Friday, April 30, 2010 - Mcdonald's Happy Meals

Today I went to Mcdonald's because I love there sweet tea. I pull into the drive through, three SUV's sat in front of me. All three SUV's either had a soccer mom sticker, or the cute family stickers with mom, dad, the ballerina, the football star and max the dog. Cute, but I thought to myself, these moms/dads must be getting happy meals for their children. I understand in today's world we are constantly on the go and mom/dad have less time to stay at home and cook a home cook meal, nor do they have the money to fork out for an in home cook. What is the solution you ask? Happy Meals or so you thought. Yes at younger ages children's metabolisms are so much better than those of their parents but to support such an active playful child, children need a balanced diet and they are definitely not getting it from chicken nuggets/cheeseburger, french fries and a soda. Up until a few years ago, Mcdonald's happy meals should have NEVER been the solution, but now if there isn't time to make dinner these happy meals may not be such a bad choice if the correct sides are chosen. Thankfully Mcdonald's has come to terms with the unhealthy side and offers alternatives to french fries and soda. A kids happy meal comes with either a hamburger, cheeseburger, or chicken nuggets a choice of a soft drink, low fat milk or apple juice and a choice of french fries or apple dippers. Attached below is a link for the nutrition facts for the many different options for a child's happy meal.

http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/Happy_Meals_Nutrition_List.pdf

Thanks to Mcdonal's additional options for their happy meals, children are now able to eat healthy. Ordering a child's happy with chicken nuggets, apple dippers and an apple juice is just 380 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, and 57 carbohydrates.

- Andi Cochran

Cellulite into Car Fuel? Small Chance

Throughout the country, many people are creating ideas that are changing the way we act and think towards the environment. Every person knows that there has been trouble in the environment and that there are many different problems; therefore, many different solutions have been created that some believe to have the potential to help solve the problems we are facing as a nation. As we saw in class, people are even beginning to live in caves because they know that they will have no impact on the destruction of the environment and can live happily in this small residence. Another idea that I found was also on yert.com; a woman, who worked under the Bush administration, believes that we can eliminate the country's problems of obesity and dependence on foreign oil by converting human cellulite into fuel for cars. Like many people who were questioned, I was unaware that a process such as this was even possible.

Plastic surgeons and fast food restaraunts are profound supporters of this idea, but I think its borderline ridiculous. It is absurd that they are encouraging children to become fat so that the children can use their fat to eventually power their cars in the future. The woman that is the spokesperson for this concept says that Chevy has already created cars that would be able to function normally if they were cellulite dependent. However, I still believe that this idea is one of the most ridiculous ideas that I have ever seen or heard about. Most of the country is complaining that many people are overweight, yet this idea is just encouraging more children to become obese, explaining that these children will be seen as "being patriotic". She says that this idea will cause the environment to benefit from it because there are less CO2 emissions, the idea will diminish our dependence on foreign oil, and it would help eliminate the obesity problem in adults in the United States because liposuction will now be acceptable. All of these are pressing issues in society, but I believe there are much more practical solutions to these problems than converting cellulite into car fuel.

Healthy Dinner

I thought today I would post a recipe that promotes eating healthy. This meal seems a bit complex but as long as you have a microwave in your room you could make this for dinner one night.

BBQ Chicken Burritos

INGREDIENTS

· 1 2-pound roasted chicken, skin discarded, meat removed from bones and shredded (4 cups)

· 1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce

· 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed

· 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed, or canned corn, drained

· 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

· 4 leaves romaine lettuce

· 4 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas

· 2 limes, cut in wedges

PREPARATION

1. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, barbecue sauce, beans, corn and sour cream; stir to combine. Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Assemble the wraps by placing a lettuce leaf in the center of each tortilla and topping with one-fourth of the chicken mixture; roll as you would a burrito. Slice in half diagonally and serve warm, with lime wedges.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 353 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 82 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 5 g fiber; 579 mg sodium; 39 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (24% daily value), Iron (20% dv).

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 21/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 4 very lean meat

Aramark

I decided to scout out the CampusDish website, which is the website run by Aramark and Elon Dining Services, to check out what they claim about Elon's food, and what seems to actually be true. I had a banana this morning, but because they are grown in tropical regions, I did not consider that to be a food that might have been chemically engineered, although it probably was chemically engineered in some way.

