Hi Everyone,
If you were a fit and healthy 25 year old that had just finished a 10km run that evening, which of the two following options would be better for your health:
a/ A regular Big Mac meal or
b/ No dinner that night.
I was having this discussion and disagreement with a colleague recently, so I present you with the choice.
Please let me know your thoughts
I am a fan of cheeky maccas runs too though.
Idk why there is no pig out on a 12 pack Krispy Kreme donuts from 711 option
Need KFC option, During the COVID lockdown/WFH, I walked to KFC regularly for exercise and had kfc and I got pretty fit compared to pre covid.
Maccas: while it isn't the best or 'healthiest' meal after a run, it's something to give you energy such as carbs and make you less fatigued, tired, hungry etc….
it's something to give you energy such as carbs
By calories, fat and protein eclipses it’s carbs.
Zinger fillet box
With a side of wicked wings ? 🥺
And a 600ml coke to wash it down.
Diet coke* gotta watch those calories ;)
Think you mean Pepsi mate
This is the way.
This is the only way
Neither.
Stop being lazy and cook a decent meal. You can make some pasta with sauce in about 45 minutes max. Add a salad to get your vegetable intake.
Seriously… what the f**k is it with this site and Maccas/KFC? 75% of users on here seem to think that eating your way into a lifetime of type-2 diabetes/cancer/cardiovascular issues is perfectly acceptable because they're saving a few bucks a meal with some vouchers/promos. I can't remember the last time I ate any of that Frankenfood garbage.
It never ceases to amaze me how the average Australian finds simple home-cooking to be as mystifying as quantum physics.
but it tastes good
Lol, not gonna lie - I love it when you vent and just go off on a tangent
Haha too good
You get this angry about what other people eat? Damn dude, you must be constantly peed off, must suck.
You shouldn't make such assumptions. Op might work until 8pm, run 10km each night, go to bed at 10pm only to waking up at 6 for work, so doesn't have time to cook each night.
Sir, this is a Macdonald 🤠
Make it at home, tastes way better and costs way less and easier than going out.
https://usafoods.com.au/products/louisiana-crispy-seasoned-c…
make your own mix for a tenth of the price, at home
Nope, maccas is disgusting if you are used to unprocessed food.
Very subjective. I'm not used to processed foods at all and often feel gross afterwards. At the time though I have no regrets and absolutely love it.
@PR0r: That gross feeling could be because of your spike in blood sugar and/or overload of sodium causing dehydration.
Stop being lazy and cook a decent meal
How very ableist of you. Cooking is not easy for many people, for a variety of reasons.
Regardless of whether this is the reason for OP querying which is better, this mindset of “not cooking means you’re lazy” has to stop.
I’ve spoken here before about my depression impacting my ability to do things that others find “simple”, like cooking dinner. Both exercise and eating are really important for my depression, but some days, both exercising and cooking is impossible. So I choose to exercise and get something to eat that involves little effort on my part. Sometimes takeaway, sometimes prepared meals from the supermarket, sometimes freezer meals. Eating something is better than nothing.
Before I accepted this reality, I wouldn’t exercise and wouldn’t cook, just living off cereal for dinner or no food at all. My health spiralled - it was appalling. Much worse than the occasional takeaway I have now.
Whatever.
My point is there's dozens of better options out there besides goddamned Maccas and KFC. Those should be the absolute last resort for any sane individual especially someone who's apparently concerned with trying to stay healthy.
This site's love affair with garbage fast food needs to be called out because people normalise this habit as some kind of unavoidable fact of life when the majority of adults are perfectly capable of cooking their own meals, it's just that they're so used to instant-gratification conveniences in every aspect of their lives.
Eating something is better than nothing.
I'd actually argue eating nothing is better than eating fast food. Most Western adults suffer from an excessive caloric surplus anyway and would benefit from some intermittent fasting.
I wouldn’t exercise and wouldn’t cook, just living off cereal for dinner or no food at all. My health spiralled - it was appalling. Much worse than the occasional takeaway I have now.
Once again, fast food is not a pathway to any kind of improved, overall health. There are plenty of alternatives.
Thanks captain edge lord.
@Mechz: So what's your advice, genius?
Advocate that everyone do their part to contribute to the skyrocketing rates of ill health in Western adults and the associated economic/societal burden on everyone, by shovelling more overly-processed crap down their gullets and abdicating all personal responsibility and agency in their lives because something something it's never my fault something something eternal victimhood complex?
Lol, how fragile people are when their sh*tty life choices are placed under scrutiny.
The majority of people are not eating too much fast food because they're "not able" to cook healthy meals for themselves or lack other options.
They're eating too much crap because of their own lifestyle choices. End of discussion.
Sadly though, in today's world advocating for healthy living may as well be some radically controversial theory because the mainstream consensus appears to be that no one is responsible for their own lives anymore, no one should feel shame/regret for making poor choices nor take personal responsibility to better themselves in anyway. It's all too hard, we're all entitled to unreasonable standards of convenience/leisure and we need someone else to do the hard work for us.
