Why is My Burger Shrinking and My Waistline Getting Bigger?

The older I get, the more I notice the times changing. When I was a kid, going to McDonald's was such a treat. I was Big Mac fan from my earliest days. Back then, I was just a skinny, little girl who could put the smack-down on good burger. In those days (approximately 30 years ago), the Big Mac was one big burger. It took both my little hands, and one wide open mouth to consume that sucker. The same could be said for a Whopper from Burger King, or a Big and Juicy Single from Wendy's. When I ordered a single from Wendy's then, it came with the works. Now, you're lucky if they throw a pickle and a leaf of lettuce on it! Tomatoes might be available, or might not depending on whether or not salmonella has be detected on the latest imported batch from Mexico or the oil crisis has caused the price of tomatoes to sky-rocket to a point where "having it your way" is reduced to paying for a slice of each vegetable requested individually.

I remember when the beef couldn't be contained within the confines of the bun. I remember when we had to practically unlock our jaw just to get in that first, tasty bite. What I remember is when a Whopper lived up to its name! In those golden times, eating out was truly a treat that didn't have the doctor fussing at about a few extra pounds, and our wallets didn't cringe away to the bottom of our pocketbooks for fear of paying too much for too little. Back then, we got a good meal for what we paid for it. Now, we get more...more fat, more high cholesterol, more salt, but far, far less beef! And is it even beef anymore? According to an article in Forbes Magazine Online, most beef today, and chickens too, are raised primarily on a highly concentrated diet of corn. Corn is used to fatten up the cattle and chickens quickly for a faster turnover rate. The more quickly in number they are raised and fattened, the more money the cattle and poultry industries make. Corn is fattening. The meat we are eating is saturated in this fat; therefore, we are consuming less naturally raised beef and poultry, taking the fat into our own bodies. With the economy being what it is, fast food chains, instead of raising their prices, are cutting the size of their products. This explains why we are paying more and gaining more. The burger is smaller, so we order two! We've now spent double, and added twice the fat to our daily caloric intake.

There is an alternative. Grass fed beef is available. It's more expensive, being that the cattle it comes from were raised to graze free-range. These free-range cattle take longer to raise and fatten than their corn-fed counterparts. Think about it. The cow spends it life eating salad. He has no stress as he chews through his day in an open, roomy field. He's a happy cow. The cow east the salad and we eat the cow. Therefore, we eat salad! It's a win-win situation. Personally, I like the idea that before he ended up my plate, my steak was once a happy, free-range cow. Since I can't force my inner carnivore to become a vegetarian, I, at least, want to be kind to my dinner by letting Mr. Cow have a good life before it's all over. I simply have to pay for this peace of mind, and cook it myself at home since I haven't yet found a burger joint that uses anything other than the mass produced, corn-fed beef. And that just sucks.

I'd like to offer a sort-of solution. For those with the wherewithal to do it, open up the first chain of healthy fast food burger joints! Offer only naturally fed, free range beef and chicken. Use only canola, flax, or cottonseed oil to deep fry the French fries. Make all the milk shakes with low-fat (and preferably lactose free) milk! Put the burgers on wheat buns. Add lots of lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. Keep cheese as an optional choice, but use hard cheddar because soft cheese is full of fat. Bake the chicken strips rolled in wheat crumbs and cornflakes (I got that idea from Cook Yourself Thin online)! It's a tasty and low-fat way to make a crispy fried chicken strip. Whip up healthy coleslaw to go with the chicken strips! Instead of coke products, offer SoBe! They have an awesome line of fruit flavored, low calorie drinks. With just these simple product choices, a person could create quite a prosperous business. I challenge any and all who read this article to do this. Bring back the beef (and the chicken) that we all remember from those golden, bygone days. Make a fatter, but not fattening, burger, while shrinking our waistlines. Make a change for a healthier lifestyle while keeping the tradition of the drive-through an all American treat.

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