One More Reason to Avoid Fast Food

The only fast food that I eat is Baja Fresh, and that isn’t very often. I would say that I have lunch at Baja Fresh once every 3 months. I love Mexican food and admit to being taken in by their claim to not have freezers and making their food fresh. My aversion to fast food developed after I read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser several years ago. This book also helped to trigger my transition to a vegetarian lifestyle. I recommend it to anyone interested not just in what they’re eating at these restaurants but also what the effect of this industry has on people and communities.

I’ve heard the claim many times that “he or she just had some chicken nuggets. They aren’t that bad for you. It’s chicken anyway.” I looked up the nutrition facts of McDonald’s chicken nuggets. A 6 piece serving has 280 C, 17g fat, 40g cholesterol, 14g protein and 600 mg of sodium. That’s significant portion of your daily allowances for fat, cholesterol and sodium. A lot of this unhealthy stuff comes from the oil that they’re fried in. Remember that fast food items are fried at their packaging plant and then fried again prior to serving. On the surface, chicken nuggets don’t look all that bad, but did you ever think about what part of the chicken they’re made of? I guess they’re kind of like hot dogs. You would rather not know what part of the pig is in one. I’m here to enlighten you.

My walking partner, Jen, recommended that I watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. It’s a new series airing on Friday nights on ABC featuring Jamie Oliver attempting to improve the health of Huntingdon, WV. Huntingdon was ranked the unhealthiest town in American in 2008 by the Centers for Disease and Prevention. In the second episdode, he shows elementary-aged kids what part of the chicken is used for chicken nuggets. Watch this video (fast forward to 4:30 for this segment). It might make you rethink buying those chicken nuggets.

I’m realistic. It’s impossible to avoid this type of food altogether, especially for children. It isn’t just the elementary school shown in this show serving chicken nuggets. Schools and daycares across our country are serving them. I’m just suggesting that if this is the type of lunch your child is eating, don’t take them to McDonald’s for dinner. If you want to serve him or her chicken nuggets for dinner, then buy better quality ones and make them at home. Try and limit the junk that goes into their bodies. You’re the only that can.