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5 McDonald's Menu Items Under 300 Calories

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

When on the road or in a rush, grabbing a quick meal is sometimes unavoidable. So if you find yourself having to stop into a McDonald's, here are five menu options under 300 calories.

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McDonald's: Not Posting Calorie Counts on NYC Menu Boards

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:15:00 -0700

July 1st, 2007 marks the day that restaurants in New York City are required to begin posting calorie counts on menus in type that is at least as large as the price. Some restaurants, however, are not having it.

Word has it that Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s are among the chains planning to defy New York City’s new rule (Taco Bell and KFC aren’t commenting on the matter), while waiting on a lawsuit in federal court they hope will get the new regulation thrown out. The restaurants say that the new regulation makes for a massive eye sore on a menu board in their NYC eateries, but a healthy advocacy group says that the restaurants are just afraid that when people see these eye-popping calorie numbers, they might switch to a smaller size and lose revenue.

In the end the city won’t fine anyone for violating the rule until October 2007, so I think it's going to be an ugly battle until then.

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Don't Be Fooled By HUGO

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:30:00 -0700

McDonald's is at it again, with the "it" being Super Sized soft drinks. This time they have given the drink the friendly human name Hugo. Maybe they think Les Miserable makes people thirsty - thinking of all those bedraggled characters singing the story written by Victor Hugo creates the desire for a really big cup of soda? Nope! I think they mean Hugo more like HUGE.

McDonald's uses Hugo as a modifier as well. Mickey D's asks, "Do you have a HUGO sized thirst?" According to the New York Times the 42-ounce drink adds about 410 calories to your meal. All those extra calories is only going to cost you about 89 cents.

McDonald's dropped their "Super Size" menu in 2004. The same year that Morgan Spurlock's dietary documentary Super Size Me was released. I say, "Don't be fooled by the Hugo. It is a Super Sized drink with a cute name."

Fast Food Salad Breakdown

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:37:50 -0700

Chances are, you're doing some traveling this Summer and toting along healthy on-the-go snacks. But there's always a chance you'll find yourself hungry on the road with no choice but fast food.

Thankfully, many fast food chains are selling surprisingly healthy salads, but beware: fat and calorie bombs also abound. Of course, you're best off avoiding creamy salad dressing and opting for vinaigrettes: one pack of McDonald's Newman's Own Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette has 40 calories and 3 grams of fat, while the brand's creamy Southwest dressing has 100 calories and 6 grams of fat per packet. If you opt for the creamy kind, try cutting the portion in half. Find out which salads have the most health appeal and which ones to avoid when you read more.

Food	Serving Size	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugar (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Arby's Market Fresh Santa Fe Salad With Popcorn Chicken, No Dressing or Tortilla Strip	12.1 oz	415	17	5	806	6	37	25
*Arby's Market Fresh Martha's Vineyard Salad, No Dressing or Almonds	11.6 oz	273	9	4	609	17	25	22
*Burger King TenderGrill Chicken Garden Salad, No Dressing or Croutons	10.3 oz	240	9	3.5	720	3	8	33
McDonald's Bacon Ranch With Grilled Chicken, No Dressing	11.3 oz.	260	9	4	1,010	5	12	33
*McDonald's Caesar Salad With Grilled Chicken, No Dressing	11 oz.	220	6	3	890	5	12	30
Quiznos Flatbread Chopped Salad With Roasted Chicken Honey Mustard and Dressing	1 salad	1,070	71	13.5	1,770	15	69	37
Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad, No Shell	1 lb 0.8 oz	460	23	9	1,520	9	41	23
*Wendy's Garden Sensations Mandarin Chicken, No Almonds, Noodles, or Dressing	11 oz.	180	2	0.5	630	12	16	24
Wendy's Garden Sensations Homestyle Chicken BLT With Croutons and Dressing	14.7 oz.	780	53	14	1,740	14	42	37

* FitSugar pick

Are You On the Twilight Diet?

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:27 -0700

Have you heard about the Twilight diet? At first I thought it was a term Twilighters - aka die-hard Twilight fans - used to describe their voracious appetites for all things Edward and Bella - books, movies, pictures, life-size Robert Pattinson cutouts - but it's actually related to food. Twilight vernacular is everywhere, even in the world of health and fitness.

