This is a guest post from Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe) and New York Times Best Selling author. You can read more about her take on the food industry in her second book, Feeding You Lies!
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Long before I became the Food Babe I used to be addicted to Chick-fil-A. I remember the first time I tasted it – it was at the mall when I was very little and they used to have the free samples. There was a lady walking around outside of the store with hot, fresh pieces of newly fried chicken on little toothpicks. It was free so of course, my parents let me try it.
The smell alone was intoxicating, not to mention the taste. What continued for many years was countless meals of Chick-fil-A during my childhood followed by almost daily consumption in college. Thinking about it now, even though I haven't had it in what seems like a decade...I still know what a Chick-fil-A sandwich smells and tastes like.
This is why I chose the mall to begin my latest food investigation. A lot of people who generally don't eat fast food still eat Chick-fil-A. A lot of people say "I only take my kids to Chick-fil-A once in a while." Countless moms and dads take their kids to Chick-fil-A, thinking it's better than other fast food places.
When I first wrote the post Chick-Fil-A or Chemical-Fil-A? last summer, so many of my closest friends and family members were downright shocked at the list and type of ingredients Chick-fil-A uses - which are similar to big chains like McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's.
Back in the day, restaurants were not required to list ingredients, there was no google, and we were all pretty much kept in the dark about what was in our food. Now that times are different, and most of the information is readily available at our fingertips and in most stores themselves, I wanted to know how many parents have actually looked at the ingredients in Chick-fil-A. So I asked.
I started off the questioning with “Why did you bring your family to Chick-fil-A today?" I interviewed 30 families in total between a mall based Chick-fil-A and a popular standalone store.
These were the top three (food related) answers.
1. “My kids asked for it.” The information I am about to share may make you think twice about giving in to their requests.
One of the main ingredients of Chick-Fil-A's nuggets (regular and the new grilled ones) which is listed twice is Monosodium Glutamate, a.k.a. MSG. The amount of MSG that food companies can put in your food is not regulated. MSG is an excitotoxin that can excite brain cells to death. MSG can cause adverse reactions in some people including "skin rashes, itching, hives, nausea, vomiting, migraine headaches, asthma, heart irregularities, depression and even seizures."
As a follow up question, it was natural for me to ask the parents who first introduced their child to Chick-fil-A. The answer was always pointed back at them. The parents introduced Chick-fil-A to their children.
Which reminds of me of one of Lisa's older posts - Kids eat processed food because parents give it them. I couldn't agree more with Lisa's thoughts here. “Young children have to rely on their parents to provide good food for them.” You have to admit, parents have a lot of control over what their children eat whether they take on this responsibility or not.
2. “It's better quality and tastes fresh.” It may taste good, but I have to question whether adding MSG to meat from conventional chickens that are sometimes given antibiotics is quality? If you look at a typical Chick-fil-A sandwich to see what keeps it “fresh” you’ll find close to 100 ingredients, 18 of them being different types of preservatives.
I wonder if these preservatives could keep a Chick-fil-A sandwich pretty much intact the same way it kept a Big Mac intact for 30 days exposed to air, illustrated by Morgan Spurlock's experiment with McDonald's during the movie Super Size Me?
The FDA allows food companies to add these preservatives in limited quantities. However, they do not prohibit combining different food items together.
For example, let’s take TBHQ which stands for “Tertiary Butylhydroquinone.” TBHQ is a chemical made from butane and can only be used at a rate of 0.02 percent of the total oil in a product. This ingredient is listed twice, once in the chicken and once in the bun. It’s easy to see how the typical American diet can result in one big whopping dose of preservatives in a given day.
Chick-fil-A abides by the required FDA limits, but limiting TBHQ to a certain percentage is the same logic the FDA used when allowing a product to still contain 0.5 grams of transfat and be labeled “transfat free.” Fresh, as you can see, can be a chemically derived illusion.
3. (Many versions of...) “If I turn in the toy from the kid's meal I can get an ice cream cone that my kid loves and I don't have to deal with all these annoying toys everywhere in my house.” Having less toys may sound better, but check out what's in Chick-fil-A's “Icedream.”
This little treat has all sorts of processed sugar, transfat, caramel coloring, and artificial food coloring x 2. Since when did you need to color vanilla ice cream white? I couldn't find out exactly what kind of caramel colors Chick-fil-A sources, but the caramel colors that some fast food chains use in soda is linked to cancer.
California recently added caramel coloring to a list of carcinogens that caused soda manufacturers to reformulate their ingredients to avoid a cancer warning label on their product.
After speaking to these families, I ended each conversation with one last question. I asked “Have you ever reviewed the ingredients listed in the Chick-fil-A nutrition guide?" No one had. Not even one family out of the 30 that I interviewed. I tried to hand out as many guides as possible but only a handful of families accepted them.
How many of these families would think eating MSG, TBHQ, artificial colors, and caramel coloring is just fine? I made it a point to approach each family with an open heart and kindness, but when I was done for the day, the whole exercise left me sad, depleted and reminded me that we have a lot more work to do in this country to educate people about REAL FOOD.
