A BLOKE has shared his recipe for a ‘healthy' Big Mac salad after he was craving McDonald's, but people aren't convinced by the deconstructed dish. While fast food may be delicious it's.
A McDonald's Big Mac has less kilojoules and salt than some gourmet burgers. Picture: Paul J Richards/AFPSource:AFP
- Grab a healthy breakfast or brunch with dishes such as the Zone Omelette with egg whites, tomatoes, organic greens with seeded sourdough toast. For dinner, there are plenty of options, too.
- A new infographic claims to reveal how the world-famous Big Mac from fast food giant McDonald's affects the body 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 minutes after eating it.
- HOW TO MAKE BIG MAC SAUCE. The big mac sauce is what makes this cheeseburger salad complete and taste like an authentic cheeseburger salad. To Make the big mac sauce, simply whisk together mayonnaise, finely minced dill pickles (or sweet relish), mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- There's nothing quite as delicious as a Big Mac from McDonald's. I mean, it's two beef patties layered with lettuce, cheese, onions, pickles and Big Mac sauce - and, there are three buns! Though the popular fast food burger is undeniably delicious, not many people know the effect it has on their bodies.
WHEN it comes to burgers, it seems not all are created equal.
And when it comes to healthy eating claims, burger fans have been warned there's more between the buns than meets the eye.
Healthy burgers have copped a grilling in the latest Choice research which found gourmet burger chains are 'health washing' their salty and fatty food claims.
In fact according to Choice certain burgers, even vegetarian options, at gourmet chains such as Grill'd and Burger Edge have more kilojoules, saturated fat and salt than a McDonald's Big Mac.
Comparing 40 gourmet burgers from Grill'd and Burger Edge and five standard McDonald's and Hungry Jack's burgers, Choice analysed the salt, fat and KJ content of beef, chicken and vegetarian options.
The Choice investigation found the Grill'd Mighty burger has 61 per cent more kilojoules than a Big Mac, 76 per cent more saturated fat and 37 per cent more sodium.
'When you consider that Grill'd's The Mighty burger with a traditional (wholemeal) bun comes in with a whopping 1510mg[4] of salt, it's probably best you don't get fries with that,' Mr Godfrey said.
The Choice comparison of the Meat Lover, The Mighty and the Big Mac. Picture: ChoiceSource:Supplied
Choice also took aim at Burger Edge's Meat Lover which has 2720 mg of salt, 18 per cent more than the recommended daily maximum and 70 per cent more than the recommended daily target, Mr Godfrey said.
'No one expects the big burgers from McDonald's or Hungry Jack's to be good for you but with Grill'd marketing itself as a healthy alternative, we were surprised to find it would often be healthier to opt for a Big Mac,' he said.
‘Mighty unhealthy': Choice claims some burger choices are not as healthy as they're cracked up to be. Picture: ChoiceSource:Supplied
While acknowledging the difference in portion sizes, Choice said such chains shouldn't market themselves as healthy options especially given two thirds of the veggie burgers Choice looked at had a higher kilojoule and salt content than the Big Mac.
While the Grill'd Garden Goodness (low carb bun) may sound like an option your body will thank you for taking later, Choice claims it's anything but.
With a higher salt content — 1220 mg but a slightly lower kJ count 2560, this is far from the healthy choice it claims to be.
'For those looking for the healthy choice, Burger Edge's Mumbai Bash chicken in a white bun (1830 kJs) and Grill'd's Sweet Chilli Chicken (1920 kJs) were among those with a lower kilojoule and salt content.
'While many consumers may be willing to pay a little more to a purchase a premium gourmet burger the true cost could be to your health.'
But the chains have hit back at the research claiming they are not a fair comparison.
On its website Burger giant Grill'd posted: 'There is no comparison — the choice is yours' with a table comparing its claims against McDonald's.
Grill'd posted this response to the Choice claim yesterday under the words: The Choice is yours.Source:Supplied
Grill'd founder Simon Crowe told news.com.au he was proud of the high quality products his company offered and maintained his burgers represented a healthier choice.
Mr Crowe said every one of his burgers that is served on a low carb super bun had less carbs that a sushi roll and all his staff were proud to be classified as the healthy burger experts.
'Our definition of health has evolved, and I think this research is really comparing apples and oranges,' he said.
Mr Crowe said all food products could be sourced directly to the farmgate, adding that everything was fresh and made by hand and wasn't processed.
