2000 is Really Enough - Calories that is.

Today there is an op-ed piece in the New York Times: 2000 is Really enough.

I think putting calories on fast food restaurant menus is an excellent idea. Whether people struggle with their weight or not - everyone needs to be aware of how many calories we should take in a day. And more importantly, how many calories there are in our favorite foods. I don't think that we need to get obsessive and militant about it and that we eat with a calculator next to our plates. But to know that one seemingly harmless muffin has close to 500 calories - I think that is helpful. Thats a third of some people's intake (not mine) without them realizing it.

The piece talks about some corporations voluntarily offering to show calories on their menu boards. I am most looking forward to Taco Bell doing it. One knows that when they are eating fried chicken, it is laden with a ridiculous amount of calories; but I have always wanted to know how much a bean burrito at Taco Bell runs-calorie wise. For a dollar and nineteen cents, sometimes a Taco Bell burrito hits the spot. I don't care what you think of me now - I confess - I like bland, insipid but cheap food sometimes. It hits the spot.

I have talked about the calorie display on menu boards before. I know that it has made me stand and stare at certain menus and walk out because nothing is less that 600 calories. Q Doba is guilty of that. And so it Chipotle. I don't really go into Mc Donald's type places for that to count. (I know, I know I wrote about the Angus Burger-but it was obviously an event-that I wrote about it)!

I say keep the calorie display on fast food menus - it can only help.

Until I eat again!

June 9th, 2008

It is a struggle everyday to eat healthfully. I wish it wasn't the case but it is. I was at the Green Market in Union Square on Saturday - I bought a fresh pressed apple and raspberry juice without added sugar-that was $3/- Not bad. Next I wanted some bread. Nothing less that $7 for half a loaf or $10 for a loaf. I kept moving on. Everything looked so beautiful but I was looking for something that I could eat at work. In the refrigerator I had some whole wheat pita, cottage cheese and mesclun greens. I just wanted a little something to make the meal I would create with these ingredients interesting, and the 8 hours I would have to spend at work bearable. I circled the market twice just admiring the beautiful produce and the flowers - but not being able to figure out what I should get. As I was coming to the end of the market-I saw some beautiful Jersey Tomatoes. That would be good - I thought. I'll slice a ripe and delicious tomato and that'll round out my lunch beautifully. I walked up to the tomatoes and picked one up. I handed it to the woman, looking at her apologetically that I was just buying the one. "Would you like a bag?" she asked - something everyone at the market is doing now. I was shaking my head no and opening my wallet readying it to hand her 50 cents, a dollar maybe. "One seventy five" she said. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little take aback. I wanted to just say no thank you and walk away - but I was getting late. I handed her $2 and she gave me back a quarter. I walked the block to work shaking my head and wondering how one is supposed to eat healthfully and not break the bank. I had such a sticker shock that I didn't even buy my cup of coffee that I normally do. I was just going to make coffee at work and not spend the $1.

Today, I am at Starbucks and wanted lunch. It is close to 100 degrees outside so I didn't want to walk far - I saw a Subway and thought this should do. I don't think my wallet can stand another shock today. And if Jared lost weight on it - I can find something to eat here. I ordered the 6 inch Tuna on whole wheat with lettuce and cucumbers. I think I am done with tomatoes for a few days and then there is the salmonella scare these days. I was looking for the calorie postings and my turn came too soon to comprehend all the numbers. Is it the price or the calories? I don't know. As soon as my turn came I said Tuna on whole wheat. I just finished eating it sitting in Starbucks. I went on the Subway website for calorie information. A 6 inch sub is 530 calories and 270 from fat. I clearly could have made a better choice but I am not going to beat myself over it. $4.74 and $1.90 for coffee at Starbucks. I don't intend on making Subway a regular habit for lunch or any other meal since the sandwich tasted quite bad. But as I noted on past posts - I think this calorie posting is a good thing. It makes me mindful of what I am eating. So not to sound like a broken record - but these postings can be helpful.

Eating at these fast food places and not having a satisfactory experience is a whole other post for another day.

Until I eat again.

June 6th, 2008

I Ate the Angus Burger at McDonald's

Oh what I'll do in the name of research...or what will I attribute to research? After eating quite well during the day yesterday I stumbled into a McDonald's at about 9PM dinner. I decided to rationalize and said to myself that I need to try all food stuffs. I don't want to assign the label of poison to any food. I never want to be one of those people.

I ordered the Combination #6 which was the Angus Burger with Bacon and Cheese. "When did McDonald's start doing Angus burgers? What kind of gimmick is this? What are Angus burgers? Isn't that the name of the cow? Or is it a Buffalo? I missed that advertisement campaign somewhere." All these thoughts were going on in my head while I also debated between the #6 and the #7 combo. Number 7 was Angus burger with mushrooms. The debate in my head was twofold. One, that the mushrooms would be less calories and two, I want to know what kind of mushrooms does McDonald's use? Would they be watery like those from a can? Would there be some attempt to brown them that would make them look like they were sauteed? I really wanted to know. I went back and forth as I stood in the line. When my turn came and the guy asked if he could help me...I found myself saying #6 please with a coke. As I write this, I can't figure out or remember the reasoning I used to order the bacon version of the burger instead of the mushrooms.

