cheap, and purchased on the run, without regard for how unhealthy it might be.
Alas, a study by dietitians nationwide, working for the Washington DC-based non-profit Cancer Project, have studied and ranked the least healthful "Meals on a Bun" across the U.S.
The dubious winner (or, loser) -
The Jack in the Box Junior Bacon Cheeseburger! Only $1 on their Value-Priced Menu, but oh-so bad for you! According to Cancer Project Staff Dietitian Krista Haynes, the burger, containing "hefty helpings of cheese and mayo-with-onion sauce," contains 23 grams of fat, 860 milligrams of sodium, and loads of bacon, which in and of itself increases the risk for colorectal cancer.
Of course, there is a rebuttal from the hamburger chain. Their spokesperson, Brian Luscomb, called the popular burger a "great value for guests looking for a flavorful meal." He further points out there are more healthy items on the Jack $1 Menu, including a small salad, and a chicken sandwich, that might have a bit of a better health profile than the bacon cheese burger.
Well, for you dogs watching what you eat, there is a bit of good news: Jack in the Box does not have any restaurants, right now, anyway, here in the Chicago Area.
But Chicago does have McDonald's, however, as well as Taco Bell. The McDonald's $1 McDouble Sandwich, as well as Taco Bell's 89-cent Cheesy Double Beef Burrito are included with the Cancer Project's Top Five List of bad-for-you fast-food value items.
Many of the selection on the Unhealthy Five list are laden with fats, grilled, processed meat, and lots of grease - many of these linked to higher cancer incidences.
But it's not just the action of grilling meat that makes the sandwiches most unhealthy. According to James Felton, Associate Director of the Cancer Center at the University of California-Davis, "The (amount of) carcinogens are dependent on how you cook the food. The faster it is cooked and the higher the temperature, the more (carcinogens) you are going to get."
Chicago Restaurant Industry Analyst Darren Tristano, of Technomic, Inc., says the popularity of low-cost, highly-filling-but-unhealthy menu items has increased as the economy has worsened across the U.S.
"Two McDonald's McDouble Sandwiches for $2 is a pretty inexpensive way to fill up," says Tristano. A McDonald's spokesperson declined to comment on the specific nutritional attributes of its McDouble Sandwich.
Dietitians in The Cancer Project study compared the nutritional data of each test item, including calorie count, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and fiber, said spokesperson Haynes. Carcinogenic factors, such as grilling and processing, were evaluated. They also took into account the the addition of cheese and other high-fat products, including mayo. These, too, increase cancer risk.
The "Runner Up" on the Top Five Most Unhealthy Value-Priced Fast Foods, after the Jack in the Box burger - the Taco Bell Cheesy Double Beef Burrito. With its processed beef and nacho cheese sauce, the delight contains 20 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 460 calories, and a whopping 1,620 grams of sodium.
Burger King, and their Breakfast Sausage Biscuit, ranked Number 3, the McDonald's McDouble, four, and Wendy's Junior Bacon Double Cheeseburger - five.
Some welcome breaks from all the unhealthy, value-priced food at the major franchises? Burger King offers a BK Veggie Burger, low in fat and cholesterol, for only 90 cents more than its bargain-priced Whopper Junior. At Taco Bell, only 99 cents buys a Bean Burrito without Cheese, very little fat, and no cholesterol.
I don't know about you dogs, but I think I'll stick to Meaty Bones and Science Diet. Not sure how healthy these are, but at least they aren't that greasy.
Bone Appetit!
For more, read L.A. Times Staff Writer Jerry Hirsch's story, reprinted in the December 9th edition of the Chicago Tribune.
YOUR ACE REPORTER ON FOUR PAWS,
BUDDY HOLLY MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