Something I found interesting was that the website mentioned trans fats, especially in the fryer oil. the U.S. FDA required food processors to label their foods with trans fat content. Up to 40% of the 31 billion pounds of oil that Americans consume PER YEAR is hydrogenated, meaning it is very high in trans fat. The website said that, "ARAMARK worked with suppliers, dietitians and chefs to identify a product that provides the same great taste consumers enjoy in a non-hydrogenated corn and sunflower oil containing zero grams of trans fats." Clearly, Elon Dining Services are claiming to have zero trans fats in all of the foods that we consume here on campus. The website was actually very helpful, and surprisingly offered many different links, such as links to healthy websites, helpful cooking tips and recipes, and links to health and wellness resources. It seems that Elon really is trying to work with Aramark in order to create healthier, more balanced students. The link to the website is below. I really think that if we promoted this website more (I doubt Elon students ever even read it) that we might end up with healthier students.

Elon Dining Services (Fresh and Healthy):

http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSSE/Elon/FreshHealthy/

-Genevieve D'Cruz

Boar's Head

Tonight for dinner I had a sandwich from Boar's Head Deli. It was ciabatta bread with roasted chicken, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, and Cajun mayonnaise. After visiting multiple sites and making many phone calls, I came to the same conclusion as the other person who had Boar's Head. You cannot find out where their meat comes from. It is legitimately impossible. All of their products are gluten free though! They also have no fillers, artificial flavors, colors, or trans fat. The meat does not seem to be unreasonably unhealthy; it is quite high in sodium though. The mozzarella cheese is quite high in saturated fat.

The website offers many different recipes; they even have a special section for 100 calorie recipes using their products. They also have recipes that have been reviewed by the American Diabetes Association.

Overall Boar's Head products are delicious; they are not unhealthy either. The website is very interesting and informative (unless you are trying to find out where the products are grown!)

Dominos

Last night I was hungry for a late night meal and decided to go with domino's pizza. I ordered a large cheese pizza with thin crust. While pizza is not the healthiest meal. I thought that by ordering thin crust would make the pizza a little more healthier. Also by me not sharing any of the pizza and eating almost the whole pizza really racked up on the calories. Not only did the pizza make me feel horrible but I am now thinking about what I am putting into my body making me feel even worse.

A cheese pizza is made up of dough with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese topping it off. The cheese is fresh and the marinara sauce is shipped along with the pre-made dough from the manufactures. There is a manufacturing company in North Carolina so the gas for a truck to come to Elon, NC, is only few hundred dollars in gas. But the nutritional facts is what really surprised me. There are 8 portions in a pizza and each portion has about 200 calories, 9 grams of fat, 400 grams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of sugar. Knowing that my intake is 8 times the amount of theses numbers is a little scary. Pizza is not a great food choice because of the high amount of calories and carbs. If you are trying to stay fit stay away from pizza.

Baked, Boiled, Creamed, Fried, Mashed and More!

Last night I left with my roommate and headed to her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina and it wouldnt be a trip home if we didn't stop by Grandma's and Grandpa's house for a home cooked meal. I was thrilled when I was told mashed potatoes was one of the many sides to my meal. Although not technically in season at the moment, potatoes can be found in any super market if it is on your grocery list. But I got to thinking, part of our project is to for two days only eat what is in season from the local farmers market. Yes, this is going to be a challenge but I took it upon my self to look into the many ways of serving potatoes seeing as they are one of my favorite foods. I stumbled upon this website, http://www.100potatorecipes.com/ giving recipes for not only mashed or fried, but boiled, creamed and baked. With so many options in cooking, it should be easy to eat items that are only in season.

I was very interested to see what all healthy grown potatoes contained. You look in grocery stores and potatoes can be bought in so many forms; bagged, canned or even frozen. How can the items be healthy for our bodies? Its obviously not natural, and must loose a ton of its nutritional value. I took a look at the nutrition facts and this is what I found.

Calories 278 Calories from Fat 3

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.4g 1%

Saturated Fat 0.1g 1%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 30mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 63.2g 21%

Dietary Fiber 6.6g 26%

Sugars 3.5g

Protein 7.5g

When rated, potatoes received an A. Although high in Carbohydrates, potatoes are a great source of fiber and protein and if balanced in a diet correctly can be very beneficial for you. Now Im not saying make this apart of every meal that you sit down and have. Buying locally supports your local farmers and helps produce a better product for both you and your family. But with the changing of seasons embrace this delicious vegetable!

