The Movie: Food, Inc.

The movie Food, Inc. came to my attention several times yesterday for some reason. I read about it online, on Twitter, and also heard about it on the airwaves. The movie was released last month and should be in some areas as we speak. It brings up several major points about how our food is brought to us and creates an awareness of some of the major problems that exist. The trailer makes you want to see more and also creates an appetite for information about a problem that we all know exists. Nutrition is a vital part of an active person's life and should be a high priority as far as gaining meaningful information. I know that when it is available in my area I will go see it so that I can gather in all of the pieces they are discussing. If you do see it, let me know.

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Conclusions from Man vs. Fast Food

It was great to be able to have a few days to take a look at the fast food industry. The Man vs. Fast Food event last week was one of information gathering and food tasting. The opportunity to present an option to what you can eat at fast food establishments was a challenging one for me. The goal was easy. What can active people that want food that is not high in fat, calories, carbs, and sodium do when the are "stuck" with fast food options? I found out that there are menu choices that can work and also some items that need to be avoided completely. Was there a fast food establishment that outdid another? Yes. Am I going to recommend a place for you to go for your meals? No. The visits to McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Sonic were very informative. You need to make your own choices.

Conclusions that I could make from my 5 day trip into the fast food world would be:

Look carefully at the menu options before you order. Many fast food places have their menus online so do your homework on several so that you know what to order when you are presented with the problem of ordering fast food. Look at the key things that are very important in our active diet. Check out the sodium content, fat amounts, calories, carbs , and portions. It was amazing that the more the protein increased the size of the menu item did too. Want high protein? Order the super size of anything and of course there will be more protein. Come on, that's not rocket science. there will also be more sodium, calories, and fat. There were menu combinations that were ok. A small hamburger and a salad with low fat dressing was a good option. some salads alone had more negatives than other items on the menu. Dressing? Not good.

There were several things that impressed me though. There is an effort out there in fast food land to make us aware of just what we are eating. They don't order the meals, we do. It's a two way street. Yes, they could improve their menus. In some cases they are. But it is our responsibility too. A couple of places had the Allergens listed for each menu item. That is way cool! There are also different portion sizes for things. Take advantage of that.

Think before you order. What we take in as food needs to be fuel that we can burn in a positive way for our active needs. High fats, carbs, calories, and sodium only add to a savings account of trouble.

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Man vs. Fast Food....Friday is Sonic

Man vs. Fast Food went to Sonic today. It was a great trip and one that provided some very good options for those of us on the go in these summer months. It was interesting, as I looked at the menu, to see some similar things at Sonic that we saw at other places during the week. However, Sonic's presentation of these items and the drive-up atmosphere sets them a part from other fast food places. I really enjoy going to sonic for that reason.

Today I ordered the #1 Sonic Burger and it was low in calories (310), carbs(30g), and sodium (610mg). It had a great taste and has always been one of my favorite burgers. I also order the Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich that had the highest sodium numbers (1,780mg) and got the Sodium King Award for the day. Both sandwiches had great taste but the nutrition numbers on them really make a difference. Remember that portion size and sodium are the main things that we have been talking about this week so these sandwiches were at opposite ends of the menu there.

Other items of interest:
* Jalapeno Burger- Low in Sodium (510mg)
* Burrito- Low in sodium (480mg)
* Taco- Low in sodium (360mg)
* Corn Dog- Low in Carbs(23g)
* Thousand Island Jr. Cheeseburger- Low in Carbs (30g)
* Grilled Chicken Wrap- Low in Fat (11g)
Then On the high side of things:
* Super Sonic Cheeseburger- High in Calories (980), Protein (48g), and Fat (64g)
* FRITOS Chili Pie- High in Carbs (72g), and FAt (64g)
* Fish Sandwich- High in Carbs (71g)

There were several items that were high in protein that were on the Super Sonic Sandwich llist but were Fairly high in other areas.

The Salads provided even more options. The Grilled Chicken Salad was Low in Calories (310), Fat (13g), and Carbs (19g). The Santa Fe Chicken Salad was high in Protein (30g). But please note that the more things that you add onto your salad the higher some of these numbers go.

Also, a reminder to look at Sonic's Allergen listings online. They have a chart that lets you know what foods might contain the following allergens: milk, egg, fish, shellfish, soy, peanuts, treenuts, wheat, and gluten. Thank you sonic for doing this!

Another reminder is that Sonic does have those Powerade Drinks and Slushes for you to choose from if you are on the go and need to pick up something for hydration purposes or just to go with your meal.

Hope you have a great Friday and enjoy your walk, run, or ride today!

