Restaurant Meal Named 'Worst in America'

[AsahinaKimi]

Nutritionists have been telling us to eat more fish for years, but not all fish is prepared in a healthy way. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has revealed the worst restaurant meal in the United States to be Long John Silver's Big Catch.

On Tuesday, the consumer advocacy group tweeted:
https://twitter.com/CSPI/status/352060831971807232

The restaurant chain introduced the meal, which includes a piece of fried haddock, hush puppies, and onion rings, in late May for the bargain price of $4.99 writing in a press release, "The Big Catch is a premium menu item, with the classic taste that Long John Silver's is known for." While it may be a lot of food for a small amount of money, it's no great deal in terms of nutrition.

More on Yahoo!: Hidden Healthy Fast-Food Finds

According to the CSPI, which conducted its own lab tests, Big Catch contains 33 grams of trans fat, an additional 19 grams of saturated fat, and nearly 3,700 milligrams of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends that adults limit their consumption of trans fat to less than 2 grams a day and saturated fat to less than 16 grams per day. The latest recommendation for sodium is less than 1,500 milligrams per day. Trans fat and saturated fat are associated with higher bad cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease.

Related: New York’s Trans Fat Ban isWorking (Study)

"Long John Silver's Big Catch meal deserves to be buried 20,000 leagues under the sea," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson in a press release. "This company is taking perfectly healthy fish and entombing it in a thick crust of batter and partially hydrogenated oil. The result? A heart attack on a hook. Instead of the Big Catch, I'd call it America's Deadliest Catch."

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/worst-restaurant-meal-america-something-8217-fishy-long-150800343.html


I swear, the food business is trying to kill us all..

[hobbit709]

1. I eat at LJS about once a year. I doubt that will kill me.

Maybe once a day but once a year, highly unlikely.

[Cirque du So-What]

9. For an individual on the brink of 100% blockage in a coronary artery

a single huge bolus of trans fat and sodium like that could be enough to prove the kiss of death.

[AsahinaKimi]

16. I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot fishing pole...

And I just got out of the hospital, having been told my ticker is in trouble.

[Cirque du So-What]

21. I'm sorry

Best wishes to you.

[AsahinaKimi]

22. Hey thanks...

Just gotta learn to live healthier...

[Cirque du So-What]

23. All of us

There's room for improvement in my life as well.

[Jackpine Radical]

27. Been there.

Had a bypass 21 years ago. I'm now 68 & taking a break from hard physical labor in the garden.I expect to be cutting down some trees this afternoon.

[AsahinaKimi]

35. Awesome ..

I hope I can stay as Healthy!

[Warpy]

79. Oh no!

Take good care of yourself!

[AsahinaKimi]

80. Hai!!!!!!!!!!!

Odaijini!!!!

[Major Hogwash]

85. Hahahaha!!!!! You're too funny!!!

Nobody -- and I mean NOBODY -- uses a 10-foot fishing pole these days.

11-footers are all the rage!



Be good to your heart, and your heart will be good to you.

[AsahinaKimi]

88. awww thanks but you know...

My Heart belongs to DU..so yeah, I gotta take care of it.

[Kurovski]

123. Do whatever it takes, AsahinaKimi

we want you here and healthy for a long time here at DU.

[hobbit709]

125. someone like that who knowingly eats that amount of fat is hopeless.

The average person not so much.

[Warpy]

77. I last ate there 10 years ago, the day my mother died

and my poor dad had to get out of that house for a little while. I love fish but all I could taste was grease and salt.

That's about all I can taste in most processed and fast food.

I guess I'll pass and keep on doing my own cooking.

[Brickbat]

2. Do they still let you order extra "crispies"?

OM NOM NOM.

[zappaman]

3. Ew

I mean a big EW

Amazing what people put into their bodies.

And I hope you are feeling better!

[AsahinaKimi]

5. Just L O O K I N G at that makes my chest hurt...

I love fish, but not with that much sodium.

[zappaman]

7. I'll eat sushi or sashimi at least once a week.

Luckily, I am surrounded by amazing sushi joints!
No one needs that much salt!

[AsahinaKimi]

13. Sashimi and Sushi

is never salted. The Soy Sauce you have to watch out for. In SF, the Nijiya Market has a SALTLESS soy sauce. Its something I plan to pick up, as soon as I can because my ticker doesn't need the extra strain.

