I was wondering if anyone knows which part of McDonald’s in unhealthy. By this I mean the ingredients used to make the items such as the bun, meat, lettuce and all the other ingredients. Is it possible to eat something by itself for a healthy option?
A huge factor of what makes it bad for people is how calorically dense and hyper palatable it is which puts people in trouble for weight gain. For some high sodium content can be an issue if you have health issues with that.
As long you are eating a lot of fruit and veg, wholegrains, protein and healthy fats, eating whatever you want once a week at Mcdonalds is fine. It’s typically thought of as ‘unhealthy’ because of the fat, calories and salt content. You can definitely fit it into an otherwise healthy diet though.
This might get downvoted to oblivion but one McDonald’s cheeseburger is healthier than a lot of “health foods”, Lenny and Larry’s protein cookies for example. McDonald’s burger has less calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, total carbs, however it’s less protein and more salt. Everything in moderation can be healthy.
What do u mean by healthy thoCuz if less calories, there was this vid in ytWhere a guy ate a Big Mac everyday and still lost weight If u mean nutrients density I would say u can get grilled chicken sandwich and a salad on the side (if ur McDonald’s offer that)Not that nutritious but still better and satisfying than other options on the menu
Honestly… moderation.
Their food is highly processed and high in sugar. Get a water and something small. Avoid soda. The worst part isn’t what’s in their food (aside from the excessive sugar) but what’s not in their food: nutrients.
So the issue is as deep as even the packaging they use. The packaging at McDonalds contains forever chemicals, that alone makes it super unhealthy. The potatoes are like a GMO exclusive to McDonalds and they spray a toxic chemical called Monitor on the potatoes. They use this to kill aphids so the potatoes dont have any brown streaks inside. These is so toxic farmers stay away for a week after spraying. Additionally, there is seed oils in everything, MSG in most sandwiches, added flavoring, table salt overload, anti-caking agents in salt, anti-foaming agents in the fries, mono and diglycerides as well as polysorbate 80 and carrageenan in the ice cream and probably smoothies. I do not thing there is a single food there that is good. Even the apples are sprayed with so many chemicals. Perhaps maybe biggggg maybe, the lettuce is ok.
I looked into this, found an article by a registered dietician that said the most bang for your nutrition buck at McDonald’s is the McDouble- has the most protein without too much (for where it comes from) fats and carbs.
It depends what you mean by “healthy”. Everyone has their own definition, but I think most people want to avoid excess sodium, saturated fat and empty/non-filling calories. Fast food is full of these things.
IMO the worst item on the menu is soda followed by fries. Switch to diet soda/water and cut out the fries. I find that most of the time a burger without the fries is still pretty filling.
Fries are just a vehicle for salt. Ask yourself if you’d eat unsalted fries. If the answer is no, then you don’t need them (but maybe you want them, they are good)
if you still want to have a burger, you can simply do it bun-less, or ask for a small fry instead of a medium one :) Or you can do no-salt on the fries (though doing no salt doesn’t guarantee they’ll be 100% salt free lol)
Source: former mcdonalds employee.
How much does price come into play?
If cost doesn’t matter much I really like the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwiches without sauce. Comes in at 360 calories at 37 g protein / 4.5 g fat / 44 g carbs, but it really empties the wallet at \~$5 per sandwich.
If you’re looking to stay on the cheaper side, I usually go 2 McDoubles w/o ketchup. I then toss one set of buns, essentially making it a McQuad. Which is 610 kcal at 39 g protein / 34 g fat / 35g carbs for \~$3.
For breakfast I grab 2 Egg White Delights. It’s 500 kcal at 34 g protein / 16 g fat/ 58 g carbs, and they run a promotion at my local McDonald’s which is 2 for $4.
It’s the way the food has been refined qnd dissected to bits and reassembled. The buns are stripped of the wheat seed germ and oils in it - the fries are just oil and potatoes.
Their use of synthetic fertilizers also cause the foods nutritional diversity and quality to be lowered.
Processed foods don’t work in your body the same way whole foods do. Processing by grinding or treating with chemicals like what they use for breads breaks down molecules we should be digesting leading to empty calories
I’d say it’s the oil they use to fry the food in. I wouldn’t call the bread of the bun all that good either. Pull up the whole menu and look to see if there’s something like a wrap or salad box available at your local branch. They’d be your best options.
No fries, diet soda (or none) any burger.
Fries have like 0 nutrients and are crazy high in calories. (Edit: 498 for a large fries, and they’re so quick to eat)
Edit: a full sugar large coke is 290 calories, versus 0 for a no sugar option. That plus fries is 788 calories, about as much as a burger alone, but with near 0 useful nutrients. The calorie amounts will likely decrease for other countries, given sizes are usually tailored to local portion sizes and these values are for the US.
The burger is usually pretty nutrient dense and filling.
But this is mostly just a best case thing.
There is no healthy option, per se, unless you’re having a salad, but a high performance nutritionist I once worked with suggested laying off all sides (thinking fries, desserts) and opt for high protein options.
There is no part about mcdonalds that is “unhealthy”. There isnt really anything about most food that is. The issue is there isnt any part of it that is … “healthy” either, unless you order a salad…
I mean, all this stuff you read about it being so bad, is just misinformation. Its literally just some meat in some bread. Some (most really) options will have high sugar content and be loaded with calories from sauces, but thats not necessarily bad. Its just something you should avoid… If you are trying to keep calories down.
The issue is that its empty calories. There isnt any “good” in it.. Its meat and bread. Carbs and protein.. and a pretty high fat content to.
So, if you want a no fiber, high carb, high fat, meal with decent protein.. Go ahead. Nothing wrong with that once and a while. If you want to keep calories down, skip the drink and fries.
Actually, the fries is what would probably be what Id consider “unhealthy” as sodium at high doses has sudden short term negative impacts.
There is nothing healthy at an American McDonald’s. There are only compromises.
If this isn’t an obvious thing to you, you have some fundamental gaps in your understanding of food. This is not an insult, just an observation.
I am on a restricted sodium diet, which surprisingly pretty much limits everything.
While driving through a smallish town this weekend late, and having fast food options only, it wasn’t McD’s, but I had an egg sandwich, removed the bun, bacon and cheese.
It was okay and I was thankful I brought a few snacks. 7-11 even had some strawberries in a cup.
Pretty interesting that 7-11 has a few options over the others lol
I personally eat sausage and egg McMuffin. It’s by far not super healthy, but it does give me protein and supplies a carb boost from the bread . I generally prefer to prepare my own meals, but don’t have a lot of time in the morning.
First, don’t have anything that tastes sweet. If it’s between a shake and a soft drink, I don’t know which is better for your goals. If you get that far, consider taking out some buns. (I’m looking at you, middle bun) If you get that stripped down, consider getting rid of breaded items. Like others are saying, things that don’t have sub-ingredients are great, and you can get away with McD’s every now and then. But the deli at a grocery store could be a better deal.
The ingredients they use are all fine, as far as I know - although I shy away from cheap oils, and those will be present, especially in fried things. Sweeteners kill, but slowly, and sweetly.
The grilled chicken wrap is 330 kcals with 24 g protein. 39 g carb (7.9g sugars). 5 Chicken Selects is 600 kcal with 42g protein, 34 g carb (0.5g sugar). Personally, I usually just get 5 chicken selects and a coffee, if it comes as a meal I usually give a soccer mom my fries.