-Andi Cochran

http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/23/2/163

This article examines the effects that consuming fast food has on males and females above the age of twenty and helps us understand how this may affect different aspects of their body. One in four(about 26.5%) adults reported to eating fast food regularly, and those who consumed more fast food were higher in energy and energy density. This fast food provided more than one-third of the energy they used during the day; the people who reported eating fast food also had higher body mass index and were more noticeably overweight than those adults who did not consume fast food. A diet of fast food results in a diet of high energy and low in essential micronutrient density.

The article goes in depth to explain that people have come to rely on fast food because their work days have become longer and they have less time to prepare a home-cooked meal, as well as it is cheap for a parent to feed a larger family. The people that were surveyed were divided into different categories to see how fast-food eaters could be broken down. The higher household incomes that lived in suburban areas were associated the most with eating fast food, while African Americans reported eating fast food more than any other race. Those living in the Midwest were more likely to eat fast food(30%, highest) than all other regions, especially the Northeast (20%, lowest). One of the most notable statistics was the decrease of consumption of fast food as the subjects' ages increased. Adults in their 20's were 4.5 times more likely to consume fast food than 50+ adults and were 3times more likely than adults in their thirties.

Males who consumed fast food had 500more calories for energy than those who did not; they also averaged twice as many carbonated soft-drinks. These people's diets also lacked calcium and magnesium, nutrients that are essential to bone health. The more fast food people consume, the lower their micronutrient density will be. The body mass index of those who did not consume fast food was much healthier than those who consumed fast food. Fast food intake by adults continues to grow; more fast food restaurants continue to appear throughout the country and the world, making them very difficult to avoid. Small doses of fast food will not have vast effects on the body; however, if consumption of fast food is not monitored, than the horrible effets will be evident.

-Michael Malgieri

Boar's Head

Today after class I decided to have a sandwich from the Boar’s Head Deli which is located in downstairs Colonnades. I ate a rotisserie chicken sandwich with lettuce, peppers and oil & vinegar on a sub roll. With the sandwich I also ate a bag of Lay’s Barbecue chips and had a Cherry Coke. Trying to figure out where the meat from Boar’s Head was harder than I thought it was going to be. After researching and making a few phone calls I ended up with nothing. They refused to give out their information due to “security” reasons. The lady on the phone did tell me that all meat comes from USDA approved farms and that all of their meat’s are domestically raised except for some pork which is raised in Canada. I found that the Lay’s bag of chips that I ate was from their factory in Charlotte, North Carolina and that the soda I drank came from Atlanta, Georgia. It takes a total of 540 miles just to get the soda and chips to the school. This does not even include the products for the sandwich. At the minimum it still costs over $250 to ship a 2 products that only cost $2 total. This seems outrageous and unnecessary.

As the project continues to go on I have learned that I need to start eating healthier. From now on I am going to drink water instead of other drinks whenever available and I will avoid fast food as much as possible. Although this is a little change it will help put less strain on the environment in the long run.

Seasonal Strawberries and More!

In the spirit of Earth Week, I decided to change up the blog entry some and do a little bit of scouting around to see what I could find about in-season foods. Interestingly enough, happened stumble onto an adorable little website that tells us what foods are in season in North Carolina year-round! Broccoli, leafy greens, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and strawberries are what we should be looking into right around April! And if you’re really craving some corn, there might be some fresh corn around town. But those apples we love so much and eat almost every day? Those are only fresh from mid-August to mid-February, so maybe stick with something like strawberries, watermelon, and blueberries this summer (not that anyone is trying to stay away from these amazing fruits, anyway, right?).

Check it out! http://www.agr.state.nc.us/markets/availabilitychart.pdf

Now, anybody up for a little bit of cooking? Here’s a fun (only 6-step!!) recipe I found to make fresh strawberry jam with our in-season spring strawberries. And it’s so easy that we could even make it on our very own campus (no joke)!

All you need is:

-2 cups of fresh strawberries

-3-4 teaspoons of sugar

-1-2 teaspoons of lime juice

Instructions:

1. Finely chop up the strawberries

2. Mix the strawberries with the sugar in a pot and cook the mixture over a low heat. Start with only a small amount of sugar and add more to taste, depending on how sweet you want the jam.

3. Stir the mixture often while mashing the strawberries with the back of the ladle. If you prefer your jam smooth instead of chunky, after the strawberries have started to soften and break down, pour the mixture into a blender. Blend to the desired consistency and then pour it back into the pan and continue cooking over low heat.

4. MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T BURN! Keep the heat on low and leave it on the stove, stirring every few minutes.

5. After the jam is as thick as you want it (remember, this is not jelly, so the mixture will never become jelly-like), take it off the heat and let it cool. Then add some lime juice to taste.