[zappaman]

15. I use the low sodium but never heard of the saltless!

Let me know how it is although I use soy sauce very sparingly anyway...

[AsahinaKimi]

17. I have had it...

You can tell its been brewed, like a wine or a beer, but the flavor is just right, all without any salt.

[blueamy66]

132. You do realize that many sushi joints fill up the low salt bottles with the regular stuff, no?

It's just easier, or so I hear.

[dixiegrrrrl]

28. glad you are doing better

if you should think of the name of that saltless soy sauce, I would be interested.

[AsahinaKimi]

31. Its an imported Japanese brand...

I will have to hunt it down, and report back later. Maybe Art_of_Ark or Bonobo know of it. I just remember seeing the label "Salt Free". I am not even sure if the bottle label was in English.

[rdharma]

65. Is this it?

Fukuoka Soy Sauce Brewing Company

[AsahinaKimi]

78. It could be, but I don't quite recall the label

As I said, I will have to stop by Japan town this week and find it. Will get back to everyone.

[bitchkitty]

57. It's Shirakiku Muen Soy, but

most people say it tastes like kaka. Try this recipe:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/445803

ETA - recipe is in the comments. Here it is:

Here is a recipe for very low-sodium soy sauce substitute.

2 T Sodium Free Beef Bouillon
2 t Red Wine Vinegar
1 t Molasses
1/8 t Ground Ginger
dash Black Pepper
dash Garlic Powder
3/4 c Water

In small sauce pan, combine and boil gently uncovered about 5 minutes or til mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup. Store in refrigerator. Stir before using.

Yield: 8 Servings

If I make this (which I probably won't) I will sub vegetable bouillion for the beef.

[dixiegrrrrl]

63. Aha!!!!! that looks like it might work.

I am using a gluten free soy sauce, which uses hydrolized soy protein, which is not actually a good thing to eat.
Plus, soy beans in USA are all GMO.
So a good substitute that is salt friendly is just what I am looking for.
I WILL use beef Better Than Bouillion paste, tho...

thanks!

[AsahinaKimi]

76. Beef Boulillon?

First of all its got a T O N of sodium. Secondly I can't eat anything beef, third...just because someone slaps something together does not make it Japanese Soy Sauce...

iie, iie, iie, chiagau! chigau!! chigaimasu!!

[rdharma]

87. I like Kikkoman "less sodium" but it still has 575mg sodium per tbsp.

If I could find something with NO sodium that tasted good, I'd go for it immediately!

The claim by Fukuoka Soy Sauce Brewing Company is that their soy sauce actually LOWERS BP.

http://www.imagesfood.com/News.aspx?Id=1713&topic=2

This may be just hype....... but I'd like to try it..... IF I can ever find it!

[AsahinaKimi]

92. I really don't know this product but

I can tell you who has the No Salt Soy Sauce.


http://www.nijiya.com/

[bitchkitty]

102. Soy sauce by definition is salty.

Salt-free soy tastes like shit. This is not soy sauce, but it is a substitute.

I don't eat any animal products. I just saw the recipe and posted it. That's why I said if I made it, I would sub my own vegetable stock. But even using beef bouillion would still contain much less salt than regular soy sauce.

Gomenasai.

[Atman]

95. Skip soy sauce altogether. Try this instead...

1 - What are Amino Acids?

Amino Acids are the building blocks of all our organs and tissues. They are also the building blocks from which different food proteins are constructed. When we eat a protein food, such as meat or soybeans, the natural hydrochloric acid in the stomach digests the protein, releasing the Amino Acids. They are the link between the food we eat and assimilation for our body tissue. Lack of adequate Amino Acids may make it impossible for the vitamins and minerals to perform their specific duties. [BACK]

2 - What is the difference between Bragg Liquid Aminos and regular Soy Sauce?

Bragg Liquid Aminos is a healthy alternative to Soy and Tamari sauce. No table salt or preservatives are added. [BACK]

3 - Are the soybeans used for Bragg Liquid Aminos genetically engineered?

Our Liquid Aminos are third party certified non-GMO. GMO soybeans are produced by Monsanto, and sold under the brand name Roundup Ready. These soybeans are altered to resist the herbicide glyphosate, and have been available since 1995. Bragg Live Foods buys its Liquid Aminos ingredients from a combine soy operation which, in turn, buys the soybeans from numerous sources in the central part of the United States. No Roundup Ready soybeans are purchased as part of this collective method, nore are they used in Bragg products. [BACK]

4 - If there is no salt in the Liquid Aminos, where does the salty taste come from?

