Fast Food Quiz
Many fast food restaurants have altered their notoriously unhealthy menus to provide some fresher and more wholesome options. However, some fast food items that are promoted as "healthy" are actually loaded in fat and calories and other items. Take the following quiz to see if you are fast food nutrition savvy.
1. Which of the following contains the MOST calories?
a) Burger King whopper with cheese
b) McDonald's double quarter pounder with cheese
c) McDonald's Selects (10 pieces)
d) Wendy's Big Bacon Classic
2. Which has the LEAST amount of fat?
a) Wendy's spring mix salad, thousand island dressing
b) McDonald's bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken, ranch dressing
c) Burger King tender crisp garden salad, light Italian dressing
d) McDonald's Southwestern salad with crispy chicken, southwestern dressing
3. How many calories and saturated fat grams are in the McDonald's Fruit'n Yogurt Parfait (contains yogurt, berries, and granola)?
a) 300 calories, 2 grams bad fat
b) 160 calories, 1 gram bad fat
c) 500 calories, 5 grams bad fat
d) 350 calories, 1 gram bad fat
4. Which of the following "value" meals provides you with more than the average American's recommended TOTAL daily calorie intake, fat intake and sodium intake?
a) McDonald's triple quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, large coke
b) Wendy's classic triple with cheese, large fries, large cola
c) Burger King's double whopper with cheese, large fries, large coke
5. The healthiest (LOWEST in calories and fat) dessert below is:
a) Burger King's Dutch apple pie
b) McDonald's ice cream cone
c) McDonald's baked apple pie
d) Burger King's small chocolate shake
6. The healthiest (LOWEST in calories and fat) meal option below is:
a) Burger King's chili
b) McDonald's McVeggie sandwich
c) Wendy's Mandarin chicken salad, oriental sesame dressing
7. Which of the following Taco Bell foods is HIGHEST in fat?
a) Nachos
b) 7-layer burrito
c) Cheese quesadilla
d) Fiesta Taco salad with salsa
8. Which of the following sandwiches is HIGHEST in calories?
a) Subway's oven roasted chicken breast sandwich - 6inch
b) Blimpie's hot pastrami sandwich- 6inch
c) Blimpie's southwestern wrap
d) Subway's BLT - 6inch
9. The McDonald's food below that is packed with the MOST trans and saturated fat is:
a) McDonald's quarter pounder
b) McDonald's crispy chicken sandwich
c) McDonald's large French fries
d) McDonald's McNuggets (10 piece)
10. Which of the following breakfast items contains the fewest calories?
A) Dunkin' Donuts reduced-fat blueberry muffin
B) Dunkin' Donuts multigrain bagel with reduced-fat cream cheese
C) Starbuck's turkey bacon, egg white and cheese breakfast sandwich
D) Starbuck's Zucchini Walnut muffin
Answers
1)C- 10 pieces of McDonald's Selects contain a whopping 1,320calories!!! The whopper with cheese contains 780calories; double quarter pounder with cheese has 740calories; the big bacon classic supplies 580calories. Although the latter may not be too high in calories for some, it still contains 29grams of fat, 14 of which are unhealthy saturated and trans fats.
2)B- despite the bacon and ranch dressing, the McDonald's bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken and ranch dressing contains the least amount of fat- 24grams fat (obviously this is still extremely high in fat and not a healthy option). McDonald's Southwestern salad with crispy chicken, southwestern dressing- 29grams fat; Burger King tender crisp garden salad, light Italian dressing- 36grams fat; Wendy's spring mix salad with thousand island dressing - 28grams of fat. This answer depicts why choosing a salad is not always the healthiest option on a menu!
3)B- 160calories and 1gram of bad saturated fat. While there are quite a few added sugars in this parfait, there are also some REAL blueberries and strawberries as well. When you are pinched for time, this packaged parfait is a good breakfast or snack on-the-go.
4)C- The Burger King triple whopper with cheese, large fries, large coke contains 2180 calories-literally more than the 2,000 calorie recommended TOTAL daily calorie intake for the average American. To make matters worse, this "value meal" provides 110grams total fat, 38grams saturated fat, 3.5grams trans fat, and 2,440mg sodium...can someone say heart attack? Unfortunately, the other value meals are not much better. McDonald's double quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, large coke contains 1,550calories, 67grams fat, 22.5grams saturated fat, 2.5grams trans fat, and 1,750mg sodium; Wendy's classic triple with cheese, large fries, large cola contains 1,840calories, 87grams total fat, 32grams saturated fat, 3.5grams trans fat, and 2,610mg sodium. Value meals are never a good option.
5)B- Although it is ice cream, it is low-fat ice cream and this small vanilla cone only contains 150calories and 3.5grams of fat. Don't be fooled by desserts that contain "apples"...they are not always healthy. The Burger King Dutch apple pie has 340calories and 13grams of fat, while the McDonald's baked apple pie has 250calories and 13grams of fat. As for the shake, just because a small ice cream cone is not so bad, the same doesn't go for the ice cream shake...the small Burger King chocolate shake contains 440calories and 11grams of fat.
6)A- Not only does Burger King's chili contain just 190 calories and 8 grams of fat, but it is also loaded in fiber (5grams). McDonald's McVeggie- 350 calories, 8 grams fat; Wendy's Mandarin chicken salad, oriental sesame dressing- 540 calories and 25 grams fat.
7)D- The fiesta taco salad with salsa contains 41 grams of fat (this is another example of how a salad is NOT always your healthiest option). The nachos contain 21 grams fat; cheese quesadilla has 26 grams of fat; 7-layer burrito has the least amount of fat (18grams) and 12 grams of fiber! (If you order the 7-layer burrito "fresco style" than you will cut the fat down to 10 grams total and just 2.5 grams saturated fat).
8)C- Contrary to popular belief, large wraps are often much higher in calories than sliced bread. Therefore, opt for sandwiches made with whole grain, thinly sliced bread. Southwestern wrap- 530 calories; Hot pastrami on white- 430 calories; BLT sub- 360 calories; oven roasted chicken breast sub- 320 calories
9)A- The quarter pounder has 8grams "bad" saturated and trans fat and 410 calories. Large French fries contain 3.5grams of trans and saturated fat, not to mention 500 calories! 10 piece McNuggets are not much better with 5 grams saturated and trans fat and 460 calories and the crispy chicken sandwich packs on 3.5 grams of saturated and trans fat and 530calories.
10) C- The breakfast sandwich contains the fewest calories coming in at just 340. While it is high in sodium due to the turkey bacon and cheese, it is still a good source of fiber (3grams) and protein (10grams). The reduced fat muffin contains 450 calories and the zucchini walnut muffins contains 490 calories - both examples of muffins that are more like sweet indulgences than healthy options to start off the day with. Lastly, the multigrain bagel with low-fat cream cheese contains 490 calories.
Los Angeles nutritionist Alyse Levine MS, RD, founder of NutritionBite. Visit her profile on LIVESTRONG.COM.
Copyright 2010 NutritionBite LLC. All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. "NutritionBite LLC" should be prominently displayed on any material reproduced with the publisher's consent
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