@Gnostikos: It's just a stupid forum post, relax. Being so stressed is also not healthy for you too.
@Gnostikos: It's not always just about the diet. Your ancestors may have passed on their dodgy genes and then there is stress, pollution, etc
Your ancestors may have passed on their dodgy genes
Clearly he got the angry genetics lol
While your advice is very obviously correct, replying to someone who opens up about the difficulties they face in everyday life due to depression with "whatever" is incredibly scummy.
I wonder why people have such a hard time opening up about their mental health in this country…
Also, what is your goal in writing these posts? I'm sure you aren't hoping to take on the full-time role of social worker, but are you hoping people listen to your advice and change, even marginally? Writing so aggressively and belittling others is a terrible way to convince people to change - it generally provokes defensive behaviour instead of prompting them to really think about it. It does get you likes though - so if that's your goal, good job I guess!
But I'm just a "crazy PC liberal", so feel too ignore me…
Not sure of your tone, but I dont think it is fair to call someone ableist just because they are answering a general question with a general answer.
Most people are not like you and have depression.
I think it is a clear consensus that in the developed world, cooking has unjustifiably become relegated to the 'too hard basket'. In a matter of 10 years we have seen people not only stop eating home-cooked food, but cant even get off their butts to get the takeaway, hence all those delivery riders.
Oh come off it. We’re talking about a healthy 25yo who just ran 10km not you.
I don't see that option in the poll :/
Sometimes I just want a burger without trying to buy 100g of mince beef and a single burger bun (or baking it myself).
Chill, stress will kill you.
45 minutes to cook dinner? I've got better things to do than slave away in a kitchen.
45 minutes for pasta and sauce?! 15 minutes maximum!
Stop being lazy
OP has just run 10 kilometres.
I rarely eat McDonalds, and never eat KFC. However, I'm not sure that Maccas as really as unhealthy as you suggest. If you get one of the more expensive burgers like an Angus Cheesy burger, you are getting Australian-grown beef, cheese, tomato, lettuce, bacon, and bread. That covers a bunch of food groups, and has a decent amount of protein. I expect many people eat worse than this when they cook at home.
McDonald's is no more unhealthy than any other takeaway. People just each too much because it's calorie dense and engineered to be addictive
A McDonald's burger on it's own is fine as a meal. The unhealthy people aren't just eating 1 burger
Are you sure they are engineered to be addictive? I probably go once or twice a year if there's a good promo AND i have no easy option at the time. After every single time, i tell myself this is the most i would ever pay and even at this special promo price, i don't feel like i want to come back any time soon
@dji1111111: Just because you aren't addicted doesn't mean anything. I can smoke a cigarette and not smoke another, doesn't mean cigarettes aren't addictive.
The food is designed by food scientists, not chefs.
@greatlamp: Maybe then it's not that addictive? I'm sure if i dabbed myself in highly addictive medication of some sort, it would be out of my control and i would crave it. After all, that is the definition of addictive
@dji1111111: No you are being reductive. You don't become addicted to a substance after only one exposure to it. That doesn't mean it is not addictive.
People don't become addicted to opioids or benzos after one dose, it would be ridiculous to suggest they are not addictive.
Have a look at the ingredients in McDonald's french fries. They include dextrose, a sugar that is normally found in fruit and honey - not on its own, but combined with other sugars. There is no natural food that contains dextrose, fat, and salt.
@greatlamp: I think you're being a bit of a conspiracy theorist here. Food is generally addictive, and most animals are programmed (via their DNA) to constantly crave certain types of food (energy). Some foods (such as sugars) are very addictive, but they're not on the level of extremely addictive substances like alcohol, nicotine and heroin. Even someone addicted to sugar can easily go without it.
At this level of addictiveness, I don't think it would be worth the effort of companies to focus on trying to make their food any more addictive than most food already is. What they likely focus on is appealing to the taste buds of common customer populations (such as teenagers), as well as convenience, cost, image, etc. The most devious thing I know food companies are doing with regard to addictive substances is putting caffeine in soft drinks.
There is almost certainly a line somewhere that food companies cannot cross without being raided by regulatory authorities like FDA and put in jail. Pretty sure most food companies would want to avoid that. It's also important to make a distinction between craving something (like I crave some bacon and eggs, tomatoes and toast right now), and developing a substance dependence. Real addiction is where your body literally doesn't function properly without something. This can happen with extreme alcohol abuse, and abuse of other substances like heroine, and even with caffeine, your brain may not function as well if you suddenly withdraw from heavy coffee drinking.
Old man yells at cloud.gif
Not always laziness, some people work pretty hard on their career and do 10+ hour days. Suggesting that they spend half their free time remaining on weeknights to cook isn’t realistic.
