I ate WHAT?!?!

So, when KFC introduced the "Double Down" sandwich...my husband was appalled. 

"This one-of-a-kind sandwich features two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce. This product is so meaty, there’s no room for a bun!"

The idea of eating a "sandwich" made of two fried chicken filets (you can choose grilled) with bacon and cheese seemed insane to him.  Then he read the nutritional facts out loud 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 mg of sodium.  "Who would eat that?!?!" he proclaimed.  "So terrible for you!"  Being someone who has studied the heck out of fast food menus I knew that this really wasn't that bad relatively.  I told him "you know...that's not all that bad.  The main target demographic is people who are watching carbs, so they most likely won't be having fries with that.  And for a fast food meal...its really not that bad."  He looked at me like I had lost my mind.  "32 grams of fat and 1,380 mg of sodium is not that bad???"  He didn't believe me....it was obvious from his tone. Ahh...the challenge is on. :) :) :)

"Try looking up a Big Mac," I said.  Big Mac: 540 calories, 29grams of fat and 1,040 mg of sodium.  "See, about the same" I told him.  Being a man of precision (he is a mechanical engineer afterall) he informed me "well, its actually 10% less fat and 25% less sodium."  No problem....I'm still up for this challenge. 

Ok, I said "Take a look at the Whopper".  Whopper: 670 calories, 40 grams of fat, and 1,020 mg of sodium.  Hmmm....he's starting to catch on.  The KFC sandwich isn't all that bad relative to other fast food options.  So, now he was curious.  He pulled up the Triple Whopper just for kicks.  Triple Whopper: 1160 calories, 76 grams of fat, 1170 mg of sodium.  Now he was truly appalled.  "That should be illegal!!!!" he said.  "Do you really think it should be illegal?  Do you want the government telling us what we can and can't eat??"  I asked him.  He said "well...it should at least have a warning label.  Like on cigarettes.  That stuff will kill you.  Who would eat that?!?!?" 

Now I had him just where I wanted him.  Time to go in for the kill.  "Why don't you take a look at that burger you get when we go to Red Robin."  At this I took baby S in her room and to change her diaper and waited for the reaction.  And boy did I get it....I hear from the other end of the house "OH MY GOD!!!!"

Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Burger: 1,114 calories, 69 grams of fat, and drumroll please....1,805mg of sodium

And he almost always eats this with french fries and a beer.  I cannot imagine the total calorie, fat, and sodium that we take in when we have a meal like that.    The thing is....my husband is surprisingly health concious.  He takes his lunch to work everyday and eats a cup of carrots with his lunch every single day (and takes some ribbing from some of the other guys at work for it).  He buys the reduced fat oreos for his lunch, he uses a very thin layer of peanut butter on his muffin in the morning.  When I bought my digital food scale he was more excited than I was.  He weighs his baked chips every single day and takes exactly one serving.  He does the same with the pretzels or reduced fat cheezits or walnuts he takes for his afternoon snack.  Seriously, the man takes his health seriously.  I cannot imagine how he felt when he saw that his favorite burger was even worse for him than a triple whopper.  I'm surprised he didn't pass out.  He has eaten that meal many times.  I think the fact that we were at a sit down restaurant, paying good money for our food, gave him the false impression that we were getting quality food.  I think if he were to estimate the cals and fat he probably would have said 600 cals and 20 grams of fat.  I mean, he knew it wasn't good for him...he just had no idea how bad it was.  Turns out its twice as many cals and nearly 4x the fat.  I'm pretty sure he'll never order that meal and finish it again.

I don't know if I think foods like that should be illegal.  But I do agree with him that there should at least be a warning label on them.  Knowledge is power...and when I walk into a menu and take a look at a menu I feel completely powerless.  I have to make a best guess at what the nutrional value of the foods is.  I'm sure I overestimate the good options as much as I underestimate the bad.  Turns out the new healthcare bill has a provision that will address this.  I, for one, am 100% on board with this.  Americans deserve to know what they are putting into their bodies.  Because my husband was right..."that stuff will kill you."  Some people will still order those options, but for those of us who would rather not, at least we'll know!