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Man vs. Fast Food....Thursday is Wendy's

As we continue our Man vs. Food week, I went to Wendy's today. What a surprise they had for me. I went online and looked at their menu and was impressed with all of the possibilities that you could order.I ordered the Grilled Chicken Go Wrap which had low carbs (24g) and fairly low calories (250) and Fat (10g) but had nearly twice the sodium (730mg) as one of the Jr. Hamburgers (490mg). That was a little disappointing. Oh sodium, what are we going to do with you? I also ordered the Triple Burger with Everything plus cheese. It was the Sodium King for the day (2,010mg), but also had the most protein due to the large portion of meat and cheese. You know, you can create a lot of protein the higher you stack it, but also create other nutritional problems along the way.

I really liked the "Build Your Own" sandwich or wrap or really just about anything. Very good idea on Wendy's part to do this. If you look at the menu online or go to the individual restaurants, you can really become knowledgeable about what can be added to things and still stay in the boundaries that you are trying to have for your focus. I know it was an awakening for me. If you want two Jr. Hamburger patties on a sandwich, you can do that. It allows you to do just about anything with your order. Impressive!

Here are some other food items that were reviewed for their nutritional value:
* Jr. Hamburger- Low Calorie (230), Low Sodium (490mg)
* Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich- Low Fat (7g)
* Spicy Chicken Fillet- High Carbs (49g)

Wendy's also has selections of Salads and Baked Potato items as well as Chili.

*Special Note*
One of the most important things that Wendy's does is that it lists the allergens on their online menu. I don't think that I have seen that at any of the places that we have gone so far. They have a list that shows if the food item you are interested in has eggs, milk, soy, wheat, or peanuts/treenuts in them. WOW! What a great idea! That is a big plus for many people right now.

It was a great trip to Wendy's today. Keep in mind, as we have all week long, that our goal is to look for foods that we can eat if we are "stuck" at a fast food restaurant. I don't think I feel "stuck" at Wendy's at all. Continue to check for high numbers in calories, sodium, fat, and carbs. at the places that you go. Remember we are fueling our bodies to work at their best. It's just not a "fill it up attitude".

I hope your day is good and that you can get out and run, bike, or walk and have a great Thursday! Tomorrow I go to Sonic!

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Man vs. Fast Food....Wednesday is Taco Bell

Today is Wednesday so that meant our Man vs. Fast Food travels took us to Taco Bell. Taco Bell has some options for you to choose from if you are "stuck" at a fast food place due to your schedule or that fact that your family might like to eat there. They have a Fresco side of the menu that has 9g or less of fat for the items on that portion of the menu. That's where our first taste tested item came from. It was the Fresco Crunchy Taco. It was low in calories, carbs, and sodium. Yea! This was one of the first items this week that met several of the criteria. It had good taste and was lightenough so that it was not too filling. Remember, the key here is to only order 1 and not 5 lor 6 because that is what gets us into trouble. Portion sizes and also quantities.

The next item that I ordered was the Grilled Stufft Chicken Burrito. Wow! It was the Sodium Kung for sure today. It had 2,180mg of sodium in it and it tasted like it. It was very heavy and just wasn't something that appealed to me as someone who wants food that is good on the go and something that is light. With these high outside temperatures right now it even had less appeal. The first thing I did was to reach for some water. Really couldn't get more than a couple of bites down.

As I cautioned in the video, just because it is low fat doesn't mean all is good. One selection, the Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco is low fat (4g) but has twice the sodium (740mg) as did the Fresco Crunchy Taco. That is where menu selection becomes difficult. I encourage all of you to check online to see what the menus have to offer before you go to any of these fast food places. You can be surprised.

Some other items of interest:
* Chciken Ranch Fully Loaded Taco Salad- High Calorie 960 and High Protein 36g
* Chipolte Steak Fully Loaded Taco Salad- High in Fat 59g (Special note here. This item had double the sodium of the Fresco Crunchy Taco. Interesting.)
* Volcano Burrito- High Carbs 81g
* Fiesta Taco Salad- Also had High Carbs 81g

The conclusion from today is that it is a good thing that Taco Bell is trying to provide items on the menu that are better for you than others. However, they are inconsistant with the message that they are sending by complicating the menu with options that are way above sodium and fat levels that I think that we should be having as walker, runners, and cyclists. Yes, there will always be those that say they can tolerate these high levels of sodium because they excercise and are active. But how long will that be true? Remember, take in only what your body can use for fuel and to maintain a good healthy balance in your nutrition needs.

