Can you eat healthy at McDonald's?

McDonald's Under 400 Calories Menu

I have a confession, I went to McDonald's yesterday! Shameful I know... But the truth is, we all go there at some point.  Now it's been a while and it seems what I saw there, although new and shocking to me, is not all that new to the rest of the world. I walk up to the counter to order and right in front of me was, "wait, what is that?" calorie details of selected menu items. It seems while I've been out of the country and avoiding the TV, McDonald's has kicked off a new "Under 400 Calories Marketing Campaign". I'm not really surprised. They've been trying to market their food as healthy for years now.  If you notice most of their newer commercials are about their salads and smoothies and the new and improved "healthy" happy meal! 

So, does this new marketing campaign work? Can you eat your favorite things at McDonald's for under 400 calories?  

My favorite thing at McDonald's is a cheeseburger happy meal, with no ketchup.  Oh, but that's not on the new Under 400 Calories menu.  According to their site my happy meal is 510 calories without the ketchup. Now, if I leave off the milk and apples I can get it down to 390 calories.  But that does not change the fact that the burger and fries are fried, contain 17 grams of fat, 40 mg of cholesterol, 790 mg of sodium, and 46 g of carbs, nor does it make me feel less guilty, which I believe is the hope of McDonald's.  "If healthy people can feel less guilty about our food, they'll continue to eat here."

This is not a rant about how horrible McDonald's is. I go there, I take my grand-kids there. I don't dislike them and I don't think they are the reason so many American's are overweight. I do believe they want to get in on the $500 billion "wellness revolution".  

So, can you eat healthy at McDonald's?  

Yes, but not necessarily just by choosing from their new Under 400 Calories menu.  Choose a salad, leave off the bacon, cheese and croutons and limit the dressing.  It won't be as healthy as the salad you make at home, but it'll be the better choice at McDonald's. 

What do you think of this Under 400 Calories campaign? Has it already tricked you or did you see right through it?

Eczema, tantrums, and cavities, Oh My!

Halloween is just 10 days away! If you're like me, the thought of all that candy going into those trick or treat bags, then into our kids hands, and ultimately their mouths is a bit "scary"!

Several studies have found that milk (lactose is a sugar) and other beverages are the two main sources of sugar in children, with candy being the third highest contributor. Nancy Appleton, PhD, wrote a light-hearted book entitled Lick The Sugar Habit. In it, she reports on the medical research concerning the effects of refined sugar on the body. Here are those specifically related to children:

• Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
• Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
• Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
• Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
• Sugar can adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders.
• Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior.

Oh, and don't forget about the cavities.

Now, don't think I am being a party-pooper. I love a party just as much as anyone, maybe even more, but there are alternatives. How about considering some of these treats this year as an alternative to passing out candy:

• Temporary tattoos
• Silly Bandz
• Mini Play Dough packs
• Stickers
• Pencils
• Fancy erasers
• Pencil toppers
• Crayons
• Coins (pennies, nickels, dimes)
• Small novelty toys
• Bouncy balls
• “Slime”
• Miniature magnifying glasses
• Glow Necklaces or bracelets
• Glow-sticks
• Spider rings
• Plastic vampire teeth
• Tiny decks of cards
• Bubbles
• Hot Chocolate packs
• Microwave Popcorn

I was in the Dollar Tree today and they have all kinds of great non-candy treats. Another of my personal favorites is the Free Jr. Frosty coupons available from Wendy's. You can get a book of 10 coupons for $1.  Yes, I know the Frosty has sugar, BUT the Jr. size is so small the sugar equivalent is to about 2 of the Fun Size Snickers bars. AND 90% of all treat book sales to the Foundation. And in Wendy’s Wonderful Kids markets, all of the proceeds are used specifically to fund grants to support Wendy’s Wonderful Kids adoption recruiters. Since the fundraiser began in 1992, it has generated millions of dollars for the Foundation, and all donations go to help out the communities in which the money was originally raised.

Another cool thing you can check out to limit kids candy consumption is the Halloween Candy Buy Back.  This is a program generally sponsored by dentists where they "buy" back kids' Halloween candy and send it to soldiers stationed overseas. Some dentists pay up to $1 per pound and others pay with goody bags that include prizes and coupons.