News from The Gap™

Value Meals

This feature of the newsletter highlights some of the outrageous calorie examples confronting us today. Although The Gap makes weight and health management more challenging, the support of the HMR Program can help you achieve your goals in the face of these obstacles.

When economic times get tough, people are drawn to fast food “value meals” like flies to honey. With meals starting at or under a dollar, it can feel like a real bargain. But, according to the Cancer Project, a nonprofit cancer prevention organization, the health trade-offs can be costly. They recently presented a list of some of the unhealthiest foods sold at the nation’s largest fast food chains, awarding points for unhealthy characteristics like fat, sodium, and low-fiber content. Included on the list: The Junior Bacon Cheeseburger at Jack-in-the-Box with 23 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, and 860 milligrams of sodium; Taco Bell’s Cheesy Double Beef Burrito with 460 calories, 20 grams of fat, and a staggering 1620 milligrams of sodium; and Burger King’s Breakfast Sausage Biscuit with 27 grams of fat and over 1000 milligrams of sodium.

The American Cancer Society recommends limiting high-fat foods, which are linked to a higher risk for certain cancers, and instead eating a diet low in saturated fat and high in vegetables and fruits.