The salty taste comes from the soybeans that are used to make Bragg Liquid Aminos. There is no salt added of any kind (land or sea). The naturally occurring sodium from the soybeans is approx. 160 mg. per 1/2 tsp. [BACK]

5 - Is it OK for a person on a low-salt or sodium diet to use Liquid Aminos?

It is OK for an individual on a low-salt or sodium diet to have small amounts of the Liquid Aminos (just a few teaspoons) a day for seasoning. Bragg Liquid Aminos are not recommended for persons on no-salt or sodium diets. [BACK]

http://bragg.com/products/la.html

(I have absolutely NO CONNECTION with this product! This isn't spam...I only posted it because it was on-topic about soy sauce and sodium)

[AsahinaKimi]

98. Sounds good but I will go with the Saltless Soy Sauce I had purchased once

From Nijiya Store. I am sure I could find it again, and its brewed in Japan.. YAY!

[rdharma]

107. Please post any info you can on this soy sauce.

I'm not near any Nijya Store. I checked the Nijiya Store web site and the only soy sauce listed that I can order online is 30% reduced sodium. I got the sads!

[AsahinaKimi]

108. I will post it here Once I find it..probably go there tomorrow

Its been a while since I have been over there, time to visit again.

[Atman]

111. The "salt-free" soy sauce I found online has MORE sodium

...than the Bragg's I posted. 200mg vs 160mg for the Bragg's -- which IS soy sauce, tastes exactly like regular soy sauce, but contains only the sodium which occurs naturally in the soy bean.

Don't be fooled by labels -- "Salt Free" merely means they don't ADD extra salt. But even salt free or low sodium soy sauce has MORE sodium the the soy aminos found in Bragg's.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

122. I've switched to that.. much better than soy sauce

and I use their raw apple cider vinegar every day.

[warrant46]

4. Yummy !!

</sarcasm>

[Buzz Clik]

6. Yes, that's horrible. Probably as bad or worse than fried butter on a stick.

But this:

deserves to be buried 20,000 leagues under the sea,

1. Long John Silver was from Treasure Island, not 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
2. 20,000 leagues was the distance traveled while submerged, not the depth at which they traveled. 20,000 leagues is about 60,000 miles, or roughly 8 times the diameter of the earth.

It was an attempt at cuteness gone wrong.

[AsahinaKimi]

10. okay I had to look this up...

Fried Butter on a stick? ...*runs away!*

[Buzz Clik]

11. Questions that immediately come to mind:

Why would some entrepreneur think this is a good idea?

Why would a human being look at a sign at the county fair advertising "Fried Butter on a Stick" and think, 'Why, yes! I'd like some fried butter on a stick.'

[AsahinaKimi]

50. I often wonder if there are worse items...

State Fairs are notorious for inventing the kind of food, that even animals would reject.

[Link Speed]

52. Why?

Beer, more than likely.

[NM_Birder]

56. NM State Fair had Deep Fried Snicker's Bars lol!

[Buzz Clik]

59. Yummy! "You think THAT tastes good? Try it after it's been breaded and fried!"

[NM_Birder]

61. I think they were breaded,

I'm no food pure-ist, I LOVE fried food. But the butter, snicker bars and ice cream are a bit much even for me.

[Jenoch]

8. That big catch has 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt in one meal.

[tech3149]

25. I probably consume less than that in a week!

[AsahinaKimi]

29. Lets hope they give you a free carton of Morton's Salt to go with that ...

You know, to take home.. **Crazy**

[closeupready]

12. So much junk and chemicals in fast food, and overpriced, that

you gotta wonder why more people don't brown bag lunch.

I'll eat some fast food, but I'm very picky about where and what. I don't think there are any LJS' in my vicinity but I put them on the same tier as White Castle - tasty and cheap, but unhealthy.

[AsahinaKimi]

14. Its almost like some of these food chains are saying...

I wonder how many customers we can kill a year? I wonder if they get a kick back from the Insurance companies?

[closeupready]

60. It's a conundrum, isn't it? Undoubtedly a puzzle with many explanations.

Most explanations probably being some different angle on simple greed. For example, trans fats help preserve food product longer, leading to lower losses due to spoilage. So rather than use more wholesome fats, they use trans fats. And that's just one explanation off the top of my head.