6. Put your homemade jam in a clean bottle, and store it in the fridge. Enjoy however you like!

Maybe with a loaf of homemade bread from the Farmer’s Market? Every Tuesday out at Parish House near Elon Community Church! Which is exactly where our group will be venturing in a week to check out some yummy, locally grown foods.

Thanks to http://one-change.com/blog/2007/06/fresh-strawberry-jam-recipe-pectin-free/ for the jam recipe!

-Genevieve D'Cruz

Monday April 19

Today I am still not feeling well so for dinner I had a Michelina's frozen four-cheese manicotti.

INGREDIENTS: CHEESE MANICOTTI (RICOTTA CHEESE [WHEY, WHOLE MILK, CREAM, VINEGAR], ENRICHED DURUM FLOUR [DURUM WHEAT, NIACIN, FERROUS, SULFATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], WATER, BUTTER BLEND [LIQUID SOYBEAN OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, BUTTER, SALT, BUTTERMILK, VEGETABLE MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CITRIC ACID ADDED AS PRESERVATIVES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, COLORED WITH BETA CAROTENE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE ADDED], SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, HALF AND HALF [MILK, CREAM, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CITRATE, CARRAGEENAN], MALTODEXTRIN, EGGS, SOYBEAN OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE [PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, POTATO STARCH AND POWDERED CELLULOSE ADDED TO PREVENT CAKING], CHEESE FLAVORING [CHEDDAR CHEESE {PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES}, WHEY, SALT AND DISODIUM PHOSPHATE], PARMESAN CHEESE [PASTEURIZED PART SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES], ROMANO CHEESE [PASTEURIZED SHEEP'S MILK, RENNET, BACTERIAL CULTURE, SALT], DRIED PARSLEY, GARLIC, ONION FLAKES, SPICES), WATER, TOMATO PASTE, TOMATOES (TOMATOES, TOMATO JUICE, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, CITRIC ACID), ONIONS, LESS THAN 2% OF MARGARINE (LIQUID AND HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, SALT, VEGETABLE MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BHA & BHT ADDED TO PROTECT FLAVOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE AND VITAMIN D3 ADDED), SUGAR, SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, PARMESAN CHEESE (PASTEURIZED CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), SPICES, GRANULATED GARLIC.

The four-cheese manicotti is manufactured in Duluth, Minnesota. to get to the Lowe's Foods in Elon, NC the manicotti travels 1,218 miles. With gas costing an average of $1.80 per gallon and the average truck getting 6 miles a gallon, it costs Michelina's $365.40 to ship the frozen meals.

One of the ingredients, Carrageenan, has been studied for a long time and might cause gastro-intestinal cancer. But it has also been shown to be preventative towards HPV, so you can just take your chances with it and hope it helps but doesnt harm.

I would not recommend this meal to anyone. Not only is it a tiny portion and not so yummy, but it has very questionable ingredients.

Starbucks

Coming home from my sister's volleyball tournament my family and I decided to stop by Starbucks Coffee for a quick snack and a coffee. Starbucks has been known for just having coffee on their menu's with a few snacks. But now they have expanded to have their own food menu to meet the needs of hungry coffee drinker's. I have never had any experience with any of Starbucks food items before. I was very surprised of the selection and decided to go with the Bacon, Gouda Cheese and Egg Frittata on a Artisan Roll. I enjoyed the breakfast sandwich and was pleased with the quality of the components on the sandwich.

The 380 calories in the sandwich seemed a little high for such a small portion of food. Their were 20 grams of fat, 175 mg of cholesterol, 1050 mg of sodium, and 31 grams of Carbohydrates. I wouldn't say that this sandwich is a healthy choice for a snack. The sandwich is at a reasonable price at $3.95 with a venti coffee. The ingredients were shipped from the distribution center in Seattle, Washington, to the distribution center in North Carolina. The distance between these two locations is about 2,400 miles. With the gas price at a average of $2.75 the price to ship these items by truck would cost about 1,000 dollars. The cost to ship these items are way to high in price, and there needs to be a way around this. The quality of the ingredients are fresh and nothing is processed. This sandwich was a quality snack that I would recommend.

