Fast food outlets can be found scattered along the sides of highways and plonked on the corners of busy intersections. While grabbing a meal deal may seem like a fast and easy option, there are unexpected nasties lurking in your favourite meals.
Fries
While they may seem like one of the simplest side dishes, some fast-food French fries may contain as many as 15 ingredients. They often contain preservatives, sugar and artificial colourings that you didn’t expect.
Chicken nuggets
If you were to blend all the parts of a chicken left behind after you strip it of any substantial meat, you would be left with the main filling of chicken nuggets. This includes cartilage, skin, blood vessels and nerves. Are you still tempted by those little golden nuggets?
Fried eggs
If you’re looking for an easy breakfast on the go, picking up a breaky burger or wrap can seem like a good option. According to webmd.com, the so-called ‘eggs’ often contain propylene glycol, artificial flavour, citric acid, modified corn starch, soybean oil, medium chain triglycerides and xanthan gum. You may be biting off much more than you expected to chew when you order eggs at a fast-food joint.
Hamburger
All non-organic beef patties contain growth hormones and antibiotics meant for cows. Along with these nasties making their way into your system, just 100 grams of beef patty contains around 300 calories.
Soft drinks
Soft drinks at fast-food chains may taste a little different to those you purchase on the shelf at the grocery store. They are often made on site by mixing a flavoured syrup with soda. Serving sizes at fast-food outlets are often far larger than what you would normally pour for yourself at home, meaning that you consume far more calories than you expect without realising it.
Sauces
Sucrose, maltose, dextrose, rice syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, barley malt, whatever they call it, the main ingredient in most fast-food dipping sauces is sugar. High calorie and of low benefit, we rarely consider just how harmful these sides are for our bodies.
Hot Dogs
Hot dogs, where all the parts of animals that you had hoped would be thrown away are combined with nitrates and preservatives linked to cancer and diabetes. This isn’t a meal most people want to think too deeply about.
Will this change how you think about fast food? Will you be pulling into a drive through anytime soon?
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