To cook a good number of decent meals you’re only saving $5-$7 for almost an hours worth of your time, sometimes it’s just not worth it
Pasta and sauce with salad doesn't fulfil protein needs after a run.
It doesn't really matter. The idea that you need to get all your protein needs immediately after exercise is broscience.
But a plate of pasta isn't any healthier than a burger. I would argue that it is more carbohydrate dense, which contradicts the supposed benefit of having that over the burger.
It was said that having the burger will make you diabetic, I wonder if the pasta with sauce won't get you to develop diabetic in a similar amount of time.
@munecito: It's hard to say yes or no to that without defining healthy. If you only care about calories, they are about the same. I would argue it is still much better to eat pasta regularly rather than a big mac.
A big mac and a large plate of pasta with sauce and cheese would have basically the same calorie density, however they are very different metabolically.
Pasta is low GI, it won't spike insulin like the bread in the Big Mac will. Also, the Big Mac contains a significant amount of saturated fat which is known to be harmful. The difference in protein is less than 5g, hardly worth the additional 15g fat in the Big Mac.
Why so arrogant?
Duh. The point of the hypothetical question is obviously the “bad” option vs nothing.
Whoosh
Well not burger king..
Burger King accused of misleading customers over the size of Whoppers on menus
The Whopper maker is in a pickle as a judge says it must defend itself against claims its burgers are less whopper sized and more like minnows.
I’ve lied about the size of my whopper.
Are you lying?
Nar your farts are pretty bad.
Iunno if your fit and healthy and train that much just eat what u want fams
big mac meal, swap fries for salad.
Not a nutritionist, but I thought it was important to have a post-workout meal. Eating something is definitely preferable to eating nothing after a workout.
I've seen some Tiktoks and reddit posts from gymbros promoting Mcdonalds as a cheap way of getting your macro nutrients (as an alternative to drinking bodybuilding supplements) but here in Australia, Maccas isn't really that cheap and you're likely not getting much protein out of a regular Mcchicken burger, and there's probably too much sodium overall.
The fries and drink are probably your biggest enemy when it comes to the correct nutrient intake though. Replace that with mineral water or unflavoured soda and garden salad and you might be on the right track. (again, I'm not a nutritionist)
The McDouble is the most nutritionally perfect food ever created by man.
When I used to count calories, maccas was in there every few weeks. Good details on the breakdown of macros and a really wide variety in what you can get. Drop the fries for the salad, get water and the burger is perfectly fine to eat (sodium aside). Most of the time it didn't even come on a cheat day.
The only source of fitness, nutrition, and health information should be derived from OzBargain polls 🍔
This might be the silliest question asked on OZB. Which is better, eating a delicious McDonald's meal or starving!?
mcspicy
Classic Angus 🥺
I'm not sure why people still go for big mac/or mac chicken, That like worst burger offering from Maccas unless its comes with a deal. Their Angus range is a way to go, especially the current cheesy Angus.
Is it better than a quarter pounder?
Quarter pounder is like massive cheese buger, Angus range is way better.
OK. I'll try it during the next school hols
"Massive" lol
And if i dont like beef?
If I'm at Maccas, I'm not really there for quality. There's something comforting and nostalgic in the tangy taste of a Big Mac. If I want a quality burger, I'll go elsewhere..
People love to hate on maccas. And yet it's still massively popular so…
Anyway in love me some Mac d. App deals ftw
run 10km to maccas, eat a regular Big Mac meal, run 10km home.
it's "carbon" neutral
If you're a plant then maybe it might be.
Finally, someone asking the important questions.
Depends on what your goals are.
Muscle gain > Eat maccas
Weight loss > eat nothing
Still better off eating something healthy though
I'd still something to avoid a pounding headache the next morning.
Fair enough. Interesting that happens to you though, does not happen to me. Everyone's body is different!
Man needs to stop drinking booze after his runs
@Gnostikos
Stop being lazy and cook a decent meal.
what the f**k is it with this site and Maccas/KFC?
last resort for any sane individual
eating nothing is better than eating fast food
more overly-processed crap down their gullets
that no one is responsible for their own lives anymore
This sounds even more strident than do the Christians/atheists in the free bible discussion.
Your expression of moral outrage, and whiff of superiority-odour undermine your possibly quite legitimate points.
It seems that on almost every thread where fast food is mentioned, super-healthy purists emerge from the woodwork, and seek to preach their wholesome sermon.
You know what? It's tiresome.
Every sentient adult knows that fast food is perhaps non-optimal for complete dietary requirements. And we make choices.
Now… addressing the OP's orginal question (and not detouring into a tirade on the evils of commercialised and processed food, and how physically and morally superior I am by not indulging in it)… there seem to be some sensible responses here re: a burger, zero-calorie drink and salad.
Need an eat KFC poll option.
Another outrage right here @Jimothy Wongingtons