October 28, 2011 07:52 by Groupie
When traveling on the road, you often have limited dinner options, let alone healthy ones and especially if you want keep moving. This Fitbie article looks into some of America’s most popular food chains and exposes the secrets that many restaurants would not want you to know. The ones referenced below are some of the few that you might find throughout Wisconsin. Read on to see the key to America’s weight gain, and unlock the secrets of these food giants.
Long John Silver's
Many people are aware of the artery clogging effects of trans fat, therefore many restaurants have done away with it in an effort to drive in costumers, but not Long John Silver's. If you eat the 2 Fish Plank Combo Pack at this restaurant you might as well schedule an appointment with a cardiologist the next day because it contains a whopping 12.5 grams of trans fat! That is 5 times the amount of trans fat that the American Heart Association suggests you get in an entire day!
Cold Stone Creamery
Oh Cold Stone say it isn’t so! Ok so you probably know that loading up your ice cream with Oreos and gummy worms is not a step toward healthy eating, but did you know that every shake they make has at least 1,000 calories! That is almost equivalent to the recommended allowance that some people need in an entire day!
Dunkin’ Doughnuts
It is not their doughnuts that will give you a gut….it’s their muffins! Dunkin Doughnuts muffins are extremely high in calories; even their reduced fat blueberry muffin contains 430 calories.
KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken is proud to say on their website that they have zero trans fat. As long as the food item contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, they can say that it is trans fat free according to the FDA. Maybe mom was right, there is a lot to be said about a name, especially when it’s ‘Fried’!
IHOP
The International House of Pancakes is known for more than just its flapjacks. Yes, they do have a large variety of breakfast combinations, but they also have gargantuan portion sizes. When perusing their menu the Simple & Fit Blueberry Harvest Grain ‘n Nut Combo stood out as a potential healthy breakfast time option, but after reading the nutritional facts I stand corrected. This seemingly healthy option contains 560 calories and an astounding 1040 milligrams of sodium. Supper doesn’t get much better…in fact it gets worse with their Herb Roasted Chicken clocking in at 1280 calories!
T.G.I. Friday’s
It was not until September 28, 2011 that T.G.I Friday’s made their nutritional information available to the public, and for good reason. Every single item on their menu, with the exception of their house or side caesar salad, contains at least 1000 or more milligrams of sodium. So, if you have to watch your sodium it would be better just to avoid this restaurant. If you are looking for an appetizer make sure to avoid the wings because they contain anywhere from 690-1190 calories and between 2280-4450 milligrams of sodium….wow! They do have options of meals with 750 calories or less, but again, if you are watching your sodium it looks like you will be dining on a salad.
Applebee’s
In 2008, a news service visited 8 different Applebee’s restaurants to analyze their Weight Watchers healthy options. The food was taken to a lab to be tested to see if they really were what they claimed. The outcome yielded their healthy options having twice as many calories and up to 8 times as much fat as they claimed!
Often when I’m on the road, I try to pack some healthy options. It helps save a little money and inches on your waist line. Where do you think the healthiest fast food places are to eat?
Related Posts:
Smart Choices at Fast Food Restaurants
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