Fast Food Calorie Counting
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New York City recently passed a law where fast food establishments (those that had over 15 stores) had to display the healthy related nutrition content of the items they sell. This is similar to what is already displayed on items you purchase from a supermarket. The idea is simple; just display the calories, amount of fat, serving size, etc.
Attempting to make consumers more aware of the amount of calories in their favorite fare was met with some pushback from those that are providing the tasty items. Why would they not want to make the public more informed, might be the same argument that cigarette manufacturers make when they didn’t want to show how much tar and nicotine was part of their product. “The less people know, the better off they are” would seem to the be consensus of these restaurants. Similar to the tobacco industry the health of individuals is not the first thing these owners have on their mind, but similar to tobacco; what you see when the covers come off is pretty amazing.
Here are a few of those restaurants with some of your favorite products in no particular order, with just their calories displayed:
| Food Item | Calories | Download Nutrition Information |
| McDonalds Big Mac® | 540 | mcdonaldsnutritionfacts |
| Wendy’s ¼ Pound single® with Cheese | 500 | wendysnutrition |
| Burger King Whopper® with cheese | 770 | burgerkingnutritionalbrochure |
| Arby’s Large Roast Beef Sandwich | 547 | arbysnutritioncalculator |
| A&W Papa Burger | 720 | awnutrition |
| DQ 1/2 lb Classic Grill Burger with Cheese | 970 | dqnutritionbrochurefood2008 |
| Popeye’s Cajun Wings (6) | 595 | popeyesnutrition |
| Subway 6′ Sandwich (Chicken Bacon Ranch) | 580 | subwaynutritionvalues |
| Taco Bell - Crunch wrap Supreme® | 560 | tb_nutrition |
The daily recommended amount of calories is around 1500 to 2000 per day. You can see by just one item from the list that you can go way beyond ½ of your daily amount if you combine an item with French fries, chips, soft drinks, and other extras. This again is only the restaurant’s main or original item. You can get many lesser items, but you can also get many items that are over this calorie count. Here are the same restaurants with their highest calorie item on the menu:
| Food Item | Calories | Nutrition WebSite |
| McDonalds - Deluxe Breakfast(Large Size Biscuit) w/o Syrup &Margarine® | 1140 | McDonalds |
| Wendy’s Triple w/Everything and Cheese | 980 | Wendy’s |
| Burger King - TRIPLE WHOPPER® Sandwich With Cheese | 1250 | Burger King |
| Arby’s Pecan Sticky Bun 4 Pack | 2751 | Arby’s |
| A&W Original Bacon Double Cheeseburger | 800 | A&W |
| DQ Chicken Strip Basket | 1090 | Dairy Queen |
| Popeye’s Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya | 660 | Popeye’s |
| Subway Foot long Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki | 750 | Subway |
| Taco Bell - Chicken Fiesta Taco Salad | 790 | Taco Bell |
Can you imagine the amount of extra weight that you could pack on if you had a steady diet of Arby’s Pecan Sticky Buns? If you choose any of these you can exceed you total amount of calories for a given day with just this meal. Kids especially teens want to go for the highest calorie items and don’t understand the damage they can do if this is allowed to be the normal course of action. If you never grow out of this habit you can see why the weight continues to be a problem as it will be impossible to exercise this amount of calories off while loading up with this amount. Fast food has helped to ruin the waste line of the majority of Americans and now like drug lords these companies are pushing these foods on other countries.
Not to dwell on the negative, here are the healthiest items on their menu (meal wise, not just a side item):
| Food Item | Calories | Nutrition Website |
| McDonalds Premium Caesar Salad (without chicken) | 90 | McDonalds |
| Wendy’s Mandarin Chicken® Salad | 170 | Wendy’s |
| Burger King Garden Salad (no chicken) | 90 | Burger King |
| Arby’s Martha’s Vineyard SaladTM | 270 | Arby’s |
| A&W plain hotdog | 270 | A&W |
| DQ Side Salad (no Dressing) | 45 | Dairy Queen |
| Popeye’s Mild chicken (skinless and breading removed) Brest | 120 | Popeye’s |
| Subway Jared Salad Veggie Delite® | 60 | Subway |
| Taco Bell - Fresco Crunchy Taco | 150 | Taco Bell |
Because of the preasure that is being put on by consumers, you can get items that are healthy and lower in calorie. I say good for New York City for demanding this product information and I can bet there will be a more careful look at these products in the future. Now I’m not telling you to run away and never use these restaurants. You can still visit these places but you need to make correct choices when selecting your food.