Give me a list of ingredients and how they are brought to market in a final product, and there will be many such ways in which the nutritious integrity of the basic foods that comprise the final product (fish, wheat, egg, lemon, oil, etc.) have been compromised (hydrogenated, GMO-sourced, animal products from factory farms, etc.).

I repeat, brown bagging is often the way to go.

[Jefferson23]

18. That should be illegal, at least in theory, lol. Scary levels of trans and saturated fat.

The sodium is off the charts...people who also drink soft drinks and diet drinks should reconsider and
switch to water.

Fresh fish needs so little to taste good imo.

[MineralMan]

19. Anyone concerned with their health should

not make a habit of eating that. Certainly, I would not eat it.

I would not, however, ban others from eating it, if they wished. It's not my place to tell people what to eat, frankly.

However, I would not name this as the worst restaurant meal, health-wise. That honor probably goes to The Admiral's Feast at Red Lobster. An entire, large plate of various battered, fried seafoods, along with a jumbo order of fries. And, those yummy, but unhealthful biscuits, too.

I am guilty of eating The Admiral's Feast on a few occasions. Sometimes, a guy just wants a big plate of greasy fried seafood. I'm still alive, despite that indiscretion, too.

[KamaAina]

20. It beat out Olive Garden??

[AsahinaKimi]

24. Imagine that!

[MindPilot]

26. Arr me mates thar be more ipecac than food.

Seriously with that much salt, does it even stay down?

[hatrack]

89. Hard a port, 'a yon raft of FRYES!!!!

Hold amidships, ye swabbie, while I projectile vomit to leeward, arrrgh!!

[kwassa]

30. Saturated fat is a much greater danger than salt, and there are other restaurant dishes much worse

including one that has almost twice as much salt as your example. See the bolded part below. Edit to add: LJS's fish dish in the OP has 19 grams of saturated fat, the Bistro Shrimp Pasta has 89 grams of saturated fat!


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/15/extreme-eating-awards/1834499/

Here's some of the nutrient information on the foods receiving the Xtreme Eating Awards, plus comments about them from CSPI nutritionists in the January/February Nutrition Action Healthletter:

- The Cheesecake Factory's Bistro Shrimp Pasta: 3,120 calories. "This dish has the dubious distinction of delivering more calories than any other entree on the menu."

- The Cheesecake Factory's Crispy Chicken Costoletta (lightly breaded chicken breasts) with mashed potatoes and asparagus: 2,610 calories. "It's like eating an entire KFC 12-piece Original Recipe bucket, except the KFC chicken has less saturated fat."

- Chili's Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs with Shiner Bock BBQ Sauce with fries and cinnamon apples: 2,330 calories. This has a "stunning four-day supply" of sodium (6,490 milligrams).

- Uno Chicago Grill's Deep Dish Macaroni and 3-Cheese: 1,980 calories. "It's not just the three cheeses (cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano). There's Alfredo sauce which is made from heavy cream, cheese, rendered chicken fat and butter. And four cups of pasta plus the crushed Ritz Cracker crumbs also do their share to boost the calorie load."

- IHOP's Country Fried Steak and Eggs combo which includes deep-fried steak (8 oz.) with gravy, two fried eggs, deep-fried potatoes, and two buttermilk pancakes: 1,760 calories. "Think of it as five McDonald's Egg McMuffins sprinkled with 10 packets of sugar."

- Maggiano's Little Italy's Veal Porterhouse (18. oz.) with crispy red potatoes: 2,710 calories. "You'd be better off eating four Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizzas."

[AsahinaKimi]

32. Maybe this a new Restaurant Trend....

Last edited Tue Jul 2, 2013, 05:37 PM - Edit history (1)

Kill off as many customers as you can... after all, its their choice, to eat what ever they want.

[kwassa]

43. Cheesecake Factory was one of the first chains to initiate massive portion sizes ...

I remember this from 20 years ago. Now, many chains do it because the actual food cost is one of the least of the expenses in running a restaurant.

Here is the full article, by the way, that both your quotes and mine come from. The restaurants make their excuses towards the end of the article.

http://www.cspinet.org/new/201307011.html

[spinbaby]

72. I think this is a purely American thing

I never see huge portions when I'm overseas. Also, I don't see so many deep-fried and overly sweet foods. I'm in Japan at the moment and yesterday picked up a quick bento at a convenience store--steamed fish, rice cooked with tiny red beans, a pickled green vegetable of some kind, a bit of omelet, kabocha, broccoli, chestnut, lotus, mushroom, tofu--tiny amounts of healthy food in a cheap and attractive package. Just try to get a healthy meal at an American convenience store.

