When you consider a whole food alternative, you can generally eat significantly more for the same total energy total. This is not to mention the fact that, due to less processing prior to ingestion, your body has to expend more calories to actually digest the food. Hence, the net calories will typically be much lower in the whole food alternative of an equivalent energy amount.

Some McDonalds do represent a good overall choice, for example the McDonalds Seared Classic Chicken Salad with Bagel Chips does provide a good/better choice with 236cal, 27g Protein, 7.7g Fat and 11.8g Carbs again this doesn’t include dressing, but in this case the dressing offered is balsamic based so again offers a better choice. The downside is the addition of bagel chips and although are only minor are primarily composed of empty nutrients in the form of ingredients wheat flour, soy bean oil and sugar…..

More importantly whilst the tick meals do offer better choice, you actually pay to have items display the tick, although they still have to meet the various criteria of the ‘tick’. I remember this was discussed in the media in the past, in particular with regards to probably the most concerning pizza. There are multiple articles if you google the Crust Pizza chain.

This biggest concern of this is it may actually confuse people thinking they are eating something ‘healthy’ when in actual fact they are eating something healthier with respect the ‘regular’ versions. The next obvious issue comes in the context as Jay alluded to in the context of serving size. Nutritional information with regards to crust pizza is presented with respect to 100g which generally constitutes about a slice and a half of pizza. Again with the crust ‘tick’ menu a 100g of tick approved roast beef pizza provides 194cal, 12.1g Protein, 5.2g Fat, and 23g Carbs, However how many people do you know who would either just eat one and a half slices or more importantly just eat one and a half slices and be full? Let’s say an ‘average’ person might end up eating half a 10” 8 Slice pizza this ends up becoming a 517 calorie meal, not to mention I know many a friend who could and would easily take down the whole pizza on its own.

More food for thought really
Marc

I agree that the heart tick meals are much better than many of the other options available at McDonalds. However it still pays to do your research.

There are a number of these meals that, whilst “better” than your high-fat options, are still not all that great from a nutritional perspective. They may be relatively low in fat, but many of these heart ticked meals have highly processed white buns, lacking in vital nutrients and being of higher glycemic index than wholegrain alternatives. Further, a heart tick meal can exceed 400 calories (which doesn’t include the drink being possibly 100-200 more calories), being quite substantial in one single sitting.

I have obtained these figures off the McDonalds website.

I am not aware of what standards the Heart Foundation adheres to with their tick approval, but I do feel that it is very important, to understand the nutritional composition of foods and how it directly relates to your body.

I do agree though that the other fast food outlets are bringing in healthier alternatives which is excellent for people watching what they eat to make smarter choices.

Theres also others, red rooster and kfc even have salads on offer now, just be careful you don’t get the chips and coke to go with it hahaha.