Adam Gilmore

Friday, April 16, 2010 - Bagel Bites = Convenience

After showing the video we showed in class I was curious to see what preservatives were really in my food. Not having Friday classes makes Bagels Bites a very convenient food, so today I had bagel bites again. But are convenient foods always best? I wanted to look deeper into what is really in a bagel bite when you move past the bagel, sauce, cheese and pepperonis. There has to be a ton of preservatives to keep these bagel bites fresh and last longer inside the freezers at grocery stores. Bagel bites contain the ingredient Methylcellulose which is a hydrophilic white powder in pure form and dissolves in cold (but not in hot) water, forming a clear viscous solution or gel. This ingredient is often added to hair shampoos, tooth pastes and liquid soaps. Although in some forms very beneficial I am not so sure I really want to be putting this ingredient in my body. Food companies today are marketing to customers about how convenient their product is, should they really be doing this. The link I posted below shows bagels bites at its finest; convenient. All and all although a good convenient snack for people of all ages, not the best idea.

http://vimeo.com/1754738

- Andi Cochran

Eating Habits

After watching the video earlier this week about "No Impact Man" and his family who were able to make a difference in the environment for the entire year by changing how they live, I attempted to change my eating habits for the next week to see how much of a difference I could make as a single person. I found out that changing my eating habits to eating more "environment-friendly" as a struggling college student is not very easy. It was difficult to change becasue I am a casual fast-food eater, as it is convenient for the small amounts of free time i have to get food, and also because the food is cheap, helping me save money. In addition, even though the weather is changing and farmers are in a great period for producing delicious food, I have never been someone who eats large amounts of vegetables and fruits. Therefore, I was forced out of my element to go to a local market to get food that is growing in season. Even though I believed I made some smart purchases, the food was not nearly as satisfying as my usual meals. The entire day I felt as if I had less energy and was unable to act like myself. I know if I continue this process of eating "environment-freindly" that this depleted energy will most likely change over the longrun; however, this is something that I do not believe I can make permanent. After all, the best part of this process is that as more time passes, I am just getting closer to having another delicious Cook-out style burger to satisfy my late-night hunger.

Qdoba!

This afternoon after my classes my friend and I wanted to grab a bite to eat. We decided to go to one of our favorite fast food restaurants, Qdoba. For those that don’t know Qdoba’s is a national fast food chain. Its menu has burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos and salads. I ordered a chicken burrito with double chicken, mild salsa, sour cream, cheese and lettuce. This meal has over 1000 calories, 40 grams of fat, 50 grams of protein and over 100 grams of carbohydrates. This meal is a better alternative then it some food options on our campus. It is not covered in grease or filled with cholesterol that will clog my arteries.

The ingredients that the Qdoba in Burlington comes from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The ingredients are provided Gordon Food Services. It is approximately 780 miles to have these products shipped from Michigan to Burlington, North Carolina. An average 18 wheeler gets about 6 miles per gallon. That’s 130 gallons of gas from the truck to complete the trip. The average of diesel gas in America in $3.03 per gallon which means this trip would cost almost $400 just to ship the goods. I am having trouble abandoning the convenience of fast food but as this experiment continues my habits of buying fast food is becoming more limited.

-Mike O'Connor

Quaker Minis!

Today, I decided to partake in one of my favorite snacks, which I also assume to be healthy, Quaker Minis. These are mini rice cakes that come in multiple flavors. The minis I chose to eat were cinnamon sugar Multigrain Minis. This specific flavor of minis claims to promote heart health, be low in fat, and have 0 grams of trans fat. Although there is nothing strong-tasting about this snack, and it doesn't fill one up too much, it does claim to contain soy ingredients and has 1 gram of protein in each serving. The preservative used in this snack are tocopherols, or TCPs, which are series of organic compounds with Vitamin E activity. These tocopherols have been shown to have a relationship with cancer and Alzheimer's, not necessarily negatively, but if taken in too high a content, it may hurt the consumer. Hmm...seems that these may not be as bad as most other shelf foods.

Monday April 12

So yesterday I was sick. And in between going to the Doctor and getting my medicine from Target, I had a craving for McDonald's. I got my favorite fast food dessert item: 2 baked apple pies for 1 dollar.

Baked Hot Apple Pie:
Apples (citric acid, ascorbic acid, salt), enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, shortening [palm oil, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, beta carotene (color)], food starch-modified, contains 2% or less of the following: sorbitol, sugar, palm oil, palm kernel oil, dextrose, brown sugar, apple powder (dehydrated apples, citric acid), sodium alginate, dicalcium phosphate, sodium citrate, salt, spices, yeast, L-cysteine, natural (plant source) and artificial flavors, annatto and turmeric (color), caramel color.

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND SOY LECITHIN.