[kwassa]

109. This sounds wonderful

I wish we could pick up convenience bento, too.

I get a great salmon teriyaki bento at a local restaurant.

[n2doc]

33. But it's Fish! Fish is Heathy! n/t

[AsahinaKimi]

34. The fish is healthy!!

Its how its prepared!!!

[GoCubsGo]

36. Legal crack.

The human brain is wired to love salt, fat, and sugar. It goes back to our hunter-gatherer days, when these were needed to survive. And, the food industry knows that. That's why all the junk food and fast food is loaded with them. Get people addicted to their shit, and that's all they want to eat.

[AsahinaKimi]

38. Wouldn't it just be simplier

To come out with a big piece of salted, sweetened piece of fat, that can be grilled or pan fried? Oh wait...

we have that...

[GoCubsGo]

44. You can even buy it coated with chocolate

I'm told it's good stuff, but I think it's a waste of good chocolate. (Not a huge bacon fan.)

[AsahinaKimi]

45. Its been a while since I was in a fast foot joint, but I don't recall ever seeing a

Bacon Fish burger. Just thinking of that makes my tummy uneasy.

[GoCubsGo]

48. Me, either.

From all the commercials I have been seeing, they sure do love to slap bacon and/or cheese on everything. I'm okay with cheese--in limited quantities. But, the way the smother everything with it makes me queasy, too. No bacon fish burger, but McD's puts cheese on their fish sammies. Meh.

[dixiegrrrrl]

64. Bacon!! The candy of meat......

[AsahinaKimi]

101. In this country, its certainly

seems that way

[Myrina]

37. Worse than KFC's "Double Down" ?

Whoa.

[AsahinaKimi]

39. I went by KFC yesterday...

I don't think they even have that any more. Maybe the owner grew a conscience.

[Myrina]

41. I certainly hope so!

That thing was a monstrosity!

So were their 'bowls' of pretty much everything in the restaurant, all smooshed together and covered in "gravy"..

[1-Old-Man]

40. Hmmm ... you know this may have a bit to do with both the side orders and the cooking method.

It ain't all the fish you know. those HushPuppies and Onion Rings suck up grease from the fryer like sponges and then there is that mystery coating on the fish to contend with.

As for the fish, it might have a good bit of mercury in it and god only knows what else but I doubt very seriously that is it the source of either the grease or the salt. Nope, look to that crispy coating as the culprit on the fish. Just keep this in mind, if it had been beef or pork they would have injected the meat with saltwater and flavorings after butchering and its anyone's guess what sort of preservative measure will have been taken with it. But fish, and more particularly salt water fish (the aforementioned Haddock) are simply caught, cleaned, and frozen with little to no additional processing,

Oh, I mentioned cooking method. If you fry things in grease (cooking oil) that is not hot enough many things will absorb a good bit of it; generally shoot for temperatures in the 275~300 F. range or hotter if your cooking oil can take it (don't let it drop as you add pieces) and it will go a long way toward keeping your grease level down.

[Arcanetrance]

42. That just looks terrible I don't really care for fried fish to begin with

I'm glad your out of the hospital I hope all works out with your heart

[AsahinaKimi]

46. Thank you...

I love fish, even battered fish, but just knowing about this, would make me want to stay far, far, far away from it. From now on, I would rather eat Sashimi, at least I would know the fish has not been salted. Plus in most restaurants, one can get the low sodium soy sauce or skip it all together.

[Arcanetrance]

47. I love sushi but sashimi I'm very selective on I really only eat it from two places

There's a lot that can go wrong so I really have to trust the place and people

[AsahinaKimi]

49. Here in San Francisco we have some excellent

Japanese restaurants, many which have won some very high awards for the way they prepare and serve dishes. Only the freshest fish is served, and anything left over at the end of the night is discarded and tossed. (Maybe that's why we have a large Seagull population, heh!) But there are some places I have been to and seen, that I totally trust with their preparation and presentation of food. The prices will always be high, but worth it.

[Arcanetrance]

51. Good food is always worth paying for

As a chef there's nothing I hate more than badly prepared food and people who complain about the price of something on the menu. If you could get it at X place for cheaper go there but most of the time the place they named isn't a place of quality in my opinion

[dixiegrrrrl]

66. Did you happen to see "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" doc?

It was glorious, and very educational about how good sushi is made.
Jiro is a Living Treasure of Sushi making.
his back story, slowly revealed, made my heart cry.

