According to the FoodSwitch: State of the Fast Food Supply report, which assessed the healthiness of Australian fast food products in 2019, Red Rooster's Bacon and Cheese Rippa roll "combo" packs the most energy of quick-service chain meals with 7730 kilojoules per serving, or 89 per cent of the recommended average ...
“McDonald's has been the market leader throughout this time and continues to hold its advantage with the 'Golden Arches' having over 8.1 million customers during 2020 well ahead of the second-placed Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) with 6.8 million.
The report showed that Hungry Jacks was the worst offender in the single burger category. Its Double Angus Smokey BBQ burger provides a whopping 64 percent of daily energy intake and an alarming 87 percent of your daily salt allowance.
The research found that the calories, saturated fat and salt included within the items differed slightly in different countries — with Australia being deemed one of the most 'calorific' McDonald's in the world.
While chicken is an obvious Men's Health staple, KFC's reliance on greasy oils and subsequent sky-high calorific content makes Maccy's an unlikely victor. The more varied menu and healthy options, as well as classic, gut-busting fare, make it the ideal spot to play fast and loose with your nutrition plan.
Subway topped the list with 48/100, with researchers suggesting it could do better by phasing out free soft drink refills. Domino's Pizza was the bottom of the pack with just 3/100, scoring zero in each category except for nutrition labelling and transparency in its corporate relationships.
Weighing up between the chicken outlets and asking yourself, “Is Red Rooster healthier than KFC?” Well, Red Rooster certainly has the benefit of offering roast chicken as opposed to fried. That means the chicken is not being cooked in oil, and that's better for you.
A medium portion of fries has more calories at 337 and only 3.3g of protein. When it comes to carbs, the burger has 31g while the fries have a whopping 42g. The chips do have a little more saturated fat at 3g compared with 1.5g for the burger.
The consumer organisation Choice says with 80.5 grams of fat, 2.3 grams of sodium and 5085 kilojoules, the burger accounts for nearly sixty per cent of an adult's recommended daily kilojoule intake. That puts it at the top of the list for unhealthy fast food.
Sausage sizzle
Staple of the family barbecue, the voting booth, the local footy field and the Bunnings carpark, the humble snag sanga is undoubtedly Australia's most iconic lunchtime snack.
Believe it or not, Australia's most popular food is chicken parmigiana. That's right - the Italian-American favorite that has been a favorite of many a family household is one of the most popular pub menu items in this country.
The dishes of KFC are mostly deep-fried and are made using tons of oil. So, the regular consumption of KFC can make you gain weight. Therefore, continuous consumption of fast food, chicken, and meat that too with excess oil can lead to heart and fat-related issues.
Madagascar had the WORST SCORE in terms of food quality. An average of 79% of people's consumption is derived from nutrient-poor cereals, roots and tubers, compared to a global average of 47%. It also tied with India in the THIRD WORST POSITION for undernourishment levels.
Although low in total calories, a burger is higher in fat content than pizza slices. Regular intake of food rich in fats can lead to obesity increasing risk of lifestyle diseases such as heart conditions, diabetes and hypertension.
For example, a single hamburger contains 500 calories, 25 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, 10 grams of sugar, and 1,000 milligrams of sodium, which is enough to cause havoc in your system. After 15 minutes of your first bite of burger, you will experience a massive surge of glucose.
Nutritionist Emily Field, explains that the protein in a burger keeps you full, while carbohydrates give you energy, and fat helps you absorb vitamins and minerals. So, if you eat two burgers, you're getting more amounts of these, which will keep you fuller for longer, and also stop you binging later in the day.
“Go for grilled dishes over fried; chicken and fish over fattier meats, like lamb; tomato or veggie sauces rather than creamy ones; and steamed rice over fried,” advises Laura. She also suggests avoiding sides and other add ons unless they're vegetables as well as eating mindfully and being aware of portion sizes.
Looking at the overall meal, the Subway meal in terms of protein and sugar was slightly healthier than McDonald's and provided more vegetables, however it was higher in sodium. Remember both meals contributed the same total number of calories but on top of that, it was a large amount of calories.
1. Chipotle. "My favorite fast-food restaurant is Chipotle because they offer a nice assortment of meal options with fresh ingredients," says Kimberley Wiemann, MS, RDN, a Long Island, NY-based dietitian.