Fast food restaurants across the country have begun listing calorie counts on their menus to allow consumers to make more informed decisions about what they eat. But conveying only the calories of a dish doesn't always offer a complete picture of a meal's nutritional stats.


Culinary nutritionist Stefanie Sacks talked with HuffPost Live's Caitlyn Becker[1] about what else diners need to know before they decide what to order.


"Calories and nutrition facts do not tell the story of your food," Sacks said. "The ingredient labels do to some extent, but unfortunately we can't fully trust them, either. The health of what you're eating is really about where does your food come from and how is your food processed. There's more that you need to ask about what you're eating."


Sacks explained that if she had to choose between a grass-fed burger with lettuce and tomato and a tortilla salad that came with no information about the origin of the vegetables or ingredients in the dressing, she'd choose the burger because she knows more about the food's background.


Check out the full conversation about the health and fast food at HuffPost Live HERE[2] .



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  • Chicken Caesar or ... Chicken Tenders?


    Garden Fresh Salad Chicken Caesar with grilled chicken and dressing has 490 calories and 28 grams of fat. That's roughly the same as a 10 piece order of Chicken Tenders, which have about 450 calories and 28 grams of fat.

    And while fresh lettuce and other veggies will always be healthier than breaded meat -- rendering the salad the defacto healthier option -- 28 grams of fat is more than <em>anyone</em>, let alone someone on a specialized diet, should consume in a single meal. The <a href="http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm" target="_hplink">2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a> recommends that adults get 20 to 35 percent of their daily calories from fat -- or about 44 to 70 grams a day.




  • Chicken Caesar or ... Triple Stacker?


    What a difference a grill makes. If the Garden Fresh Salad Chicken Caesar is prepared with crispy chicken instead of grilled (and dressing), it shoots up to 670 calories and 43 grams of fat -- about the same as a BK Triple Stacker, which contains three beef patties, three slices of bacon and American cheese. The sandwich has a near-identical 670 calories and 44 grams of fat.




  • Chicken BLT Salad or ... Double Bacon Cheeseburger


    Garden Fresh Salad Chicken BLT with grilled chicken and dressing has 510 calories and 33 grams of fat -- about the same as a Double Bacon Cheeseburger, which clocks in at 520 and 31 grams of fat.




  • Chicken BLT Salad or ... Double Croissan'wich


    Garden Fresh Salad Chicken BLT with fried chicken and dressing has 690 calories, 48 grams of fat. Similarly, the Double Croissan'wich, made up of sausage, egg and cheese, has 660 calories and 48 grams of fat.




  • Chicken Apple & Cranberry Salad or ... Italian Chicken Sandwich


    The Chicken Apple & Cranberry Garden Fresh Salad with grilled chicken and dressing has 520 calories and 26 grams of fat. But those in the market for an over-500 calorie lunch could just as easily indulge in the Italian Original Chicken Sandwich, which also has 520 calories and 22 grams of fat.




  • Chicken Apple & Cranberry Salad or ... Club Original Chicken Sandwich


    The Garden Fresh Salad Chicken Apple & Cranberry, when with crispy chicken and dressing shoots up to 700 calories and 41 grams of fat. That's nearly identical to the Club Original Chicken Sandwich at 700 calories and 44 grams of fat.




  • Strawberry Banana Smoothie or ... OREO Sundae


    A 16 ounce Strawberry Banana Smoothie will set you back 310 calories and 60 grams of sugar. That's a bit better than the OREO Sundae (440, 57 grams), but not much.




  • What Fast Food Restaurants Need to Become Healthy


    The Doctors reveal that fast food restaurants don't offer whole grains.