Link to movie site with preview... SO worth seeing!
http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/

[AsahinaKimi]

73. I know about this film... I had it bookmarked some where..

Eventually I will get to see it.

[duffyduff]

53. Who cares?

There is nothing worse than food fascists.

You aren't going to live longer or better being a vegan. I am sick and tired of this garbage being shoved down my throat by so-called "medical" people.

[Arugula Latte]

69. Why do you get so upset about information? No one is "shoving" anything down your throat.

If you choose to eat it, you're shoving "garbage" down your own throat. It's your choice, your funeral (maybe literally).

There's nothing wrong with groups and individuals disseminating information and knowledge about health and nutrition. Why does that make them "fascistic"? Are they standing in front of these restaurants stopping you from entering? I don't think so.

It sounds like you're defensive because other people make healthier choices. But shouldn't they have that option? What would be truly fascistic would be someone blocking this information from being disseminated.

The food people choose to eat does affect health, contrary to what you stated. I just had a friend die at a young age of a massive stroke. Obesity was the contributing cause. People can indeed live longer and better by eating more vegetables, fruit and lean protein and less saturated fat, sugar and sodium.

[AsahinaKimi]

82. Enjoy your short life...

Kampaii !!!

[NM_Birder]

54. I'll try one....witha diet coke. That'll even it out

[AsahinaKimi]

84. No Jack Daniels?

disappointing

[NM_Birder]

103. Anything worth drinking, doesn't get mixed with soda pop.....lol

[AsahinaKimi]

104. I meant instead of the Soda pop

[MADem]

55. That beats the McRib, at around 22 or 25 grams of transfats.

That thing is just...sickening...!!!

[Arcanetrance]

58. I think america should adopt this for restaurants

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/27/us-france-restaurants-idUSBRE95Q11G20130627

[BB1]

62. Restaurants?

Really? That's what people still call those ... ehhhm... haunted houses?

[SheilaT]

67. The really unfortunate thing is that it doesn't seem to occur to very many people

that they could actually cook their own meals from scratch. It rarely takes that long. And you have a lot more control over what you wind up eating.

[joeglow3]

68. Are they tying you down and force-feeding you?

They are simply providing a product people want. The bigger issue is why so many people are incapable of making good choices on their own.

[Arugula Latte]

70. What's wrong with letting people know calorie counts and fat content and the like?

They can make informed choices. Nothing wrong with that.

[joeglow3]

93. Agreed

It was in response to the comment that food companies are consciously trying to kill people.

[AsahinaKimi]

100. I don't really believe they are

consciously trying to kill people, but geeze their caviler attitude to how food is prepared makes one stop and wonder. Oh sure, at some state fair, someone will try and push the limit of what is considered good taste.. its almost like they do it for entertainment, but you have to wonder about big corporations who consciously make sure their is a ton of sodium in their food...its almost like they have made a secret deal with the Insurance companies who want to profit on big Hospitals admitting people for their poor choice in their eating habits. Than there is the fact, that its less expensive to hit up a fast food place, than go to the supermarket and buy really fresh produce.

In Places like Los Angeles, a neighborhood might have a ton of convenience stores rather than a supermarket, and the guy coming home from a long day of work, doesn't want to spend time in the kitchen, so he will stop at a McDonald's and brings home burgers and Fries. Its so simple, no dishes to wash, no food to prepare, and it will fill him up.

[Flatulo]

71. I have to believe that 'food' like this is at least part of the

reason we have the highest medical costs in the world.

[wickerwoman]

124. Oh come on. It's fish and chips.

They've been eating the same thing in Britain for a hundred years at least.

There's no way this is even close to "the worst meal in America". At least the fish has something approaching nutritive value.

By contrast (from http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/):


Grilled Cheese Chocolate Chip Sandwich


Pizza Fries


Denny's Fried Cheese Melt (that's fried mozzarella sticks in a grilled cheese sandwich)


The Pizza Hut Double Roll Pizza

A pizza with a hot dog wrapped in bacon pigs in a blanket crust. The center is filled with italian sausage, ham, bacon, bacon bits, sliced tomato, mushroom, onion, peppers, garlic chips, basil, black pepper and tomato sauce. It can also be flavored with maple syrup and ketchup

[Flatulo]

128. It's more about the portion size. In the US, restaurants usually serve a portion that contains

a day's worth of calories, fat and sodium.

