If you think a fast-food chicken sandwich is a healthy alternative to a hamburger, think again. A report Thursday says typical fast-food chicken and fish is just as bad - and sometimes worse - than burgers and fries. By the time they are cooked, coated and fried, they are loaded with fat.
The report by the Massachusetts Medical Society notes that folks often choose a chicken sandwich or nuggets in the mistaken belief that these foods are better for them than beef."Many people are quite surprised to find that the total fat in a single hamburger may be 13 grams but six chicken nuggets may have 20 grams of fat," said Connie Roberts.
"In contrast, a fish sandwich, by the time it's coated and has a slice of cheese and sauce, is up to 25 grams of fat."
Put another way, a fast-food chicken patty sandwich contains as much fat as 1 1/2 pints of ice cream.
Roberts, a Brigham and Women's Hospital dietitian who wrote the report, said fast-food chains should give consumers more information about what they are eating. Her report published in the New England Journal of Medicine recommends that the chains:
- Reveal the type and quantity of fat in food, as well as the amount of protein, vitamins and minerals.
- Provide printed menus for people who want to restrict their intake of salt, calories or fat.
- Identify the nutrient content of items on salad bars, especially such selections as potato salad and dressings.
- Offer such alternatives as low-fat or skim milk, margarine, low-fat salad dressings and whole-grain buns.
"I find that my clients and patients are very well aware of the recommendation to include more fish and chicken in their diets," she said. "In their natural state, they are indeed much lower in saturated fat and total fat than red meats. Unfortunately, what we forget when the order is placed is the method of preparation that goes into chicken sandwiches and chicken nuggets."
In fairness to the fast-food industry, the report notes that nutrient-poor, fat-filled food also can be found at home, in high-priced rest-raurants and in school cafeterias.
The report noted that in general, fast food is high in fat, salt and protein but low in fiber, vitamins and other nutrients.
Among specifics, gathered from a variety of research:
- Between 40 and 55 percent of calories in most fast-food meals come from fat. Several health organizations recommend that no more than 30 percent of the day's calories come from fat.
- Chicken nuggets and chicken-patty sandwiches often are made with chicken skin, which is high in fat. They also may be cooked in beef tallow or in vegetable oil that's high in saturated fat.
- Six chicken nuggets have 310 calories, and nearly 60 percent of the calories are from fat.
- A double hamburger with sauce, milkshake and regular-size french fries contain 1,275 calories. That's between half and 80 percent of the recommended daily calories for a woman under age 50.
- A typical fast-food sandwich contains between 700 and 900 milligrams of sodium. Some of them, such as a cheeseburger with bacon, may exceed the entire recommended daily allowance.