I've written a little about Taylor Lautner's quest to bulk up for New Moon. In order to be a believable Jacob the werewolf, the young star was in the gym every day for two hours to put on the needed 30 pounds of muscle. "I had to eat every two hours," says Lautner. "At one point, my trainer said, 'Put anything in your mouth. Go to McDonalds get the biggest shake possible. I just need to get calories in you.' Because my body fat at the time was only, like, 7.5 percent"

Lautner's fitness routine is what the urban dictionary calls the Twilight diet:

Person A: Yo man, I wanna get ripped.
Person B: Yeah man, follow the Twilight diet!

I wonder what Michael Phelps and Venus Williams would think if they knew they were on the Twilight diet while training, and didn't even know it?

To hear about the "other" Twilight diet read more.

I was curious if the Twilight diet was actually being followed, and not only did I find out that it is, I also discovered that there is another diet with the same name - and it seemed to be at odds with the already mentioned Twilight diet! What's a fan to do?

In the first movie we are introduced to the Cullens, a family of vampires who resist their natural desire to feed on humans. This desire becomes even more exasperated when Edward Cullen falls in love with Bella, a human. Some Twilighters are using this narrative as a model of self-control in their own lives. If Edward and the rest of the Cullens can resist eating humans then they, the fans, can resist eating chocolate cake.

There are tons of posts on Twilight boards and blogs affirming that Twilight has been a catalyst for lifestyle changes. Apparently fans are so busy consuming everything Twilight, they have less time to eat. On top of this they are also adopting the Cullen's method of self-control. This combo has led to some serious weight loss - some fans have lost six pounds, while others claim 25.

I admit that the Twilight diet is an easy target, but you can also look at it as inspiration coming in many different forms. For some it's a vampire series that spawns a lifestyle change. Odd? Perhaps. But it's great to see people making choices for the better, whatever the reason.

Have you ever found inspiration from an unlikely source?

Which McDonald's Item Has the Most Calories?

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Last week I mentioned that we are not able to decipher unhealthy menu items without having nutritional information available. You guys took the other quizzes but I found the other three questions too. So let's see how well you do figuring out calories...

6 Burger King Menu Items Under 300 Calories

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:52:32 -0700

When traveling on the road this Summer, grabbing a quick meal is sometimes unavoidable. So if you find yourself having to stop into a fast food chain, you'll need to know about some low-calorie options. I already told you about McDonalds menu items under 300 calories, but if you find yourself at a Burger King, here are five menu options that are also under 300 calories. I'm not saying they're super healthy or anything (many are high in sodium and fat), I'm just saying they won't break the calorie bank.

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Food Court Survival: Healthy Fast Food Options

FitSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 03:30:00 -0800

If you're braving the mall this Black Friday, chances are you're going to need to refuel at the food court as well. Although there are choices galore on the food front, many of them are high in calories and fat, so here are some healthier options to munch on. They may not be the healthiest choices on the planet, but they're better than succumbing to a Big Mac attack.

From Subway:
6" Veggie Delite: 230 calories, 1 g saturated fat
6" Turkey Breast: 280 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat
6" Oven Roasted Chicken Breast: 310 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat

Not into those choices? Then read more.

From McDonald's:
Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken: 320 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Premium Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken: 300 calories, 1 g saturated fat
Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken: 220 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad: 210 calories, 1.5 g of saturated fat

Opt for no dressing or choose from these two:

Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette: 40 calories, 0 g saturated fat
Newman's Own Low Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing: 60 calories, 0 g saturated fat

From Wendy's:
Chicken Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Fillet: 490 calories, 7 g saturated fat
Broccoli and Cheese Potato: 320 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat
Grilled Chicken Go Wrap: 260 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat
Ultimate Chicken Grill: 320 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat
Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich: 450 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat
Side of Mandarin Oranges: 80 calories, 0 g saturated fat

