I’m not a fast-food restaurant regular so I was a bit shocked by the headline of today’s story. When time is short I know there won’t be any surprises if I stop at a McDonald’s or Burger King but I really prefer my local Italian restaurant. So, am I making a big mistake?

What about you? Would you be as surprised as I was? Do you have any doubts about how good fast food is?

Read and think about today’s story then label the following statements either (T) true or (F) false.

1. ____ Lamb passanda, an Indian curry dish, has fewer calories than Chinese sweet and sour pork with egg-fried rice.
2. ____ Thai cuisine is healthy, even Thai green curry with coconut milk and rice has fewer calories than a Burger King sausage breakfast with all the trimmings.
3. ____ One serving of lasagna has more fat than a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder.
4. ____ Mexican food could be very good for you, except that there is too much fat in the side dishes.
5. ____ A serving of chicken tikka masala, by itself, has 860 calories, more than a Burger King sausage breakfast with all the trimmings.

Whopper most healthy Take-aways and restaurant meals are a health nightmare, British nutritionists said, noting that a cheeseburger with fries was often a healthier alternative than some Italian or Chinese dishes. Chinese cuisine is the worst offender in the fat and calorie stakes while Thai food is based on a blueprint for healthy eating, according to a Health Which? report. Mexican food has the potential to be really good for you, but it falls down on its fat-laden sauces. Indian food does not fare any better — chicken tikka masala may be Britain's best-loved dish, but it is certainly not the healthiest, with one helping and rice clocking up 860 calories. And Italian food, long thought to be the bastion (safe place) of healthy cuisine, can let down the health-conscious diner. Which? found that one portion of lasagne contains 45 grammes of fat — more than a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries. Which? said Britain spent around $2 billion (90 billion baht) a year on take-aways with half the population eating out more than once a month. Researchers compared typical meals from Chinese, Indian, Thai, Italian and Tex-Mex menus and looked at levels of fat, sugar, fibre and sodium. Foods to avoid include Chinese sweet and sour pork with egg-fried rice which contains 1,330 calories. Lamb passanda with pilau rice packs a massive 990 calories, half a woman's recommended daily allowance. Even Thai green curry with coconut milk and rice contains 740 calories and 39 grammes of fat — more than a Burger King sausage breakfast with all the trimmings. — dpa

Don't stop with one story

So, now that you know what the article says, do you have questions that are not answered by the story? What about the other foods available at an Italian, Chinese or Indian restaurant? Are any of them any better for you than the whopper, Quarter Pounder or sausage breakfast?

In the search for information, we certainly have to give credit to the fast-food restaurant chains. They do a very good job providing nutrition information about their products – available on the Internet. Here are two web sites to start with:

• http://www.mcdonalds.com/countries/usa/food/nutrition_facts/ From this site you have to download a file to read the nutrition information, but it’s fast, free and very useful.
• 
  http://www.burgerking.com/nutri tion/ntables.htm Here you’ll be able to choose from a menu of types of BK products: such as burgers, sandwiches or breakfast foods and find the nutrition content by category (calories, fat, salt, fibre) of each.

What are the calorie and fat values for McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries and for the Whopper mentioned in the story?

It’s a bit harder to find nutrition information about foods like lasagna and chicken tikka masala especially since each cook makes them differently. However, if you use a search engine like <google.com> and type in "lasagna nutrition information" you’ll get a variety of links to check out. Many of them are just recipes, so read the summaries to make sure you’re getting the nutritional information you need.

So, is the Whopper really the most healthy? Maybe it depends on what it is compared with. The important thing is to be informed so you can make good choices wherever you eat. And remember to ask a few questions about anything you read.