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Fast Food Nation

by Oregano @ 2006-11-04 - 18:36:42

This week I was on a business trip to Munich and my family tell me I should have watched the programme on Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's burger boot camp. The Daily Mail is not my favourite newspaper but my wife pointed out an article about that programme in today's Mail weekend magazine.

There was an interesting sidebox entitled "Fast food nation" with interesting facts on our national diet. I give a selection of them below:

- Fast food accounts for 27% of the UK eating out market
- More than 1,000 of the world's 26,500 McDonalds outlets are in the UK
- If you bake 100 g of cod it contains just 1.2 g fat, while McDonald's fish fingers contain 14 g fat
- A Big Mac contains 2 g of salt which is one third of the recommended maximum 6 g (http://www.salt.gov.uk/index.shtml)
- In 2001 2 billion fast food meals were eaten in the UK
I love this one!
- Some brands of dog and cat food contain less fat and salt than fast food. A can of Gourmet Gold cat food contained 2.5 g of fat per 100 g compared with 24.8 g of fat per 100 g in a McDonald's Big Mac and medium fries.
- Most fast food contains transfats, which raise cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.
- A chicken breast grilled without skin contains approximately 2.2 g of fat per 100 g. McDonalds Chicken McNuggets have 13 g per 100 g.
- An Innocent smoothie contains 57 calories per 100 ml and 0.1 g of fat. A McDonald's milkshake contains 119 calories per 100 ml and 3 g of fat.

This fat and salt must be killing the fast food addicts in this country. Much as I deplore the quality of much of the cheap "fresh" food sold in our supermarkets people are better off cooking with any sort of fresh ingredients than eating high fat, high salt, high E-number junk food.

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[Visitor]
http://bloggitygoodness.blog.ca
2006-11-04 @ 18:44

Great post...I read the book Fast Food Nation...quite disgusting what facts you can discover about the fast-food industry...maybe everybody should read a copy and then they would cook more at home!!!

[Visitor]

2006-11-04 @ 18:44

I have heard that the pet food industry are more hygenic that some of the proccesing plants for human food.

WhittyWhitty [Member]
2006-11-04 @ 18:49

I've just come across your blog and its great! I am also very passionate about food - sort of illustrated by one of my entries entitled 'cheese manifesto' on my 'under the bed' blog recently! Please can I be your friend - promise I'm not selling anything - you can have my crazy random thoughts for free!

Thank you! I'll look up the 'cheese manifesto'.

hmm. Kind of confirms what we thought about the junk/fast food meals. Interesting info.

Oh, but despite the stats on cat food, I think mine would still prefer a burger (heathens). :))

I must admit I would choose burger over catfood!

...and indeed a homemade burger made with good fresh ingredients need not be unhealthy.

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