He said consumers could also walk away from a meal knowing the buns weren't full of sugar.
'Our food is made with love and we are certainly about health in the wholistic sense,' he said.
Burger Edge managing director Issam Soubjaki told news.com.au he thought the findings were unfair given Choice didn't compare 'apples with apples.'
'I feel they cherry picked the data to be honest,' he said.
'Choice chose our biggest burger (the meat lover) which has a high salt content due to having bacon, salami, beef and cheese,' he said.
Healthy Alternativemcdonald's Big Mac N Cheese
Mr Soubjaki said even a homemade burger using the same ingredients would contain a high level of salt due to its processed meat.
He maintained there were plenty of other healthier choices on the menu and that high grade quality ingredients were used at all times.
Choice also took aim at Burger Edge's Meat Lover which has 2720 mg of salt, 18 per cent more than the recommended daily maximum and 70 per cent more than the recommended daily target, Mr Godfrey said.
'No one expects the big burgers from McDonald's or Hungry Jack's to be good for you but with Grill'd marketing itself as a healthy alternative, we were surprised to find it would often be healthier to opt for a Big Mac,' he said.
‘Mighty unhealthy': Choice claims some burger choices are not as healthy as they're cracked up to be. Picture: ChoiceSource:Supplied
While acknowledging the difference in portion sizes, Choice said such chains shouldn't market themselves as healthy options especially given two thirds of the veggie burgers Choice looked at had a higher kilojoule and salt content than the Big Mac.
While the Grill'd Garden Goodness (low carb bun) may sound like an option your body will thank you for taking later, Choice claims it's anything but.
With a higher salt content — 1220 mg but a slightly lower kJ count 2560, this is far from the healthy choice it claims to be.
'For those looking for the healthy choice, Burger Edge's Mumbai Bash chicken in a white bun (1830 kJs) and Grill'd's Sweet Chilli Chicken (1920 kJs) were among those with a lower kilojoule and salt content.
'While many consumers may be willing to pay a little more to a purchase a premium gourmet burger the true cost could be to your health.'
But the chains have hit back at the research claiming they are not a fair comparison.
On its website Burger giant Grill'd posted: 'There is no comparison — the choice is yours' with a table comparing its claims against McDonald's.
Grill'd posted this response to the Choice claim yesterday under the words: The Choice is yours.Source:Supplied
Grill'd founder Simon Crowe told news.com.au he was proud of the high quality products his company offered and maintained his burgers represented a healthier choice.
Mr Crowe said every one of his burgers that is served on a low carb super bun had less carbs that a sushi roll and all his staff were proud to be classified as the healthy burger experts.
'Our definition of health has evolved, and I think this research is really comparing apples and oranges,' he said.
Mr Crowe said all food products could be sourced directly to the farmgate, adding that everything was fresh and made by hand and wasn't processed.
He said consumers could also walk away from a meal knowing the buns weren't full of sugar.
'Our food is made with love and we are certainly about health in the wholistic sense,' he said.
Burger Edge managing director Issam Soubjaki told news.com.au he thought the findings were unfair given Choice didn't compare 'apples with apples.'
'I feel they cherry picked the data to be honest,' he said.
'Choice chose our biggest burger (the meat lover) which has a high salt content due to having bacon, salami, beef and cheese,' he said.
Healthy Alternativemcdonald's Big Mac N Cheese
Mr Soubjaki said even a homemade burger using the same ingredients would contain a high level of salt due to its processed meat.
He maintained there were plenty of other healthier choices on the menu and that high grade quality ingredients were used at all times.
'Saying a Big Mac is healthier for you is a good headline but really it's not a fair comparison,' Mr Soubjaki said.
He said he doubted many people eating the meat lover would think it's the healthy choice.
'Let's keep it in perspective,' he said.
However Choice maintained their investigation was fair given the burger chains market themselves as healthier options to McDonald's.
Healthy Alternativemcdonald's Big Macaroni And Cheese
Mr Godfrey said while nothing was wrong with the occasional treat, ‘health washing' can have serious consequences, with the salt content alone in some of these burgers exceeding the recommended daily target.
Healthy Alternativemcdonald's Big Mac And Cheese
'Any reasonable consumer would see a sign advertising healthy burgers and assume that the burgers for sale would live up to those claims,' he said.
Healthy Alternativemcdonald's Big Machine
'But it's concerning is that many of these burgers contain high levels of sodium and saturated fat as well as a high kilojoule count.'
