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16 Secrets the Restaurant Industry Doesn't Want You to Know

restaurant, industry, secretsTwo Men’s Health columnists have uncovered some dirty little secrets that the restaurant industry would rather keep quiet. In some cases, the true contents of what’s put into your meals at restaurants (both fast-food and sit-down) are shocking. In others, the information could not even be drawn out of corporate employees.

How can a restaurant hide the nutritional facts of its food? Because of The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. This legislation says that fast-food and chain restaurants are not required to provide calorie, fat, or sodium information for any of their menu items unless they describe them as “low sodium” or “low fat.”

Not surprisingly, many of the restaurants took advantage of this protection and kept their nutrition facts to themselves. Here is just a sampling of the secrets the restaurant industry has been keeping (you can click the link below to find out all 16).

1. Arby’s “100 percent all-natural chicken” contains artificial flavoring, and its “all-natural smoothies” may contain high-fructose corn syrup.

2. An order of Aussie Cheese Fries at Outback Steakhouse has 2,900 calories.

3. Hooters wouldn’t disclose any nutritional facts about their food, but investigation revealed that its wing sauce contains partially hydrogenated margarine, maltodextrin, propylene glycol alginate, xanthan gum and other additives.

4. A medium-size fruit-and-yogurt smoothie from Dunkin’ Donuts has more than four times the sugar in a chocolate-frosted cake doughnut.

5. Pastries at Panera Bread contain synthetic food colorings that have been linked to irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbance in children.

6. A large order of pasta at Maggiano’s contains two pounds of noodles.

7. The top four ingredients in Baskin Robbins’ Blue Raspberry Fruit Blast are Sierra Mist soda, water, sugar and corn syrup.

8. The French toast sticks at Burger King go into the same fryer as the pork sausage, pork fritters, Chicken Tenders, chicken fries, Big Fish patties, hash browns, onion rings, and Cheesy Tots -- and all of these contain harmful trans fats.

Sources:

  Men's Health


Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

In 2006, the average U.S. household spent close to HALF of its food budget on meals eaten away from home, according to The Survey of Consumer Expenditures for 2006, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Meanwhile, less than one-third of American households make meals from scratch, according to a 2006 survey by the Institute of Food Technologists.

This means that out of the fewer than HALF of meals that you do eat at home, many of these are likely NOT homemade, but rather consist of processed, packaged, and pre-prepared foods purchased from your supermarket.

Folks, this is a real recipe for disaster.

As this Men’s Health investigation found out, many restaurants will not even reveal what’s in their food, which has to make you wonder what they’re trying to hide.

If that wasn’t bad enough, 90 percent of all the money Americans spend on food is for highly processed, non-nutritious food. 

How can you possibly expect anything other than to get sick when you aren’t giving your body the major fuel it requires to stay healthy? This is not much different from neglecting your car by pouring in fuel that won’t burn well and is contaminated with many nasty ingredients that plug up the engine.

Would you be surprised if your car did not run properly under these circumstances? Of course not. Then it should come as no surprise that you will not achieve high-level health unless you make a conscious effort to choose foods that are healthy for you. Yes, it takes more time and energy, but the results are clearly worth it in the long run.

When you eat out you can pretty much guarantee that there will be artificial ingredients of some kind in your food. You can also bet on the fact that your meal will NOT come from free-range, grass-fed, locally grown, or organic sources (unless you find a specialty restaurant that caters to that).

You will likely also eat MORE than you would at home, and will certainly be doused with more sugar and, likely, trans fats as well.

Just about ANY food that you prepare at home will be better for you than its counterpart eaten out.

Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but take, for example, a raw strawberry milkshake. You can make one of these at home in just a few minutes, using raw milk, raw honey, an organic egg and some strawberries.

Now, take the fast-food version. Would you believe that in a fast-food strawberry milkshake there are 59 different ingredients? And none of them are strawberries? Well, it’s true.

Preparing Healthy Meals at Home

Regular newsletter readers know that preparing food at home is one of the keys to staying healthy.

My major rule in this area is that if you fail to plan your meals you are planning to fail. You simply must be proactive and determine what your menu will be a few days to a few weeks out.

Remember, most Americans spend 90 percent of their food budget on PROCESSED foods. To be healthy, you need to reverse this and spend 90 percent on fresh, whole foods.

You also need to devote some serious time in the kitchen, preparing these foods for your family.

I realize that this isn’t always convenient, and, yes, it is easier to just pick up fast food. But your body simply cannot thrive off of this processed garbage.

