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We might have had times where we could eat healthier. Especially when we’re eating out.
Here are the ingredients for an average chicken nugget from McDonalds:

Chicken, water, salt, sodium phosphates. Battered and breaded with bleached wheat flour, water, wheat flour, modified food starch, salt, spices, wheat gluten, paprika, dextrose (sugar), yeast, garlic powder, rosemary, partially hydronated soybean oil and cottenseed oil with mono- and diglycerides, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), natural flavor (plant source) with extractives of paprika. Fried in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and citric acid). Dimethylpolysiloxane is added as an antifoaming agent.

SOURCE: McDonalds Wiki
See ingredients in bold for allergens.

Putting your favourite fast food brands to the test

I think that we would be shocked if we saw the truth of fast food behind the packaging.

A small portion of McDonalds French Fries contains 12g of fat, 1.1g of saturates and 237 calories. And don’t get me started on the big ones!
SOURCE: www.mcdonalds.co.uk

KFC’s Streetwise Mega Box contains 1105 calories, 58g of fat, 9g of saturates and 5g of salt. Allergy advice: Contains dairy, wheat, gluten and celery. It’s “The Daddy” burger contains 655 calories, 6g saturates and 4g of salt.
SOURCE: www.kfc.co.uk
This allergen information is correct on the 31st July 2015.

McDonalds’ McChicken Sandwich

Chicken Breast Meat (56%), Water, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Rapeseed), Fortified WHEAT Flour (WHEAT Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Starch, Maize Flour, Flavouring, MUSTARD Flour, Potassium Chloride, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Salt, Modified Starch.
OR: Chicken Breast Meat (53%), Water, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Rapeseed), Starch, Fortified WHEAT Flour (WHEAT Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Maize Flour, WHEAT Semolina, WHEAT Gluten, Flavouring, Salt, MUSTARD Flour, Potassium Chloride, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Sugar.
Prepared in the restaurants using non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.

McDonald’s Smokehouse with BBQ Sauce burger contains 638 calories, 29g of fat, 13g of saturates and 2.5g of salt. The ingredients for the burger are:

Ciabatta Style Bun :

WHEAT Flour, Water, Sugar, Yeast, Fermented WHEAT Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, WHEAT Gluten, Emulsifier (Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Flour treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid).
NB: May contain traces of Barley, Rye, Milk and Sesame.

Rustic Beef Patty :

100% Pure Beef.
No additives, fillers, binders, preservatives or flavour enhancers. Just pure forequarter and flank. A little salt and pepper is added to season after cooking.

Mature Cheddar Slice :

Cheddar Cheese (MILK) (made from Pasteurised Cows MILK, Salt, Starter, Microbial Rennet).

Tomato Relish Sauce :

Tomato Puree (24%), Onions (20%), Water, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Lemon Juice from Concentrate, Modified Maize Starch, Spices (contain CELERY), Salt, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring, Thickener (Xanthan Gum).

Red Onion :

100% Red Onion

BBQ Smokehouse Sauce :

Tomato Puree, Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Modified Maize Starch, Salt, Spices, Caramel Sugar Syrup, Tamarind Paste, Smoke Flavouring, Smoked Maltodextrin, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate).

Lettuce (Batavia) :

100% Batavia Lettuce.

Maple Cured Bacon* :

Pork, Maple Syrup (3%), Salt, Flavouring, Antioxidant (Sodium Ascorbate), Preservative (Sodium Nitrite).
Made with more than 170g of raw pork per 100g of finished product.
*This bacon is smoked using beechwood.
SOURCE: www.mcdonalds.co.uk
This information is correct on the 14th August 2015.

KFC’s Extra Crispy Tenders

Extra Crispy™ Tenders (Extra Crispy™ Tender (each): Chicken Breast Tenderloins Or Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat Marinated With: Seasoning (Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Onion Powder, Natural Chicken Flavor [With Maltodextrin, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Cooked Chicken], Spice Extractive), Potassium and Sodium Phosphates. Breaded With: Wheat Flour, Salt, Spices, Monosodium Glutamate, Corn Starch, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate), Garlic Powder, Modified Corn Starch, Spice Extractives, Citric Acid And 2% Calcium Silicate Added as an Anti-Caking Agent. OR Chicken Breast Tenderloins

Or Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat Marinated With Seasoning (Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Onion Powder, Natural Chicken Flavour [With Maltodextrin, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Cooked Chicken], Spice Extractive), Potassium and Sodium Phosphates. Breaded With: Wheat Flour, Salt, Spices, Monosodium Glutamate, Corn Starch, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate), Garlic Powder, Natural Flavorings, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, with not more than 2% Calcium Silicate added as Anticaking Agent.
SOURCE: www.kfc.com/nutrition
The information for the Extra Crispy Tenders is correct as of 19th March 2017.
OK, enough examples now. Now it’s time to act. But don’t eat fast food too often! It’s not good for you!