So the person I talked to had no idea where the apples were from. I tried to look it up online but I cannot find it. I did find lots of rumors online that state that McDonald's does not even use apples in their apple pies; they use potatoes or pears and apple flavoring. That is a lie. The first ingredient in the Baked Hot Apple Pie is apples, so I think they are actually in there.

In 1992, the apple pie went from being fried to being baked in an effort for McDonald's to become a bit healthier. I read that this decision was met with distaste; the baked apple pie is nowhere near as good as the fried according to many die-hard McDonalder's.

The nutrition facts say that 1 pie has 260 calories and 20% of my daily intake of fat. So let's say that you buy 2 for 1 dollar (which everyone does, it's essentially how they are sold!). I, for one, eat both of them. An apple pie is no good eaten from a cardboard container 5 hours later. So I eat both of them in one sitting. That is now 520 calories and 40% of my daily intake of fat! I can't even imagine what the fried apple pie was like.

Cook Out

Early this morning around 1:30 am I drove to Cook Out and ordered a regular cheese burger with chili and slaw and a milkshake. As I starting eating the burger all I could think about was where did the meat come from. But even though I knew the quality of food was not great I still was too hungry to not eat it. There are many times early in the morning around 1 or 2 am when I crave something hot to eat. No dining halls or on campus restaurant's are open at this hour so the only other option is late night fast food. A famous fast food restaurant near campus is Cook Out. Cook Out has cheap food and stays open till 4am every night. The most expensive thing on Cook Outs menu is only $3.69. It's the perfect place for college kids to get food late at night. It may not be the healthiest food but it will definitely satisfy your hunger. You also have to think about the quality of the food when they are selling it for so cheap.

After doing some research the quality of meat is not as bad as I thought. The beef is fresh and the chicken is real. The fruit that is in the milkshakes are also fresh. As I was looking at the nutritional facts I wasn't surprised by the high numbers of calories and fat. With almost 1,000 calories and 55 grams of fat in one burger is not healthy. The cost to package and transport the food was not much at all because the headquarters are in Greensboro, NC. There is only a short 20 miles to Elon from Greensboro. Cook Out is a great restaurant that is very convenient for many kids. The quality of the meat is a step ahead of every other restaurant but it is still very unhealthy for you.

Friday, April 9, 2010 - Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwich

Sorry I am posting so late, I spent the day in Raleigh with my mom and after a lot of research was able to find every little ingredient that is put into a Jimmy Dean Sausage Biscuit. Today I went into Danieley Commons to finish up a homework assignment before leaving for Raleigh. I ran in grabbed a breakfast sandwich and a cup of water. When I sat down to eat it although not exactly the taste I wanted, it satisfied my hunger. After leaving class on Thursday with the discussion of the numerous ingredients in my food in which I could not even pronounce, I wanted to know what was in this sandwich. Here are the ingredients the website lists:

BISCUIT: BLEACHED ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (MAY CONTAIN MALTED BARLEY FLOUR AND ENZYMES, CONTAINS NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, VEGETABLE SHORTENING (PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OILS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BETA CAROTENE [COLOR]), DRY BUTTERMILK, DEXTROSE, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF THE FOLLOWING: SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, PRESERVATIVES (CALCIUM PROPIONATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SORBIC ACID), XANTHAN GUM. COOKED SAUSAGE PATTY: PORK, WATER, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF THE FOLLOWING: SODIUM LACTATE, SALT, SUGAR, SPICES, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SODIUM DIACETATE, CARAMEL COLOR. CONTAINS MILK, SOY AND WHEAT

Now if you ask me, this really means nothing, but if you look deeper and define some of these it really should mean something to you. For example take bleached enriched wheat flour, now if you ask me, bleach in food, that doesn't sound good at all. When I googled this, the website www.vegetarian-restaurants.net came with the quote, "When flour is highly processed and bleached most of the fiber is taken out and most of its normal nutritional value is depleted. Plus a bunch of chemicals are used in processing the flour and chemicals are added in the form of artificial vitamins so these products can say on the label they contain certain vitamins. It is best to use organic wheat flours or other organic grains." I then looked up the nutrition facts: Calories: 360 Calories from Fat:220 Total Fat: 24 grams Saturated Fat: 8 grams Carbohydrates: 26 grams.

All in all, yes this product is very convenient and easy for on the go but is it practical? Nutritionally speaking is this really healthy? Many of you may be able to recall the multiple Jimmy Dean advertisements on T.V. referring to the sandwich as a morning pick me up or the perfect source of energy. Is this true, or just false advertisement. I believe that will be the last Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwich.