From Taco Bell:
Fresco Bean Burrito: 330 calories, 2.5 g saturated fat
Regular Style Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco: 270 calories, 4 g saturated fat
Regular Style Spicy Chicken Soft Taco: 170 calories, 2 g saturated fat
Fresco Style Spicy Chicken Burrito: 340 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Fresco Style Fiesta Burrito - Beef: 350 calories, 4 g saturated fat
Fresco Style Chalupa Supreme - Chicken: 300 calories, 2 g saturated fat

From Dunkin' Donuts:
Multigrain bagel w/ reduced fat vegetable cream cheese: 520 calories, 8 g saturated fat
Turkey and Cheese Sandwich: 510 calories, 6 g saturated fat
Garden Salad: 240 calories, 5 g saturated fat
Chicken Noodle Soup: 140 calories, 1 g saturated fat
Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin: 400 calories, 2 g saturated fat

From Sbarro:

Slice of thin-crust cheese pizza: 460 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat

Fit's Tip: Another great option is to pack your own healthy snacks or sandwiches. You'll know it's low in calories and fat, will save you money, and you won't have to wait in those long lines.

Ryan Spends Time With Abbie Before Hitting the Gym Solo

PopSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Ryan Phillippe and Abbie Cornish made their way around LA together over the weekend, stopping for lunch at Taste on Saturday and running errands on Sunday. He was by himself yesterday for a trip to the gym, showing off the guns that might come in handy for his potential role in a MacGruber movie. Ryan even treated himself to a little post-workout McDonalds - although it doesn't look like he needs help keeping his physique in shape, he could keep his meal under 300 calories if he knows what to order from the fast-food joint.

To see more of Ryan and Abbie just read more.

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Fast Food Breakdown: Chicken

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:30:00 -0800

When you're on the road, sometimes the occasional stop at a fast-food drive-thru can't be avoided. If you're not into ordering a hamburger and French fries because of the saturated fat and high calories, then chicken could be your choice for a lean protein. Choose your chicken wisely, though; not all your choices are necessarily lean. Check out how these popular fast foods compare.

Chicken	Calories	Saturated Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Protein (g)
McDonald's McChicken Sandwich	360	3	35	830	14
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich	420	2	70	1190	32
McDonald's Crispy Chicken Classic Sandwich	530	3.5	50	1150	28
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich	530	6	90	1470	40

To see the rest read more.

Chicken	Calories	Saturated Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Protein (g)
McDonald's Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich	630	7	75	1420	36
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Ranch BLT Sandwich	470	3	80	1500	36
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Ranch BLT Sandwich	580	4.5	60	1460	32
McDonald's Southern Style Crispy Chicken Sandwich	400	3	45	1030	24
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Ranch Snack Wrap	270	4	45	830	18
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Honey Mustard Snack Wrap	260	3.5	45	800	18
BK Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich	490	4	55	1220	26
BK Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich	430	8	70	1640	32
BK Spicy Chick'n Crisp Sandwich	630	5	30	810	12
BK Original Chicken Sandwich	630	7	65	1390	24
BK Chicken Tenders (6 pc)	270	3.5	35	730	14
BK Chicken Fries (6 pc)	250	2.5	30	820	14
Wendy's Crispy Chicken Deluxe	400	5	50	980	20
Wendy's Chicken Club	540	8	75	1360	34
Wendy's Ultimate Chicken Grill	320	1.5	70	950	28
Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich	440	2.5	60	1300	28
Wendy's Chicken Nuggets (10 pc)	460	6	70	1040	24
Wendy's Grilled Chicken Go Wrap	260	3.5	45	760	17
Taco Bell Chicken Burrito Supreme	380	5	40	1370	20
Taco Bell Spicy Chicken Soft Taco	170	2	25	580	10
Taco Bell Chicken Fiesta Taco Salad	780	5	70	1830	37
Taco Bell Spicy Chicken Soft Taco	170	2	25	580	10
Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla	520	12	75	1420	28

I think my blood pressure just shot through the roof from seeing those sodium counts. Yikes. Some of these menu items have more than half the amount you should have in an entire day (2,300 mg). Feel free to enjoy these in a pinch, but I definitely wouldn't be chowing on a McChicken Sandwich every day.

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