Here it is, the 10 worst foods of the year!

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource...asp?id=994

1. Carl's Jr. Western Bacon $6 burger
1130 cals, 66g fat, 83g carb, 47g protein
2. Pizza Hut Double Deep Pizza
1160 cals, 72g fat, 62g carb, 62g protein: for 2 slices
3. El Monterrey XX large Chimichanga
920 cals, 57g fat, 83g carb, 22g protein
4. Denny's Meat Lover Scramble
1280 cals, 71g fat, 103g carb, 54g protein
5. Hardee's Country Breakfast Burrito
920 cals, 23g fat (the article didn't list out the others)
6. KFC Chicken & Biscuit Bowl
870 cals, 44g fat, 88g carb, 29g protein
7. Starbucks Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino Blended Creme
670 cals, 22g fat, 107g carb (just for a drink!!)
8. Pizza Hut P'Zone
1220 cals, 46g fat, 144g carb, 60g protein
(don't let the "zone" fool you in this one)
9. Wendy's Baconator
830 cals, 51g fat, 35g carb, 57g protein
10. Denny's Extreme Grand Slam
1160 cals, 64g fat, 102g carb, 45g protein

If you read the article, it gives a synopsis of why each item was considered "bad".

Now, I know we don't count calories in the Zone. But, excess calories WILL cause us to gain unwanted fat, Zone or no Zone.
And, with the nutritional breakdown listed, it is not hard to see that these items are way out of the Zone!

Wow look at the fat grams in all those items. Amazing how those were some of my favorites BZ. Carl's Jr. 6$ burger with large frys. Denny's Meat lover scramble with a side of biscuits and gravy. Pizza Hut deep dish meat lovers. Wendy's double or triple burgers with frys & a frosty.

No wonder I got the way I was. No wonder America has gotten so over-weight.

Yeah, I was looking at the fat, too. Surprisingly, though they're loaded with unfav C, half or more of them have a P/C close to or within the Zone range of 0.6 to 1.

I knew there was a reason I don't eat at fast food places, although my wife will have a Starbucks' coffee now and then. The fats in those meals listed, I would assume, are the Industrialized oils; heavy with Omega-6 and really bad for our health.

Time to become a 'locavore'. Eat locally; eat seasonally.*

Tom

*either Kingsolver or Planck.
(I've read a bunch of books lately)

Well, I think it is interesting, too (that is why I shared it)!

Despite there being a lot of JUNK at fast food places (or fat food places), there are also some good choices available at most of those same restaurants that were listed. Just have to know what to look for.

. Carl's Jr. Western Bacon $6 burger
1130 cals, 66g fat, 83g carb, 47g protein

is roughly 16 blocks of fat 8 blocks of protein and 8 blocks of carbs(unfavorable) and that doesn't include the french fries.

And, in my pre-zone days, I would have never considered eating a burger without the fries!

Sweet Potatoes??

I found a place that serves "sweet Potato" fries. Still fried like regular fries ....but wow I tried them and....oh never mind....I could not eat more than 5 but they were better for me I am sure than regular fries????
Anyone ever try them ?
Dave

Well, assuming that everything else was equal, I would imagine that the sweet potato fry is a bit better than a regular potato fry. However, still unfavorable!

Can't find anyplace else to post this question.

I am more of 1 block at a time eater.......maybe 2 at a time and wondered if that's bad. I hate cooking and usually cook supper or one meal a day. Sometimes oatmeal is ok in the morning or scrambled eggs but lunches and snacks are somethng else. If I have a cup of tea in the morning with about 1/4 cup milk, I've been eating 1/2 string cheese stick and a couple almonds. Think that's ok.

I am 61, 5'4" and weight 140 pounds! I want to lose at least 10 pounds and maybe more. I think it's partly my age that is making it difficult to lose and easy to gain because of the small small 1/2 dose of estrogen I take everyday. I try to get in 10,000 steps aday and walk about 1 1/2 miles a day. Just started that Monday of this week.

ANyway, I love to have crackers and cream cheese for a snack and/or lunch. I was wondering what 9gram carb cracker is out there to buy. I have been buying All-Bran crackers and I buy low fat cream cheese. I limit my amount and that's the easy part but not sure that is the correct cracker to be eating. Is there a better choice? Maybe I could make my own pita chips or something but that seems worse to me.

Can anyone help? Maybe this could help others too. Thanks,

Kathy

Hi Kathy,

Welcome!

It's fine to eat 1 or 2 blocks at a time, as long as you eat your full protein requirement daily, in Zone balance with respect to carbs and fat. You'll need to eat meals and snacks closer together because 1 or two blocks won't be enouhg food to be able to go 4 to 5 hours from a meal to a snack.

The estrogen you're taking may result in the need for stricter adherence to the diet in order to stay in the Zone.

The breakfast of tea, 1/4 cup milk , 1/2 string cheese stick and a couple almonds is not Zone balanced. It contains plenty of fat, but only 3/4 a block of protien and 1/4 a block of carb. An alternative for one balanced block would be one stick of string cheese eaten with one cup of strawberries. The cheese contains enough fat to balance, so there's not need to add more fat. It would be ok to still put a little milk in your tea, if you like.

Crackers (unfavoravble carb) and cream cheese (fat) alone are not Zone balanced. You'd need to add some protein to that snack. Also, peanut butter or almond butter would be a better choice of fat for the Zone diet. I'm not familiar with a Zone favorable cracker.

Great that you've begun taking a daily walk!