Tuesday, August 31, 2010

SUPER SIZING ALIVE AND WELL




SUPER SIZING ALIVE AND WELL at NATION'S CHAIN RESTAURANTS is extreme eating alright! Of course the eateries don't call them super-sized. They're just the typical servings we now think of as normal. With so many adults and children overweight or obese, you'd think that restaurants would have some interest in keeping their patrons alive and dining out longer. 


Before I started THE FRESH DIET, I noticed that a few of the restaurants had a calorie chart along with their menus. Patrons could take a peek at just how much they were consuming. You'd think, having to show a chart, they would cut down on high calorie items, or drop them altogether.


A typical serving of steak (like all other meats) is only 3 ounces cooked (or 4 ounces raw), says the USDA. Really?
On mid-priced steakhouse menus (which list raw weights), a ribeye is typically 14 oz. That cooks down to 11 oz., nearly four times the USDA serving. That's why a 14 ouncer from Outback, LongHorn, or Lone Star brings about 1,000 calories to your plate!!!! Most New York strip, sirloin, and other boneless steaks range from 8 to 14 oz. 
The good news: many chains now offer 6 oz. sirloin steaks, which cook down to 41/2 oz. That's within sight of the USDA's elusive 3 oz. serving. 


SEE THAT BURGER UP THERE... A burger weighs 5 oz. says the USDA. That would work if the bun were 2 oz. and the meat were 3 oz. Other than a Burger King Whopper Jr. (5 oz ) or McDonald's Quarter Pounder (6 oz), good luck finding one of those babies!
A McDonald's Big Mac or Big N' Tasty weighs about 7 oz. An Angus Burger weighs 11 oz. That's closer to what you're likely to get at most sit-down restaurants.
If you can even FIND a burger with no cheese or bacon, like Chili's Oldtimer Big Mouth, you're still talking a 5 oz. (cooked) patty and a 4 oz. bun. That explains the Oldtimer's 880 calories.  (Make it 1,260  if you eat the fries that come on the side.)  YIKES!!!
If 1,200 + calories for a sit-down restaurant burger plus fries seems unusually steep, it's not. The other Chili's Big Mouth Burger (with fries), for example clock in at 1,500 to 2, 140 calories plus 21 to 44 grams of saturated fat and 3,330 to 6,710 mg of sodium. 
Big Mouth eventually turns into Big Bellies....and Big coronaries. Yikes, Yikes and Yikes!!!






NOW...I would rather just have THE FRESH DIET take care of everything for me, and they do it SO well. Nutritious, healthy and scrumptious meals. I don't have to count calories or measure portions. They do it with such style and class.  You can't get any classier than THE FRESH DIET'S Executive Chef Yosef Schwartz, a graduate of the world-renowned Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute. He and his team develop menus that fulfill The Zone Diet's 40/30/30 nutritional balance. It is designed to promote lean body mass, weight loss, decreased carb craving, lowered blood sugar levels, increased energy, and improved mental clarity. 
It's SO easy THE FRESH DIET way.  


Grilled Wild Mahi Mahi on Ciabatta Bread with Lettuce, Tomato & Thousand Island Dressing.What could be more satisfying for lunch than this crusty seeded bun with such a very tender filet! It was very delicious!






                                                                              
Baked Chicken Florentine with Spinach & Parmesan Cheese with Yellow Lentil Ragout and Haricot Vert is one of my very favorite meals. Who knew Lentils could be so tasty!!!












Here's just about everyone's favorite TFD offerings, The CHEESE CAKE!! This one is a Honey Almond Cheese Cake. So smooth and creamy with a delicate crunchy crust. What a winner!














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