Yesterday I explained why the simple standard 57-year-old classic is so delicious. Now here’s a tutorial on dine a hamburger from McDonalds:
1) Do not order a cheeseburger
Order a hamburger. Not only because it’s ten to twenty cents cheaper, but it’s also not as bad for you.
| Hamburger | Cheeseburger | |
| Calories | 260g (-) | 310g (-) |
| Total Fat | 9g (14%) | 12g (19%) |
| Saturated Fat | 3.5g (17%) | 6g (28%) |
| Trans Fat | 0.5g (-) | 1g (-) |
| Cholestrol | 30g (9%) | 40g (14%) |
| Sodium | 530 (22%) | 740 (31%) |
| Iron | 3mg (15%) | 3mg (15%) |
| Protein | 13g (-) | 15g (-) |
The cheese adds nothing in flavor or texture. It’s just a slimy piece of plastic that coats the flavor and texture of the meat.
(side note: wow, the hamburger has 13g of protein, that’s good!)
2) Do not order the combo meal
You’re already eating a fatful burger. You don’t also need the fries and soda. You may say that you made the decision to go to McDonalds and since you are there you are gonna go all the way and enjoy it. But that one burger is already indulging.
The medium fries tack on 350 calories, 16g fat, 5g sat fat, 4g trans fat. The soda adds 310 calories and 86 grams of sugar. 86 grams! Take 34 pennies, and that’s the weight of sugar in one large soda.
My brother simply eliminated 2 daily sodas and went from 200lbs to 175lbs. By drinking a daily soda we take them for granted and drink them like water. It has become a standard drink, not a special treat.
3) Order a side salad
No dressing. Introduce some nice variety and nutrition. If you’re thirsty get a water.
4) Eat the bottom bun first
Now that we have a hamburger, side salad, and water, let’s sit down and enjoy our meal. Take the bottom bun off and eat that first. You’ll notice that the delicious taste of the burger has seeped into the bread. It’s interesting to see how McDonalds split out the nutrition parts of the hamburger. The buns have 150 calories vs. 100 calories in the beef. The buns also have 260 grams of the sodium vs. 25 ams in the beef patty.
By eating this bread separately:
A) You’re taking longer to eat your burger which will make you less likely to want to eat more.
B) You’ll go through the physical motions of eating two burgers by eating the bottom bun and burger separately. You will see two objects disappear instead of one. This will fool your brain into thinking that you’ve eaten two burgers instead of one. Therefore, you’ll be less likely to eat more.
5) Eat the burger and enjoy
Eat the other part of the burger with the meat face up (or face down, the ketchup should keep the meat from falling off). Without the bottom bun you’ll notice that you can taste the meat more!
6) Don’t eat it all right away
Eat about one-third or half of the burger and then set it down. Have some side salad. We get in such a rut of eating things so fast that we don’t remember what it is like to eat. A burger gets just eaten completely and before we know it, the burger is gone. There is no sweet memory of this delightful burger. True, this is not a filet mignon or something fancy that we eat for intrigue of variety. This is a comfort food. Let’s get comfy and take the time to enjoy it.
I find by putting your food down often helps you to eat it slower and enjoy it more. By taking a mini-break, it will digest better. You’ll taste more. By picking your food back up every time you’ll use your tactile sense more to feel your food. Plus, you’ll be more aware of how much you’ve eaten.
Plus, the light and healthy taste of the salad will offset the greasy taste of the burger. After eating some salad, you’ll come back to the burger and enjoy its texture and flavor more.
Disclaimer:
Ok. This post is not for people who hate McDonalds. It’s also not for people who look down on McDonalds. You can read through this list and make fun of how I say that the McDonalds burger is delicious. Hey, you might even make fun of how I say it’s made of meat. (it really is pure beef, their site says: “100% pure USDA inspected beef; no additives, no fillers, no extenders.” You know they can’t lie about that, they’d get their whatoozies sued.)
I enjoy the McDonalds hamburger, and so do billions of other people. Yes, eating McDonalds all the time can be really bad for you, but so would eating candy bars all the time. Having a burger once in awhile can be ok. This list is to help people slow down and enjoy their food.
Here’s my disclaimer: I am responding to what is written here ;^”> Gotta have cheese, spud! Plus you get 2 extra grams of protein! That’s [i”>really[/i”> good! ;^”> The bottom of the bun on the hamburger is so good because it’s saturated with the grease from the patty [!”> I don’t think you would find it as tasty out of the plastic bag. Be careful on what salads you order. Many of fast food salads aren’t as healthy as you might think, especially those with meat and cheese. And skip the dressing altogether. In addition to slowing down when eating[as opposed to inhaling your food”>, people should also chew their food well. I never drink regular soda. In addition to putting on the pounds, it’s also bad for your teeth.
As to salad–I never eat it without dressing. I always get the dressing on the side and dip my fork in it when I take a bite. This way, I get the dressing taste but eat about 1/10 the amount. Neat trick. As to the soda–I’ve taken to getting Diet Cokes when I get combo meals. 🙁 And I don’t think just a hamburger would fill me up enough. That’s a small burger. I’d need the fries to make it a worthwhile trip. If I’m going with a sandwich-only meal, I usually get one of the more substantial (and ostensibly healthier) chicken sandwiches. You can ask for it w/o mayo.
Ah yes, I was gonna write a “how to eat a mcdonalds side salad” bit. I’ll have to add your guys’ tips to it. You are very right, tom. Be careful on which salads to order. That’s why I get the side salad. No cheese, no meat. Just pure delight.
Tom Sherman makes a good point about dressing. I didn’t think to make the remark about dipping instead of drizzling a point because I dip automatically. It’s a no brainer
Now I’m pretty underweight, so I’m thinkin’ a diet consisting mostly of McDonald’s might be a good idea now. If I can stomach it. I still haven’t tried the burger. I hope I get bigger and not just fatter. McDonald’s and pop. But pop is really, really bad for your teeth. How can I get all the fatness of pop in a tooth-friendly way? A riddle for another day.
by drinking it through a straw
I wouldn’t recommend trying to gain weight by eating junk food. Start by seeing your doctor and/or a nutrionist and ask them a”> what a healthy weight for you would be and b”> how you would go about getting or maintaining that weight. You might also consider an exercise routine that will build muscle mass. You don’t want the weight you gain to be fat. Be sensible and make smart choices.
cheese cheese cheese cheese! Must have cheeseburger!
I can’t imagine any burger without cheese. Must have cheese!
Oh I like how there is a google ad on this page for: Meat Tenderizer Plain and seasoned meat tenderizer Hundreds of fresh ground spices http://www.bulkfoods.com/spices.asp?referer=gomeaten3-1