A couple of weeks ago, McDonald's announced it's going to put nutrition information on its menu items. Nutrition activists applauded the action.
But a few people, in the midst of downing their Big Macs, told TV news crews they'd rather not know how many calories and fat grams they're consuming.
They probably won't be the ones lining up at bookstores to pay $17.95 for the "Guide to Healthy Restaurant Eating," published by the American Diabetes Association. The book lists the fat, calories, carbs, cholesterol, sodium, fiber and exchange values for menu items at more than 50 chain restaurants.
People who eat fast-food meals more often tend to eat more calories, fat and sodium, according to a study quoted by the American Institute for Cancer Research. They also get fewer vitamins and minerals. But you can't just blame the fast-food industry, which has come up with more healthful options — fruit or vegetable salads, carrot sticks, skim milk, nonfat yogurt. It's up to the public to buy them.
Part of the problem is the "splurge mentality." If going out to eat is a special occasion, you tend to splurge a little. Leaving off the butter or hollandaise sauce seems like heresy when you're spending hard-earned dollars on a night out. And why suffer through a salad with astringent-tasting low-cal dressing?
But on average, Americans today eat about half of their meals outside the home. If you're "splurging" that often, it's going to add up quickly.
Personally, I'm no poster girl for diets and deprivation. I think if you really love a certain food, you should enjoy it occasionally. But I don't mind saying, "Hold the mayo," since I don't like mayo much anyway, and a dollop on a sandwich adds 100 or so calories.
And if there are similar menu items that you'd enjoy nearly as much, why not order the one with fewer calories, fat and carbs? For instance, in the "Guide to Healthy Restaurant Eating," a regular Chick-fil-A char-grilled chicken sandwich has 270 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. The deep-fried chicken sandwich has 410 calories and 16 fat grams. That's a big difference, especially if you don't care whether your chicken is grilled or fried. (The carb content remained the same for either choice.)
What a difference a crust makes. A medium slice of Pizza Hut's thin 'n' crispy super supreme pizza has 260 calories, 23 carbs and 13 grams of fat. With a hand-tossed crust, the same pizza has 300 calories, 31 carbs and the same amount of fat. Those figures multiply, of course, when you eat two or three slices.
A Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger has 660 calories, 30 grams of fat and 64 carbs — quite a chunk of the 2,000-calorie daily allowance often quoted for the average adult. But if you upgrade to a Western Bacon Six Dollar Burger, you're looking at 1,060 calories and 81 grams of fat. (The fat limit for the average adult should be around 65 grams, according to the government's Nutrition Facts labels.) The carb count also goes up to 79 grams. The book advises focusing on fat because it's the densest form of calories. But you can divide and conquer — split half of your burger with a friend, or save it for dinner.
What's the better choice — KFC's fried chicken or a pot pie? KFC's pot pie has 770 calories, 40 grams of fat and 70 grams of carbs. You're better off with a KFC drumstick, corn on the cob and green beans — 480 calories, 21 grams of fat and 35 grams of carbs.
It's too bad the book didn't list the vitamins, minerals and other "good" content in all these foods — probably because it would take too much space. A veggie salad with dressing might be similar in calories and fat as an order of fries. But the salad is likely higher in nutrition, especially if it uses dark leafy greens instead of iceberg lettuce. It's good to consider the nutrition you're getting, not just what you should avoid.
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com