A Happier Meal

Meet my dad: Alex Medeiros, the owner of six McDonalds restaurants in Western Washington.

The one thing my dad hates more than anything else in the world (except maybe for when I get food crumbs in his keyboard…sorry dad) is receiving complaints, and even lawsuits, from customers claiming that his restaurants have made them fat.
I have to agree with my dad when I say: if you’re going through the drive-thru in your minivan everyday at lunch and ordering enough food for the soccer team that ISN’T filling up the backseat, then maybe you should drag yourself to the gym afterward, or at least change what you’re ordering.

The fact is, if you’ve gained weight from fast food- it’s your own fault. I’ve eaten fast food many times, and been able to order a nutritionally sound meal with no problems. I’m tired of people ordering burgers roughly the size of the cow they were made from and then being surprised that they’ve gained weight. If you have to contort your mouth like a member of Cirque de Soleil to get your mouth around whatever you’re eating, you probably shouldn’t be eating it.

With that being said, how do you order a healthy meal and still have it be palatable when the golden arches beckon you?
First, cancel the order of fries that are big enough to fill a horse trough. They provide little to no nutrients, add 380 calories to your meal (for a standard medium size) and contain 29 percent of your daily fat. If you absolutely can’t stand to skip “America’s favorite fries,”then opt for the Happy Meal-sized container: you still get the taste, but they contain a more reasonable 230 calories and only 18 percent of your daily fat.

If you need a side dish to help bulk up your meal and promote satiety, order a small salad and use half of a pack of the light Balsamic vinaigrette. This low-fat, nutritious option clocks in at a mere 40 calories.

Big Macs, one of the most popular McDonalds items, have 540 calories and constitutes 45 percent of your daily fat value. If you’re allotted 2000 calories per day (the amount needed by the average, semi-active American), this sandwich contains 27 percent of your calories for the day.

To slim down this popular sandwich, order a standard cheeseburger, with Mac Sauce instead of ketchup. The, request the addition of lettuce and onion. Bam! It’s a Mini Mac, and it’s only 345 calories, only 17 percent of your daily caloric intake.
Another popular and calorically heavy McDonalds sandwich is the Quarter Pounder with cheese. For the same taste with less calories, opt for a double cheeseburger. Both contain the beef, ketchup, pickles, slivered onion and cheese, but the smaller double cheeseburger contains 440 calories, while the quarter pounder contains 510.

If you’re craving breaded chicken with dipping sauce, chicken McNuggets are a better option than chicken Selects. A six piece McNuggets contains 280 calories and 27 percent of your daily fat allowance, while a five- piece Chicken Selects contains 660 calories and 61 percent of your daily fat allowance. As always, go easy on dipping sauce: sugary honey contains 50 calories, and creamy ranch contains a whopping 200- almost as much as a small order of French fries!

If you want to end your meal on a sweet note, or just treat yourself after a long week, indulge in a hot fudge sundae instead of a chocolate milkshake or McFlurry: A small shake contains 440 calories and a small McFlurry contains 550 calories. The sundae beats both, at 330 calories. For an even slimmer option, choose a vanilla ice cream cone (150 calories), a hot baked pie (250 calories) or a cookie (160 calories).

Remember that fast food doesn’t have to be a detrimental part of an otherwise healthy diet. Just keep portion sizes and extras in mind and you won’t end up overweight, unhealthy, or suing a restaurant owner for a self-made problem. Now isn’t that a happier picture?