I want to leave you with something you can make the next time you have a craving or your kid "asks". Here is a REAL FOOD organic recipe that tastes like Chick-fil-A so you can truly provide fresh to your family. Enjoy :)
Comments have been closed on this article, which was written by Vani Hari. If you have a question or comment you can reach her at http://FoodBabe.com.
Kailey says
This is sad but true. I always read the nutritional information on what I eat so this is not surprising to me. Unfortunately this and most of what is served in fast food places is unhealthy. What does surprise me is how many people don't know or don't care what is in the food they're eating. I won't lie, I on occasion will eat a few Chic-fil-a nuggets because they are delicious and convenient, but for the most part I try to select foods from which the list of ingredients contains only food words (oats, cranberries, almonds, honey) and I avoid words like ( partially hydrogenated oil, mono- and diglycerides, artificial flavors and colors) I absolutely LOVE how you employ the words "real food". Some who are apathetic or ignorant when it comes to nutrition call it "health food" Last I checked, food is supposed to be consumed for health, not for entertainment. I'm a fan of the Mediterranean diet myself. Thanks for this article. Keep fighting the good fight!
Cheri McDonald says
Hello Food Babe! (and hello to all your fabulous followers!)
This post about CFA saddened me beyond belief! Eight months ago I started to eat "clean" but allowed myself CFA as my cheat meal 2-3 times per month. It was my go-to "healthier" fast food option (isn't it everyone's?) when I wasn't at home and the kids were begging for something to eat. I was so disheartened to learn about MSG (among other things) they are using and feel totally bamboozled! Grrrr....
After two weeks of lamenting over this (and subsequently festering every time I drove by a CFA), I started a petition on Change.org. While the greater goal is that CFA would take MSG out of their seasoning, my hope is it will at least raise awareness with the general public and the millions of American families who have gladly accepted CFA as that healthy alternative to the places with the crown or golden arches.
So here's the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/chick-fil-a-take-monosodium-glutamate-i-e-msg-out-of-your-seasoning - I hope you'll sign it! And maybe even share it with your followers. ;)
Thanks for ALL your posts. Our family is eating much more real food because of you!
Cheri in Cary, NC =)
Sharon Miller says
Cheri thanks so much for starting the petition! I signed and I'm hoping many more will.
Kim says
I agree with Misty. When I eat Chik Fil A, I too have a hard time breathing and at times have felt like I was going to choke. I had no idea as to why.
Frankthefitter says
I think the important thing to take away is that you shouldn't make these places a staple of your diet. Taking your children there once a week while feeding them quality food the rest of the week is in my opinion perfectly acceptable.
Priscilla says
I ordered grilled nuggets while eating at CFA last week. It was a grilled chicken breast cut into pieces. I picked up a nutrition guide at Chick-fil-a yesterday. No where did I see in the nutritional guide that there is MSG in the grilled chicken (which was cut to be nuggets) as Food Babe stated. Are they perhaps using one of the 5000 names MSG can be labeled under?
Catherine says
Here are the ingredients for the chicken breast off the CFA Website:
Chargrilled chicken (100% natural whole breast filet, water, contains less than 2% of sugar, butter flavored vegetable oil [soybean oil, palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, natural & artificial butter flavor, TBHQ, beta carotene], yeast extract, seasoning [sugar, spice, paprika, soybean oil], modified food starch, salt, sea salt, natural flavors, dextrose, potassium phosphate, maltodextrin, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, paprika)
According to http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html, the yeast extract and autolyzed yeast extract are relabeled MSG as well as a few other ingredients have the possibility to have MSG in them.
Jackie says
Thanks so much for this information-our son loves chik fil a but has a severe reaction to MSG-we always enjoy eating there because the service is a step above the usual fast food-i also appreciate chick fil a NOT opening on Sundays.
Praying for Jeff (who posted above)
Jay says
Ahh, I don't know where to start with this article! But here's my two cents (as I see it from both sides). Firstly, I'm a single mom, on a single mom budget, with single mom time. I don't have the "luxury" of being a stay at home mom, nor do I have the resources either of these women have (you can just look at Lisa's backsplash and tell girlfriend's got money!) Which truly, good for them, that's just not my walk of life. But I'd say my 5 year old and I do eat 85% real, organic, food. Which I manage to buy, prepare, and plan all while working full time and going to school at night. So it IS possible. And thankfully with just she and I, not budget busting. But yes we got to CFA probably once a month and always will :) Love that place, for lots of reasons. All things in moderation I've always believed. Unfortunately, I am from the town of a huge chicken manufacturer (Perdue) which is where our CFA gets their chicken. I do intend on writing Frank Perdue (one of these days, I swear it's on my to do list!) I do think these companies are hearing our cries. Just the other day I read Burger King is starting to use pastured pork and farm fresh eggs. Not that I'll be running out there anytime soon, but it's definitely a start. My only thing is this...let's say I'm on a certain walk in my spiritual life. I've accepted Jesus as my savior, I live every day as a true Christian, and I'm pretty much well on my way to eternal life! But then I would NEVER turn around and write a blog entry and judge all of you and basically call you IDIOTS for not being at the same place in the walk with Jesus as I am...get it? For if I really truly wanted you to hear my message, I would not condemn you, judge you, and chastise you, but encourage you the best that I could so we could ALL be in this together :) Okay sorry for the ramble, just the best example I could thing of regarding Food Babe's "judgey" post. Regardless, I love Lisa, and all she does, and am forever thankful for her plethora of information!
