Basic Tips of Healthy Eating

People who take advantage of upgrades for just a few cents more when eating out may be getting more calories than they bargain for, according to a new report by a coalition of health organizations. The report found that the food industry's "value marketing" encourages overeating and contributes to the skyrocketing rates of obesity in adults and children.

"We are constantly induced to spend a little more money to get a lot more food," said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). "Getting more for your money is ingrained into some of us.  But bigger is rarely better when it comes to food."

The hidden cost of Super Sizing: More money, more calories and more saturated fat. Think about it!
Great for marketing but not for our health.


It costs 8 cents more to purchase a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese, small French fries, and small Coke (890 calories) separately than to buy the Quarter Pounder with Cheese large Extra Value Meal, which comes with a large fries and large Coke (1,380 calories). "McDonald's actually charges customers more to buy a smaller, lower-calorie meal," Wootan said.

Moving from a small to a medium bag of movie theater popcorn costs about 71 cents-and 500 calories. A 23% increase in price provides 125% more calories and two days' worth of saturated fat. (And that's unbuttered popcorn!)

According to the report, the practice of "bundling"—turning a fast-food sandwich into a "value meal" by adding sides like fries and a soft drink-is responsible for some of the largest increases in calorie content. And soft drinks proved to be especially bad health  bargains. They cost the least to upgrade and deliver the biggest calorie boosts (and they provide some of the highest profit margins for retailers).

Look at it this way guys. Keeping those extra cents in your wallet means keeping extra fat off your body, and that's more important , don't you think?

Have your cake and eat it too. Buy the small version, get over your craving and get back on the treadmill or whatever it is you like doing to exercise your body.

Bon A petite!

To your magnificent health,

Joyce Hearn