Your body needs real food, and once you switch your diet to primarily home-cooked meals, you will realize just how artificial restaurant food really is.

My newest book, Take Control of Your Health, has an entire chapter devoted to tips for planning your meals and eating healthy, even with a busy lifestyle. You can also read How to Cook Whole Food From Scratch--and Keep Your Day Job! for more tips.

Folks, it takes a bit of planning and a lot of commitment to prepare food from scratch. But doing so could:
  • Add years to your lifespan
  • Give you more energy than you know what to do with
  • Help you avoid cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis
And if there’s anything worth putting a little bit of time and effort into, surely it is your, and your family’s, current and future health.


Related Links:

  What's Really in a McDonald's Chicken McNugget?

  Preparing Your Meals at Home IS The Healthier Choice

  The Truth Behind Fast-Food Restaurant's Soft and Fluffy Claims!




Comment on This Article
Comment on This Article Community Comments (47)
 
 
Posted On Dec 21, 2007
" The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 actually absolves restaurants of all nutritional liability to the American public. Under that legislation, no fast-food or chain restaurants are required to provide calorie, fat, or sodium information for any of their menu items unless they describe the items as "low sodium" or "low fat." 

So tell me, what part of this act is the "education" part? Seems to me that Congress gave the food service industry the legal right to keep us ignorant, yes?

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Russ Bianchi
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Posted On Dec 27, 2007
YOU ARE 100% CORRECT CC!!

Uncle Russ

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Posted On Jan 08, 2008

Well how about the fact they some of our foods are now being sprayed with a viral cocktail that is supposed to kill off food borne illness? Or, how about the irradiation of food products to help increase shelf life and the FDA considering irradiation to be called pausturized? The FDA is a govt agency that has complete autonomy from the rest of the govt.  They can act as jusdge, jury and in this case exocutioner without any intervention.

You cannot trust anyone else as far as the safety the food you put in your mouth! You must be willing to take the time and effort to do it yourself.  

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Posted On Dec 21, 2007
This reminds me of a Lucky Cow comic strip:

Customer: I'll have a milk shake

Waitress: Actually we just call it a shake now. That's because there's no actual milk in it! Just corn syrup, artificial flavors, and assorted chemicals.

Customer: ugh! that's sounds awful. I think I'll just have some chicken nuggets.

Waitress: Actually we just call them nuggets now...

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Posted On Dec 21, 2007
May small, organic, sustainable family farms thrive for years and years to come!  This is the base for being able to cook healthfully at home.  We need to do everything we can to keep these farms in business.  This is the root of health freedom.

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Posted On Dec 21, 2007
Just wait, the FDA will make growing your own vegetables illegal.

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Posted On Dec 22, 2007
I agree but it looks like most farmland is being developed.  It's unfortunate and I see it as I travel the hiways throughout the east coast.  I am from Pennsylvania and was considering buying some land in South Carolina to farm and I was told that you can buy the land but the you are not allowed to farm it.  I don't know what truth it has it in but I am going to research this.  I was told this about 1 week ago.

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Posted On Dec 22, 2007
Hi Khnadi05, the land must be zoned agricultural for you to be able to farm it.  But they can't stop you from growing your own garden for personal consumption.

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Posted On Dec 20, 2007
Excellent reasons to prepare your meals at home.

Mary

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Posted On Dec 22, 2007
Hi Mary, I see that you are part of the "inner circle".  Congratulations, you deserve it with all your helpful posts.  Keep up the great work!

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Posted On Dec 22, 2007
What's the inner circle? :)

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Posted On Dec 22, 2007
Dizzylzzy1 - click on the "IC" alongside Mary's name and you will have your answer.

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Posted On Jan 09, 2008

I whole heartedly agree the types of places mentioned in this article are well known "Pit Stops For Glop!"  I very rarely eat out.  My acquaintances finally convinced me to join them to dine at a restaurant that advertised "natural, organic, healthy selections."  The spinach was commercial/MSG.  The oil of the oil/vinegar dressing was commercial canola.  I ordered tea and when it was delivered pre-made in a little tea pot with no bags, I became suspicious and finally wormed it out of the waitperson that it had been made from a Splenda sweetened mix!!  I respectfully & quietly left the dinner party early without having ingested even one single bite.

My acquaintances are unhappy with my actions and said I should have simply eaten my meal and then just never return to the establishment.  MY NUTRITION IS MY HEALTH!!!  

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