KFC’s Double Down Sandwich: It’s Survival of the Fittest – Literally!

I watched Supersize Me! and enjoyed it. An interesting documentary on the evils of fast food and their ploy to get you to buy more. But to blame fast food chains for our country’s struggle with obesity?

I don’t buy it.

KFC has recently introduced the Double Down Sandwich. Two fried chicken pieces (you can also choose grilled), two different kinds of cheese, two pieces of bacon and sauce. No bread. An Atkins dream sandwich. Complete with approximately 540 calories and 32 grams of fat.

I won’t buy it.

I’ll say that again.

I won’t buy it.

It’s all about personal choice. It’s about respecting what we put in our bodies on a daily basis. It’s about making an informed decision about what we fuel our bodies with.

There’s even a group, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, that wants a warning label slapped on the wrapper: “WARNING — Eating meat can contribute to obesity in children, and can increase their risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.”

Seriously? A warning label on fast food? And focusing on meat? Not fried foods or empty added calories. No, we’re going to vilify meat. Where was the outrage with the Big Mac (540 cal. 29 fat grams)? Or the Whopper (670 calories 39 fat grams)?

And wait….it gets worse. Wendy’s Chicken Caesar Salad – 500 calories 34 fat grams. Popeye’s Deluxe Tame Sandwich – 728 calories 38 fat grams. Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad – 860 calories 46 fat grams.

And KFC’s own Crispy Twister Sandwich – 670 calories 38 fat grams. Where was the outrage when that sandwich was introduced?

The fast food industry is not responsible for what we put in our mouths. If you believe they are, then I’ve got a mountain in Georgia to sell you. WE are responsible for what we eat and WE are responsible for what our children eat.

You can advertise until you’re blue in the face, choking on your own cigarette but I am never going to smoke. Ever. You can sing the praises of  diet this and diet that with your artificial sweeteners but I won’t touch the stuff.

Now, I’m no food saint. I have my addictions and unhealthy cravings. Coke (a-Cola, that is) is my vice. On February 1st, I gave it up. Cold turkey. For the first time in my life. 1. To see if I could do it. 2. Because I knew my habit was out of control. 3. Because I finally put my health before one of my vices.

Now, I’ve had a few Cokes since I gave it up. Yes, I caved. But I can count how many on one hand. I am now treating Coca-Cola as a ……treat. As it should be. Something that can be enjoyed every once in a while – not every day. Just like ice cream. Just like desserts. And yes, just like fast food.

I’m not perfect. I’m going to slip up. I’m going to make unhealthy choices every once in a while. I just hope I can keep my mistakes infrequent. And I won’t be blaming some advertisement or fast food chain for my slip-ups.

Before we blame the fast food industry for our expanding waistlines, riddle me this…who is buying what they sell? Who races to the store after the new ad campaign to fill their bellies with 600 calorie treats?

 Who?

Not me.

‘Cause I’m not buyin’ it.

An Early Christmas Present For All My Scrooge Friends Out There

Listening to friends and blog friends bemoan the early Christmas season chock full of capitalistic greed I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite holiday comedy skits by Stan Freberg. Fifty years old and it still applies today. How sad.

Green Chri$tma$ – by Stan Freberg

Look Ma! Chocolate Cookies Are Healthy!

I love the psychology behind advertising. When I see an especially ridiculous ad on TV I’ll say to my husband, “Can you just imagine? A bunch of suits and shiny pumps, sitting around a huge oak table and they all thought THIS was a good idea?”

My husband loves it when an advertisement claims something is all natural. “So is arsenic,” he’ll mutter.

After spending an extra-ordinary amount of time on the computer this morning (darn you entertaining blog women out there!) I felt guilty about not spending enough face time with my boys. I suggested we make cookies! You can guess the response. So into the kitchen we go, discussing what kind of cookies we should make. Luckily, I have a chocoholic son and he suggested chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips. Perfect. I pull out all of the ingredients and lo and behold on the Hershey’s Cocoa Powder can is a cute little stamp of approval. “Natural Source of Flavanol Antioxidants” And on the back of the container is an informative little paragraph encouraging me to “enjoy in moderation as part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle.”

 

Who knew? Chocolate cookies are healthy! We measure. We pour. We stir. We scoop. We lick the bowl. We bake. We eat. Mmmmmmmm….and healthy, too!