Some of the menus that we have looked at this week so far are making attempts at balancing nutritional needs, but are a ways from getting us as consumers to move away from the options that are not especially healthy for us to choose from. When there is choice, sometimes we make the wrong one if it is available. Do some research and think about what you eat. Your body will thank you as you venture out for your run, ride, or walk!

Tomorrow is Thursday which means we will head out to Wendy's. See you tomorrow!

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Man vs. Fast Food....Tuesday is Burger King

My visit today to Burger King was interesting to say the least. As you saw in the video, there are several options that you can choose from. But we also need to keep in mind some very important points about nutrition. The Whopper Jr. Hamburger was the lowest in calories plus the lowest in sodium. The BK Quad Stacker got the Sodium King award for the day because it had 1,800mg of sodium in it as well as 1,000 calories. Whew, that is a sandwich to avoid if you are on the go and needing a meal before or after an activity.

Some other menu items that I looked at were ones that need to carefully be considered if you are on the go and need something before or after walking, running, or cycling. Here are some interesting comparisons:
*Triple Whopper with Cheese- high in calories, high fat, but high in protein
*Tender Grill Chicken w/o mayo- low fat
*Tendercrisp Chicken- high carbs
*BK Quad Stacker- high sodium, high calories. The sodium King for Today!
*Regular hamburger- low calories and low carbs

The Side Garden Salad with low fat dressing is a great choice and as was the case yesterday you could eat several of those to equal one of the large sandwiches that Burger King has to offer. A Side Garden Salad with a Whopper Jr. or Hamburger would would be a good combination to order if you also included low fat dressing for the salad. Other salad options were not as positive. The Tendergrill Chicken Salad had good protein but was high in other categories. The Tendercrisp Chicken Garden Salad was high in calories, high in fat, high in sodium, and high in carb. I think that this is one to stay away from.

So for today. The focus is still on portion size and trying to find combinations like the Whopper Jr. and Side Garden Salad that would be just right for you. Avoiding the high calorie, high fat and high carb menu selections is a must. Also, watch the sodium and sugar content of what you are eating. That is so important.

Man Vs. Fast Food..Monday is McDonald's

Our first stop this week of Man vs. Fast Food was at McDonald's where I made selections from the sandwich menu. I selected two sandwiches that seemed to be the best choices if you were "stuck" ordering fast food for lunch or dinner. I did check with the Fast Food Peson (FFP) about what they would consider good nutritional items to order and I also did do some prior research on their website, which by the way props to them for listing everything under the sun nutritionally about each item, to see just what the possibilities might be. Given the needs of runners, cyclists, and walkers, I looked at several areas of nutrition to choose what I ordered today.

The criteria for selection is taking a look at the following things when deciding what to order:
Highest protein, low calories, high calories, high sodium, low sodium, high carbs, low carbs, low total fat, and high total fat.

The items selected today were the good old hamburger and the Honey Mustard Snack Wrap. The hamburger lead in several categories. It was low in fat, lowest calories, and lowest sodium. The Honey Mustard Snack wrap measured up evenly with the hamburger until it got to the sodium where the wrap had about twice as much. Ah, sodium. That's where some of the items on the menu really skyrocket. They might look low in calories and low in fat, but behind the scenes lurks the sodium monster. Please be careful in this area.

Other items on the menu that brought out some interesting facts that you should know about are the Double Quarter Pounder with cheese that had the highest protein but the highest total fat. The Angus Bacon Cheese had the highest calories, highest sodium, and the highest carbs. Whoa! So the Angus Bacon Cheese sandwich wins the Sodium King Award for the day.

In the salad category, there were a few surprises too. The side salad was a winner as something that you could have with the hamburger and do pretty well. The side salad had the lowest fat, calories, sodium, and carbs. Using the low fat dressing of course. The Premium Bacon Ranch Salad had the highest protein but also the highest sodium. The Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with crispy chicken had the highest total fat and carbs.

Some interesting facts:
*All of the wraps seemed good until you got to the sodium. They were right there with the hamburger until you looked at the sodium.
*You could order 2 hamburgers and there would be less calories than if you ordered 1 Premium Southwest with Crispy Chicken Salad with dressing.
*You could also order 7 Side Salads with low fat dressing which would equal 1 of many of the sandwiches.

Conclusion: We have to acknowledge that McDonald's has made an effort to disclose the nutritional information about their products. However, as consumers we need to be very aware of the high sodium content and high calories in most of their selections. So when at McDonald's, choose a hamburger or two over the highly touted wraps and loaded salads to keep the sodium, calories and fat to a minimum.

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!

Tuesday:Man vs. Fast Food....Burger King