One meal like this has several days worth of saturated and trains fats, which are proven to contribute to cardiovascular diseases. The ideal amount of trams fats to consume is zero, as the liver cannot process them.

Fats are an essential part of the human diet, but the fats used in fast food are usually animal fats, which are far less healthy than plant-based, or monosaturated fats, like olive oil.

[wickerwoman]

134. Have you had fish and chips in Britain?

Honestly, that LJS fillet in the OP looks a bit small and most chippies in the UK give you two fillets on a literal mound of chips.

I'm not saying it's health food. I'm saying it's not the reason Americans are fat or unhealthy (as opposed to people from other countries).

And in terms of saturated fat and salt content you could find literally thousands of French or Italian restaurants that serve meals that would blow that fish fillet out of the water.

It's not the one meal. It's the context of your whole diet and how much exercise you get. If we still walked everywhere and gardened vigorously and 60-70% of our calories came from fruit and vegetables we grew ourselves, then the odd mountain of fish and chips wouldn't do us any real harm.

[Fire Walk With Me]

74. Holy crap...

[rdking647]

75. nothing forces you to eat that

its a persons choice if they want to eat it. and its really none of anyone else's business

[alfredo]

81. I ate there once about 30 years ago, and the fillet was mostly fish flavored batter. It

was hard to tell the difference between the grease soaked batter and the grease soaked "fish."

[REP]

83. God that looks good (and I almost never eat fast food)

My blood pressure is obscenely low: 93/41 last week, and I was gently reminded again to try to get the top number in the three digits and to eat more salt. I don't like hush puppies and I could skip the onions, but a big vinegary piece of fried fish sounds really tasty. Damn you, DU! I'll have to go to a Mom-and -Pop fish and chips place; we don't have LJS here.

[AsahinaKimi]

86. You would probably be better off going

to a Mom and Pop Fish n chips place, especially, if they make it the English way. We had a great one down by Fisherman's Wharf, in fact even if you peeled off the batter, the fish would make you roll your eyes...it was that good.

[REP]

94. Hybrid English-Asian - so good fish, light crunchy batter!

It's supposed to be English style, but their batter is much lighter - not quite tempura, but between English batter and tempura. It's fantastic! It's in a tiny corner of a tiny strip mall in Scummyvale.

[AsahinaKimi]

97. I love Tepura...

I had some last night, and yeah, that sounds awesome!

[Silent3]

120. Fried fish of any sort doesn't often appeal to me, but...

...to be honest, I actually like the taste of LJS's fried fish better than most of the local restaurants here in NH and the surrounding area. The local fried fish is generally boring and bland. There something in the seasoning of LJS's batter (yeah, probably artificial ingredients and a heaping portion of salt) that works for me much more than the traditional New England stuff.

[sibelian]

90. Ha! try THIS

YUM.

My other national dish after haggis.

So bad for you and SO TASTY.

[jmowreader]

112. What's the green stuff? Guacamole?

[sibelian]

135. Nothing so posh! Mushy peas!

Even more unhealthy! lol

[closeupready]

133. Now THAT looks good! The fries are underdone, though.

[AverageJoe90]

91. I don't see the big deal, TBH.....n/t

[Initech]

96. Ha ha ha ha. If that's the worst meal I laugh.

How about Pink's Poli Bacon Burrito Dog:



Or Chompie's Jewish Sliders:



Or the infamous "Texas Toothpick" :



Or the "Nice To Meat You" Burger:

[AsahinaKimi]

99. All of those probably do not have the same amount of Sodium

As the fish..3,700 milligrams of sodium. (That is a lot of salt!) Granted, I am sure the Cholesterol is high, and fat contents. The sodium may even be high, but not as high as the fish.

[customerserviceguy]

105. Ok, we get it

You don't like the way other people like to eat, and enjoy passing judgment on it. How about I start an anti-tofu thread to knock your choices?

Aw, forget it, I don't have any more time for food elitists...

[AsahinaKimi]

106. Eat what you want Customerserviceguy....

No one Here cares!! Seriously... No one will stand in your face with a shot gun and make you eat tofu burgers.. Enjoy all your food, eat as much as you want... seriously, dude, PIG OUT!!! enjoy it!!

