Fast-Food Value Meals Are Unhealthy Eating at Its Best

Fast-food value meals make Americans fat. According to research conducted by Duke University and the University of Virginia, consumers eat more when they have the option of ordering a cost-saving value meal - and that means extra calories.

Unhealthy Eating and Extra Value Meals

Americans love a bargain and an extra value meal at a fast-food restaurant lets consumers get more bang for their buck. According to this research, diners eat fewer calories when they order individual items off a fast-food menu rather than opting for the value meal.

For example, consumers who normally wouldn't order French fries are more than happy to eat them when they're bundled in an extra value meal - that's an additional 300 to 400 calories a pop. The result? They end up eating more food and calories without even being aware of it. Those extra calories at lunch add up over time.

Fast-food restaurants aren't doing consumers any favors when they offer extra value meals. What seems like a bargain at McDonald's could end up costing more over time - in the form of doctor's bills.

Eat Healthier at Fast-Food Restaurants by Saying No to Fast Food Value Meals

Items bundled into a fast food value meal are usually the ones highest in calories, and they almost always include French fries. French fries are one of the unhealthiest items on a fast food menu - bar none. Better to save some calories by ordering a small burger a la carte, and add a side salad instead of French fries.

Don't be afraid to "special order" at a fast-food restaurant by asking them to hold the mayo or substitute mustard instead. Choose a low-calorie salad dressing, and ask them to put it on the side. Don't order anything fried - and skip the soft drinks. The largest sized soft drinks have over 400 calories, so drink unsweetened tea instead.

Fast-Food Value Meals: The Bottom Line?

They sound like a bargain - but not from a health standpoint. Plan your mode of attack before going into a fast-food restaurant, and stick with the plan. Don't be influenced by value meals and other upsells. They're no nutritional bargain.

References:

Medical News Today. "Value Meals Unhealthier Eating - Duke Study Finds"

McDonald's website.