Goodnight!

Andi Cochran

Subway

Many people know Subway as the delicious restaurant that offers an array of possibilities, including subs, salads and even personal pizzas, for all consumers. Subway has become an internationally recognized chain, as their sandwiches and slogans have expanded to countries across six of the seven continents. The most recognizable slogan is “Eat Fresh”, something the chain first instituted in 2000. However, during my dinner today when I went to eat at Subway, I was unsure of how fresh the food actually would be.

I ordered an always-reliable foot long sandwich of ham, roast beef, turkey, American cheese, and lettuce with mustard, totaling 1200 calories. Though the sandwich was very good, I found out that the food is not as fresh as some people may think. Subway receives all their meat from a private company, West Liberty Foods. West Liberty Foods is based in three different cities that supply products to Subway chains throughout the United States. The plants in Mount Pleasant, Iowa and Tremonton, Utah are responsible for cheese, chicken, beef and pork; the main plant, in West Liberty, Iowa, focuses on turkey products specifically. However, the vegetables that Subway receives are from local farmers, as Subway employees wash the vegetables and cut the vegetables themselves.

The distance from Iowa to Elon, North Carolina is around 1,030 miles; as stated in previous posts, if the food were to be transported by one of the most efficient vehicles, a Toyota Prius, one would have to spend $57 for gas. When traveling from Utah, the driver would have to spend $119; however, we know that these meat and dairy products are transported in large trucks and trains, which are much more detrimental to the environment. I was glad to learn that their vegetables are produced very close to specific locations and that they are not treated with harm. However, there are many healthier options than what the commercials for Subway advertise to its consumers. Unfortunately, Subway is a reasonable price for many people and the taste of their food is delicious; thus, they will continue to thrive throughout the world unless people change their state of mind about food consumption.

Biscuitville

This morning after class I went off campus and I ate breakfast at Biscuitville. Most people don’t know that this small breakfast and lunch spot was originally founded in Alamance County. Today the company has over 50 restaurant locations. This regional fast food chain’s distribution center is in Graham, North Carolina. This is approximately 7 miles from the restaurant on Huffman Mill Road in Burlington. The cost of transporting the ingredients to Burlington is not very expensive and it also puts little strain on the environment.

The food purchased at a Biscuitville location is fresh. Their biscuits are made every 20 minutes and all food is made when the meal is ordered. I had 2 bacon, egg and cheese biscuits and an order of hash browns. This ends up being 1320 calories, 67 grams of fat, 55 grams of protein and 82 grams of carbohydrates. Although the food is fresh it is not necessarily the best for you. This breakfast was fast and easy but not great for my health. Instead of eating a hearty breakfast like this I may want to look into eating yogurt, a piece of fruit or a bowl of cereal. We need to abandon the idea of convenience and strive to eat well, locally and put less strain on the environment.

-Mike O'Connor

YoCrunch? Not so much...

Today, I decided to start my lovely day off to a "healthy" start with a YoCrunch yogurt. It was a strawberry yogurt with a granola mix-in. I thought it might be interesting to see where something as common as yogurt comes from. I was extremely surprised to see that the actual yogurt contained ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, Bifidus, L. acidophilus, and suspiciously sounding "natural flavors." What are these flavors, and if they are so natural, why doesn't Breyers (the makers of YoCrunch yogurt) tell the consumer what these flavors are? The granola had ingredients such as dextrose and soy "lecithin." YoCrunch claims to make "quality" products, but high fructose corn syrup and lecithin doesn't sound so high-quality, now, does it?

My yogurt was manufactured at Breyers Yogurt Company, in Naugatuck, Connecticut. It traveled about 615.6 miles to get to Elon. In a standard hybrid car, with gas at $2.79 per gallon and the car getting about 50 miles to the gallon, it would cost a little over $34.32. Thirty-four dollars for my $1 yogurt! Keeping in mind the video we watched today in class, it seems that $33 of labor is lost somewhere in between the making, packaging, and shipping of the yogurt. Unfortunately, making yogurt would take a lot of time, especially for a college student. Interesting how much we pay for "Bifidus" and "dextrose," not to mention the preservatives probably in the yogurt to have it shipped all the way here, keep its shelf life, and last in our refrigerators. $34 for one yogurt. All because of convenience. Good morning, America.

-Genevieve D'Cruz

Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger!!!!

Today for a nighttime snack I had a Wendy's junior bacon cheeseburger. The ingredients are beef, potato bun, Kraft american cheese, Oscar Mayer bacon, lettuce, tomato, and Hellman's mayonnaise.

