The Food That Made America Fat
I recently watched a History Channel series named The Food That Built America. It highlighted how America invented different types of food and restaurants. It should have been named “The Food That Made America Fat.” All of the shows highlighted foods that are awful for us. It shows just how America became a nation of fat, out of shape people.
Candy
Episodes highlighted Hershey chocolate, the Baby Ruth bar, the Milky Way, Reese’s peanut butter cups and M&Ms. All of these are filled with sugar. I’ll admit that I’m guilty of eating some of these myself. But, if they hadn’t been invented, I wouldn’t. At least, they are getting priced out of reach of most Americans now. The problem is that Americans are addicted to the sugar now. A 1.5 ounce bar of Hershey chocolate is 220 calories.
Soda
Another episode highlighted Coke and Pepsi. Soda is basically carbonated sugar water. Again, I’m guilty of drinking soda on occasion. This one is particularly concerning because Americans drink A LOT of soda. Twelve ounces of Coke is 140 calories. The main ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. The same size Pepsi portion is 150 calories. This was one of the worst food inventions ever.
Fast Food
Episodes highlighted McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Arby’s. Here are the details:
- McDonald’s Big Mac is 550 calories
- Burger King Whopper is 660 calories
- Wendy’s single burger is 590 calories
- Taco Bell taco is 170 calories, but it is tiny
- KFC chicken breast is 390 calories
- Arby’s roast beef sandwich is 360 calories
So, Taco Bell, KFC and Arby’s aren’t bad. But, McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s are awful. And, Burger King wins for the fast food that will make us the fattest. Fast food is another invention that we would be better off without.
I will admit that McDonald’s is a guilty pleasure of mine about every 3-6 months.
Frozen Meals
Some episodes highlighted frozen meals like Swanson and Stouffers. There are 516 calories in a Swanson turkey dinner. That’s turkey! Stouffers macaroni and cheese has 330 calories. If you ever bought these, they are small. It’s just more food choices that are bad for us. Just to keep it honest, I eat these meals almost every day for lunch. Shame on me.
Chips
There was also an episode about chips. Lay’s and Frito’s were highlighted. America eats a ton of chips. A one ounce bag of Lay’s potato chips is 160 calories. And, a one ounce bag of Frito’s is also 160 calories. One ounce is tiny. I know when I sit down with a bag of chips, I eat a lot more than one ounce. These are tasty and convenient, but not the best snack for us.
Conclusion
As I admitted honestly, I’m guilty of eating these foods. And, I’m overweight. If I am an average person (and I am), then there are a lot of people who eat a lot more of these foods than me. In fact, I know people who eat fast food about three times a week.
America has seen a lot of inventions for the good of the people. But, these food inventions are not for the good of the people. But, people like it. And, that’s not good for our country.