[kwassa]

110. So, you have no time for health. Go for it.

Health is such an elitist concept, after all. Only the elites get healthy choices.

[customerserviceguy]

116. People who knock other people's

customs, dress, mannerisms, and dietary choices endlessly, like the OP, who seems to have to chime in on every response to her OP, strike me as elitist. "My choices are right, yours are SOOOOO wrong!" is the attitude I see.

It really doesn't matter what aspect of lifestyle we're talking about, the gist is that those who choose differently, for whatever reason, are inferior. Look at the way I was mocked, by the false comparison of a fish dinner with some sort of cheeseburger served up on Krispy Kremes as buns. That's the sign of someone who's threatened by other people having free choice.

[kwassa]

119. I think you are projecting wildly.

The OP writer just got out of the hospital with a major heart ailment.

The issue she writes about is completely legitimate. Many health conditions are entirely preventable. We live in a society where obesity is rampant, and restaurants and food manufacturers exploit cravings for fats and sugars. One major medical insurance group said that 40% of their costs are treatment of type 2 diabetes, a lifestyle disease of bad diet and no exercise. Cardiovascular disease is mostly brought on by a bad diet. It is also the leading cause of death.

Choosing unhealthy food is an inferior choice. It is a valid value judgement. I didn't see the OP judging at all, simply pointing out facts.

[AsahinaKimi]

129. I am so touched you think that I qualify for a personal attack!!

[Apophis]

121. Wow.

How is avoiding something with 3,700 mg of sodium and 33 g of trans fat "elitist?"

Now I've heard it all.

[customerserviceguy]

126. If it had just been an OP

with an occasional comment, it might have just been a story. But the OP feels the need to check in on every response, saying the same thing over and over again. Sounds like someone with a real problem with other people's choices.

[AsahinaKimi]

130. YES THE OP DOES chose to check every repsonse..because its a Conversation....

That is how a discussion board operates... things are discussed. I posted the story...so its mine to play with. When you start your own op, be it about TOFU or whatever, feel free to just post and run... or Post and talk about it..with everyone. That is how it works on DU. I don't know how long you have been on here, but this is how it works.

[u4ic]

113. Salt, Sugar, Fat

How the Food Giants Hooked Us: http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Sugar-Fat-Giants-Hooked/dp/1400069807

[jmowreader]

114. Come on, they're not even trying

Try a simple meal of two Five Guys bacon cheese dogs and a regular order of fries...

2343 calories
137g total fat, of which 51g is saturated fat
4362 mg sodium

And your local greasy spoon is almost certain to come up with something worse...there's this place called Roger's Burgers in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, that features a french fry that seems to be cooked by being boiled in 212-degree oil until it gets limp. These things leave a puddle of oil in the bottom of the container. And people around here love the fucking things; Roger's is always, always, the winner of our "Best French Fries" award in the "Best of Cd'A" contest we run every year.

[Silent3]

115. What matters more than any particular meal is your general dietary habits

Last edited Tue Jul 2, 2013, 11:32 PM - Edit history (1)

If this sort of thing is only an occasional "treat" (I use the scare quotes because I can see many people here are more disgusted than tempted by this meal) in an otherwise fairly healthy diet, eaten by someone who also gets adequate exercise, I don't see that it's a big deal. The scariest part is the trans fat, since you'd be overboard on trans fats on a longer term just by eating this twice per month.

Of course, if you eat this on Monday, half of a large pizza on Tuesday, a Big Mac, large fries and a shake on Wednesday, a slew of Taco Bell tacos on Thursday, and everyone of those days you stop at Dunkin for muffins and coffee laden with sugar and cream, and hardly ever see any fresh vegetables that whole time... then you're in a shitload of trouble.

The poison is in the dose.

[customerserviceguy]

118. Indeed

Eating this kind of thing for every meal is asking for some trouble. However, that fish looks tempting to me although I wouldn't do a portion size like that more than once a month.

Thanks for the injection of reason into this thread!

[Blue Owl]

117. Lard Ho!

Is it more heart attacks ye be needin?

[idwiyo]

127. American version of Fish & Chips. Meh.

[Buns_of_Fire]

131. Hmmph. Amateurs. If you REALLY want to go for The Big One,

head to Las Vegas' Heart Attack Grill: http://www.heartattackgrill.com/

P.S. RIP, Mr. Alleman: http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/13/nation/la-na-nn-unofficial-spokesman-heart-attack-grill-dies-of-heart-attack-20130213