We all love a good fast food restaurant from time to time. People tend to believe that a stigma is associated with eating food from the likes of McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King.
In this article, we are going to discuss the following: Are McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets Healthy? Or are they as bad as what some people say?
The Stigmas of The Fast Food Industry
Due to the overconsumption of journalism and television, the fast food industry is often depicted as unhealthy and slightly on the grotesque side.
How true is this statement? From the likes of you and I, we hear so many different things about McDonald’s chicken nuggets – on one end of the spectrum, we have people who believe that they are relatively healthy to eat, whereas others believe quite the opposite.
So, who do we believe?
Of course, every fast food industry comes with a stigma, and to you and I, we know that eating fast food is not the healthiest of choices. Does this choice really hurt from time to time?
Let’s take a look at some information about McDonald’s, and whether or not we should believe this controversial rumor that their chicken nuggets should be a no-go.
Mcdonald’s Chicken Nugget Nutritional Facts
The best way to sum up whether chicken nuggets from McDonald’s are good or bad is to look at the nutrition facts.
Based on 10 chicken nuggets, the following facts can be obtained:
- There are 440 calories;
- 55% of those calories come from fats;
- There are 26 grams of total carbohydrates;
- There are 75 milligrams of cholesterol.
As you can see, the nutritional facts for McDonald’s chicken nuggets do not look promising. Although they are not great, you could state that there are still a lot of other foods out there equally (or worse) than chicken nuggets from this fast food establishment.
The Perception of Chicken Nuggets
Turning the above perception on its head, a popular slimming establishment brands McDonald’s chicken nuggets as being ‘healthy’. So, who do we believe now? McDonald’s is said to be branding this slimming establishment in order to promote certain McDonald’s food choices to its customers.
This is slightly bizarre (and may even be concerning) if, in actual fact, McDonald’s is as bad as people say.
The Mcdonalds Chicken Nugget, Revamped
Back in 2016, McDonald’s was said to be revamping the popular chicken nugget choice in the hopes to provide a healthier food choice. Even with this change, McDonald’s is still heavily scrutinized by its customers and health experts with regards to determining how healthy they are.
Based on this revamp, McDonald’s chicken nuggets are now said to be:
- Made from 100% white meat chicken;
- Made with no artificial colors
- Made with no artificial flavorings
- Made with no artificial preservatives.
The stigma that occurred several years ago was that chicken nuggets were not actually chicken at all. These stigmas left customers feeling unsure and slightly scared. If it was not chicken inside the nuggets that their kids were eating, what was it?
Two ingredients, which have now been removed, which puts our minds slightly at ease when ordering McNuggets for ourselves or our children. The two ingredients that have been removed were:
- Tertiary butylhydroquinone = this is a chemical used to preserve food and form a butane (a slightly light fluid);
- Dimethylpolysiloxane = an anti-foaming agent made from silicone to create a particular texture and preserve the product.
The Reality…Are McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets Healthy? Does It Even Matter?
Everyone who goes to a fast food restaurant goes with the knowledge that the food is not great for them. Yes, you could probably stay at home and make a healthy dinner, but when you are out and about, a quick McDonalds is an easy option.
There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, everyone falls into this category. Even if they do not go to McDonald’s, they might end up ordering in a Chinese or Pizza. There is no difference.
Any fast food establishment will be rigged with this known fact that it is an unhealthy choice. However, as human beings, we have the right to choose what food we eat. If, on a Friday night, you want to order in, or take the kids out to McDonald’s, isn’t it up to you?
The reality is, that all food bought as processed comes with the same stigma. If you are not willing to make everything from scratch (and let us be honest, who has the time?) then buying such products is inevitable.
It is a quick, easy option that many of us do because it saves us time, not to mention money! It is still remarkable how the government and experts want to create a healthier society, yet healthier food choices come at a significantly higher price. Where is the logic in that?
Final Thoughts
There is a huge controversial debate surrounding fast food restaurants, particularly when it comes to McDonald’s. As one of the leading fast food restaurants, we as customers want to know what we are actually eating.
However, the challenge still remains that there is so much information about, that it makes it hard to establish whether or not McDonald’s chicken nuggets are really as bad as people say.
Our advice is this, whilst any fast food is said to be unhealthy, there is nothing wrong with having a McDonalds every now and then. We do not recommend that you go out every night and order 10 chicken nuggets at a time, but as long as your diet is monitored, what is the harm?