[information taken from each restaurant's website]
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Health Fitness Equipment: Don’t Overlook the Little Things
When you are outfitting your home with health fitness equipment, it’s easy to realize that you’ll need certain big ticket items such as a treadmill, exercise bike or weight center. Many people overlook the little things that can enhance their health fitness equipment stash, however. Here are some things to think about:
Even if you have the big ticket items and use them on a regular basis, exercise videos can still be an important part of your health fitness equipment. They add variety, work different parts of your body and give you something to look forward to when your normal routine isn’t motivating you today. When choosing a video to purchase, however, try to rent it, borrow it or check it out of the library first for a trial run to make sure you like the routine, music and instructor.
Some people prefer to use weight machines and have a nice one as part of their health fitness equipment, but it’s always nice to have a few key free weights on hand. Again, it can help you add variety when your normal routine doesn’t sound appealing or can help you work the same muscles in different way for a few days so that when you go back to your weight machine you it doesn’t seem as stagnant.
At some point during your workout with your health fitness equipment you’ll likely be doing some floor exercises or stretching. Having a mat can help you feel more comfortable especially if your health fitness equipment is in the basement, garage or other room with a hard floor.
If your workout routine involves lifting weights, consider getting gloves as part of your health fitness equipment. You’ll protect your hands from calluses and also have better grip on the equipment.
To best keep track of where you’ve been and where you’re heading with your exercise routine, you’ll want to include an exercise journal with your health fitness equipment. In this journal you can keep photos of your progress, a listing of your weights and reps for your resistance training and information about the intensity and time of cardio exercises. This written record will better help you visualize just how far you’ve come throughout your exercise journey.
A Workout Buddy or Cheerleader.
Even the most seasoned athletes have days they don’t feel like exercising. Having a buddy to workout with you or to call or email you each day to see how you’re doing with your health fitness equipment can help you stay motivated and actually continuing using the equipment once you’ve purchased it.
Even if you have the most state-of-the-art health fitness equipment, these little additions can help you make the most of your workout routine each and every day!
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Free Workout Plans: Sifting through the Possibilities
There are numerous free workout plans available on the web. So many, in fact, that it’s often difficult to sift through them and find the right one for you. When you’re looking for free workout plans, keep these ideas in mind:
Decide what you’re looking for. Some free workout plans simply consist of one session or even just one exercise. This is great if you need a plan for a muscle group or just want to add some variety to your weekly routine. Other free workout plans will map out a whole week or even a whole month of exercise option. Once you know what you’re looking for, you can narrow your search.
Read through the entire plan. Before committing to a free workout plan or even committing to a trial of a plan, read through it to make sure you have the necessary equipment and space to complete the exercises. If the free workout plan revolves around using an exercise ball and you don’t have one and don’t want to purchase, for example, then the plan is likely not for you.
Know your goals. If you’re looking for a free workout plan to help boost your aerobic training, for example, skip through the free workout plans that highlight resistance training and vice versa. The same goes for building muscle mass versus toning.
Be honest with yourself. Many people trying to boost the popularity of their free workout plans will offer exaggerated or atypical results of their plan. Be realistic with yourself about what you want to achieve and what you can achieve in the given period of time.
Look for hidden costs or sales pitches. Sometimes free workout plans aren’t so free. The plan may require the use of a specific piece of equipment or might “suggest” the purchase and use of dietary supplements. Be aware that if you choose to use these types of free workout plans without making the suggested purchases you will likely not see the stated results.
Nothing is written in stone. Remember that the free workout plans are just that, free. You have lost nothing by giving one a try for a few days or even a few weeks. If you cannot choose between two (or more) give them each a trial run and see how you like them.
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