Wendy's beef is never frozen; it travels from Goleta, California. the beef travels by refrigerated truck. It travels a total of about 2,450 miles. At $2.77 a gallon driving a Prius with 50 miles a gallon, it costs $135.73 to deliver the beef from CA to NC.

A junior bacon cheeseburger has a bout 380 calories in it and 37% of one's daily value of sodium. This is obviously very unhealthy; but yet so convenient. It fits into America's lifestyle perfectly.

My family and I went out to eat tonight at one of our favorite "fast food restaurants" Panera Bread. I enjoyed my usual sandwich, the cuban chicken panini, along with a water. The sandwich is made up several ingredients. The fresh Focaccia bread with citrus herb chicken breast and ham, along with chipotle mayonnaise, ale mustard sauce, and sliced swiss cheese. The sandwich has 840 calories, 37 grams of fat, 80 grams of carbs, 6 grams of sugar, and 46 grams of protein.
I was very surprised to see the amount of calories and the grams of fat that were in the sandwich. Panera Bread has always advertised as being the healthier and more fresh fast food restaurant. Even though this one sandwich has a high amount of calories and fat, they are still a more healthier choice to eat fast food. The company makes their food from recipes and also bakes their own bread. The meat is not processed or frozen but comes from certain deli dealers. I feel much better knowing that I am eating a fresh sandwich with deli meat than eating a frozen product that has to be shipped from certain factories across the United States. Panera has been competing with McDonald's for many years and Mcdonald's has had to change their menu's to try to meet what consumers want. Consumers have realized that they need to eat healthy but also want it to be convenient and fast. Panera Bread is exactly what the consumers have been looking for. Even though Panera may be a little more expensive than a normal fast food restaurant, it is keeping us away from processed and unhealthy foods.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Today I went to Food Lion in my hometown, Emerald Isle, NC. I purchased a box of frozen bagel bites and brought them home to put in the oven. A box of bagel bites consists of 9 bagel bites. Bagel bites are real mini bagels with real cheese and pepperoni on top. A box of bagel bites is around 400 calories.

The bagel bites are packaged and frozen in Fort Myers, Florida. They are then transported 830.50 miles to the Emerald Isle, NC Food Lion. If the company were to transport the item to Emerald Isle, NC and back to Fort Myers Florida by an 18 wheeler truck it would cost about 983.31. Not only is this form of transportation very expensive but I feel this has a lot to with the price of the item. I feel there are many alternative ways to have a delicious snack/meal such as bagel bites. Organically speaking this is definitely possible. I searched online and was able to find organic pepperoni's, mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce and bagels. Although frozen Bagel Bites are more convenient a healthier recipe is available and can be more satisfying.

- Andi Cochran

This morning for breakfast I went to McDonald’s and had one of my favorite meals: two mcgriddles and a bottle of water. For those who are unfamiliar with the product, a mcgriddle is either a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich or a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. Each of these small sandwiches is 450 calories of deliciousness, which is why many people overlook the fact of how the ingredients are produced. The meat that is served at McDonald’s is produced in factories in Colorado and Arizona and shipped to the different locations in boxes of hundreds throughout the country by various transportation methods. Though many people may doubt it, the eggs from mcgriddles are real eggs but are cooked and shaped in a processing plant in Arizona. They are combined with artificial flavor, liquid margarine, and other products to satisfy the customers and then the eggs are boxed and shipped to different locations like the meat products. The different types of bread that McDonald’s uses are shipped in from Oklahoma, where they are processed into different shapes for the different types of sandwiches.

The miles traveled from the meat processing facilities from Arizona to Burlington, North Carolina is 2,038 miles, and from Colorado to Burlington, North Carolina is 1,689 miles. If one were to drive even a hybrid, such as a Toyota Prius, it would be 50 miles per gallon; the current price of gas is 2.76 a gallon, thus they would spend 112.50 from Arizona and 93.23 from Colorado. Since the eggs are from the same area as the meat in Arizona, it will be the same price for the travel of the most efficient way possible. Traveling by the most efficient means from Oklahoma, such as a Toyota Prius, it would cost 66.24 for the 1200 mile trip. Though many people look down upon fast food, it is very convenient for a college student who is pressed for both time and money. I feel that there may be better alternatives for meat that these restaurants use that are closer to their locations, but it is all a matter of money. Though it travels a very long distance and the mode of transportation is detrimental to the environment, I will not stop my consumption of this type of food.