Fast-food restaurants are loading their menus with nutritious-sounding options in a bid to draw more-health-conscious consumers. But how healthy are these options?
Health-Washing: Is ‘Healthy’ Fast Food for Real?
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The chain's surf-and-turf option from its "Under 550 Calories" menu has only 500 cal. per serving, but it also has a whopping 21 g of fat and 2,440 mg of sodium — 140 mg over the upper limit of the USDA's daily recommendation. It also contains 51 g of protein. Who needs 51 g of protein in a single sitting? One meal might not do you harm, but the American Heart Association cautions that while high-protein diets may prompt weight loss over the long term, they aren't healthy overall:
Most Americans already eat more protein than their bodies need. And eating too much protein can increase health risks. High-protein animal foods are usually also high in saturated fat. Eating large amounts of high-fat foods for a sustained period raises the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer. People who can't use excess protein effectively may be at higher risk of kidney and liver disorders, and osteoporosis.
