Substituting a salad for a hamburger to cut down the intake of fat and calories might not be helpful after all.
McDonalds’ healthy looking salads may contain more fat than their hamburgers, according to the company’s Web site.
“People trying to stick with a diet might not want to switch from hamburgers to salads,” said Autumn Douglas, a registered dietician at the University’s Wellness Education Department.
According to the American Dietetics Association, based on a 2,000 calorie diet, 30 percent or less of an individual’s daily calories should come from fat.
Douglas said since a Big Mac from McDonald’s contains more fat than is recommended for the day (33 grams), people need to be mindful when consuming other fattening foods throughout the rest of the day.
She said instead of switching from hamburgers to salads, people should alternate since the two salads have vegetables, which are part of a healthy diet.
Choosing a salad dressing that is high in fat and calories can be just as fattening as a cheeseburger. “You can choose your salad, topping and dressing,” said a McDonald’s spokeswoman in a recent press release. “You can mix and match to suit your diet and lifestyle.”
Douglas said to use caution when choosing dressings and toppings for a salad from McDonald’s.
A dressing can have as much as 10 grams of fat and 100 calories per tablespoon. She suggested using Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette because it is low in fat and calories. The creamy caesar dressing and ranch dressings have the most fat. She said to look for added sides in salads such as bacon, cheese, croutons and eggs because they will be less healthy.
When dressing a hamburger, choose light mayonnaise, which has 45 calories and 4.5 grams of fat, rather than regular mayonnaise, which has 95 calories and 10 grams of fat. Eliminating cheese from a burger can also reduce the calorie and fat intake, she said.
Douglas suggested ordering a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette along with a hamburger to have a balanced meal.
Depending on the physical activity of a person, the daily recommended fat intake is 53 grams based on a 1,600 calorie diet, said Maren Hegsted, a University professor of human nutrition. She said based on a 2,200 calorie diet, people should consume 73 grams of fat, whereas a 2,800 calorie diet allows for 93 grams of fat. Hegsted stressed these numbers vary because of height and weight differences.