Oh well. I guess there is something that happens to people when they enter these kind of food establishments. I saw Fast Food Nation, I have read countless articles about what is in those burgers and what the rate of obesity is and all. But there I was standing on the side of the line, waiting for my 1000+ calorie dinner to show up. As I waited, I was looking for the calorie counts on the menu. I couldn't find them. I was confused. I know there are enough McDonald's in the world that they need to follow the rule. Had the deadline date of posting the numbers not come by yet? Chipotle, Cosi and Starbucks had their calories posted. Was McDonald's exempt from this rule like the Menthol Cigs were exempt from the tobacco law? What was going on here? Then my eye went to a sign that said that the calories were posted on the back of the place mat on the tray. I looked down and the side of the place mat that was facing me had some games on it - jumble and word search to be specific. I turned over the mat and there was there were the numbers. There were so many numbers. I tried to scan them quickly trying to make some sense of them. There were so many numbers though. The guy behind the counter was filling my drink cup with ice and coke, and was then going to place it on my mat. I was afraid the drink would sweat all over those scary numbers and then I wouldn't know just how many calories I was just about to ingest. I wouldn't know how many calories people ingest on a daily basis. Kids and teenagers especially-oh I better no get started on that.

As the man/boy was about to put the drink on my mat I asked him if I could have another one of those mats please. He looked at me confused. I was expecting him to do too much. Where was he to put the drink? Why does this woman want another mat? What is wrong with her? He did give me another mat which I fold instantly and put in my bag for safe keeping and he put the drink outside my tray, clearly confused by my strange behavior.

I sat down with my burger, large fries and coke. I scanned down the long list of items on the calorie sheet to find my Angus burger. I couldn't find it. At the top of the list if said: Updated Jan 2008. I guess they didn't have this burger in Jan 2008. I really need to stay on top of these things. I looked at the large french fries --530 calories! Oh lord help me. How cluelessly we put those things in our mouths? Not knowing that we are consuming a whole day's worth of calories in one 10 to 12 minute seating. What do you do once you know? Not eat this stuff so often, I guess. I am reminded of my cousin who was visiting from Indian recently who said that he has to get his fix of an American burger. So he took himself to McDonald's. It was just like having fish and chips in London or gol gappas in Delhi and Pau Bhaji in Bombay. Does this mean we can eat this stuff everyday just because we can? I don't think so.

The Burger Itself:

I will say about this Angus burger-it looked most like a burger that I have ever seen any fast food burger look like (especially Mc Donald's burger). The bun looked like a bun. It actually had some texture and mouth feel. I took a bite of the burger and it was juicy - I'm not sure what made it juicy ...but it was juicy. Just like when you eat a burger at a burger joint... this burger was juicy.
I took a couple of bites and had to remind myself to slow down... that I was doing this in the name of research. The bacon was pretty bacony and crispy...I don't think there was any lettuce on it. I surely remember there being slices of real onion. I wonder how they do that. Do they get slices of onions from the central distribution place where they get all their stuff? Or do they actually have a person slicing the onions in the back? It got me thinking as I am right now...because the other onions I have had in McD burgers have been chopped up in pieces, and so uniformity is not an issue. Hmmm how did they do that? I don't know. I want to be many things in life but don't really want to be an expert in the operations of McDonald's. I hope I don't have to eat my words when I find myself as the manager of a McDonald's some day. That will be a cold, cold day in hell.
Back to the burger. There were pickles in there too. Then I made a point to taste the meat on its own. As I did that I couldn't help thinking of many a scenes from Fast Food Nation... but those things don't really bother me too too much. I remember going for a burger right after I saw that movie. I don't know why I wasn't thinking of Supersize Me...even though I saw that Spurlock guy on Letterman or Leno the other day. Anyway, I took a bite of the patty and it had no taste, no salt, no taste - nothing. The whole thing together was quite nice though - for where I was. the fries were cold-but then, this is not the review of McDonald's.

The Aftermath:

I finished the meal, left maybe 15 to 20 fries and 3/4 of my coke. I still consumed a thousand calories. And then I had this funny greasy, oily mouthfeel . Hard to describe...but it is that typical McDonald's after taste.
I didn't feel so awful after eating all that - because I get to write this. But also, there are lessons in this for me.
- One can eat anything ocassionally as long as they are aware of what they are eating and what purpose it is serving.
- After a meal such as that, I have to balance out the next couple of days and eat healthfully. I have faith that it will not do me irreversable damage.
- I really do need to eat out in these type of places to know what is going on and how to navigate the real world of eating. Afer all, we all have to eat several
times a day.
- I really like the idea of calorie counts on fast food menus. I think it is a good tool to use when eating out in such establishments. I would certainly not advocate for calorie counts on restaurants that are not fast food chains.


That was my dinner at McDonald's last night.

Until I eat again!

Thursday, April 24th

Yesterday I found myself in desperate need for lunch. I needed somewhere quiet to sit down after shopping. I needed something cheap, quick and remotely healthful. So I decided upon Cosi on 6th Avenue and 22nd street. I was scanning the sandwiches menu and saw 2 rows of numbers. One row had numbers mostly like 7.50 and 8.25 and the other row had numbers like 508, 710 and 1120. Upon closer inspection I realized that one row were the prices and the other was the calorie count of each item. I rushed the scanning/deciding process while the person behind the counter kept calling out to help the next guest. I settled on the light pesto chicken wrap at 508 calories I believe. I was then asked if I wanted carrot sticks or kettle fried potato chips. I picked the chips feeling somewhat virtuous having picked the 508 calorie sandwich.
I will not comment on the sandwich here - my lunch was pretty close to what I was looking for. Quick, relatively affordable and I had a quiet and cool place to sit down for about 30 minutes before I had to go out in the craziness that can be 6th Avenue. I appreciated knowing that I ate approximately 750 calories for lunch. What I do with that information is up to me.

I know there is controversy about the calorie listing on menus right now-I am sure both sides of the argument has its merits. Upon not too much thought... I am all in favor of it.
Watch me change my mind very soon...OR not.

What are your feelings towards calorie postings in fast food joints? What has been your experience with it? Please do tell.

Until we eat again.