Health Check Endorsing McDonald's?

News came out this week that the Heart and Stroke Foundation will be offering up it’s signature “Health Check” to various restaurant chains and fast food restaurants in Canada, including McDonald’s.

My two cents: First off, the guidelines to meet the Health Check requirements are not strict enough. A meal with 720mg (!) of sodium still meets the Health Check criteria. Sure, maybe there are SOME foods on a McDonald’s menu that are nutritionally sound - such as a salad with light dressing (does McD’s even have light dressing?), grilled chicken, a bottle of water, and an apple. Great meal! But I ask you - how many people actually order that when they go to McDonald’s? Not many. My thought is that the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Heart Check program should not be affiliated with restaurants where more than 75% of items are high in fat and salt, and low in vegetables and fiber. It just doesn’t make sense. In my mind, this decreases the credibility of the Health Check.

Have your own opinion? Go to the Foundation’s website to fill out a brief survey on their website and give them your two cents on the issue.

This is just another reason why it's important to learn to read labels and do the deciding for yourself when it comes to foods.

Thanks to Dr. Yoni Freedhoff at Weighty Matters for the story.

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