Angela says
Just 1 thing: Lisa also did it on a budget of $125/week, just FYI.
Christy says
Whoa!!! That is a LOT of money for just one week.
Taryn says
Wow, 125 is actually not much if you have a family of four or more. Our biweekly budget is 250, and it is a stretch. We often get very close to empty on the day before our grocery trip. Kudos for showing the receipts and what you bought from where. It is helpful!
Taryn says
And we do support Chik Fil A when we eat out. We are in the process of our switch to real foods, almost completely off processed foods, but for the occassional "treat" out, we choose CFA for reasons other than their ingredients. We appreciate their high service standards and that the owners are people of faith.
Brooke says
Thank you for this article as I had never thought to look at the ingredients at Chik-Fil-A. Am making your chicken sandwich recipe as we speak...problem is the coating keeps coming off...wonder what I did wrong?
Misty says
I cannot eat chicken from Chick-Fil-A. I end up not being able to breathe or swallow. When my husband was a young guy, he was a manager of one, and they DO care a lot more than other fast food chains. They have quality standards far above that of most fast food restaurants. Their chicken is hand fileted and marinated and then hand breaded. It's a step above the preformed meat product that passes as chicken at other restaurants.
It is pretty obvious that something called "Ice Dream" is artificial. I don't think there is anything surprising or shocking about that.
I am glad this article was published, as I, for some reason, had not thought to look at the ingredients in the chicken--and now I know why I nearly stop breathing whenever I have eaten that chicken.
I do agree that fear and guilt are never good motivators to do anything. If we tried to eliminate every impure thing out of our diet, we would probably not be able to eat anything. This isn't the land of unicorns and rainbows, after all. :)
Lisa says
I agree completely. I also agree that if we want to choose the best for our families, we will choose wholesome, real, unprocessed food. The word, "FAST" combined with food is a dead ringer that for the most part, the food will be processed with a lot of additives that we do not need.
Julie says
Thanks for this expose. I found this article because your blog was linked from the Well Trained Mind Forums and I was looking for more ideas for eating whole/raw foods. We had just come back from the Chick fil a daughter son knight and I almost threw up reading this. I can't believe I was so naive as to believe any fast food could be better. I try so hard to avoid food coloring and additives, especially msg at home. How ridiculous that I've been letting my kids eat at chick fil a. Even if it averages out to less than once a month, it is still horrific that I've done it and I feel extremely guilty. It makes me wonder about any (not fast food) restaurant though. Am I to not eat in any restaurant in fear that there is most likely msg in everything?
Debbie says
Thank you for the awareness you bring to most people who would not think to educate themselves on the importance of fresh organic eating.
Jennifer says
Saz Tim and sherill... Funny I'm naive but are u people so naive u think that fast food is the only place that sales food with these adetives? no what do u think is put into the meats from walmart or publix? They actually put a form of steroids in there meats... So what do we need to do own a farm and slaughter our own animals for food? Honestly that's the ONLY way to get healthy meat... And for the record I am a Christian but I also watch the news enough to know that A LOT of people are trying to petition against chik fil a bc the owner refuses to open on Sundays. Next time people start trying to "inform" me that my child is not eating foods that are good for him I'm going to ask them if they want to invest in farmland for my family so that I can be sure to give him foods that do not have these adetives in them and see what they say? EVERYONE is feeding there kids foods with god knows what in them so they way I look at it chik fil a is just another corporation selling food with adetives in it. Oh and its funny I've been eating these foods that aren't healthy for me for years and I'm not fat or getting sick or getting headaches from what I'm eating... It's all in your mind set.
Sheril says
No, I am not naive about this topic, although I appreciate why you would bring it up. I see where your point of view is coming from and it is a place I have been at times. My desire here has been two-fold here. 1) to stand up for the right of the blogger and the regular readers of the blog to have this ongoing discussion and stand up for themselves in the face of vehement criticism; and 2) to encourage and help any others who are somewhat interested and may end up improving their lives and their service to God through the results that may come to them from carefully and hopefully prayerfully paying attention to food issues. I hope that is not offensive to know that I include prayer in these matters and hope that others do as well. Since you said you are a Christian so I assumed I had good odds that I was not going to put your back up with that one.
I would suggest that if you can get the time to do it, you should read through all the comment to get a fuller understanding of what I have said throughout the discussion. (this discussion has been quite the exception in my life that I have participated so much, but as it is my comments are all through it.)
And please know, I would be happy to continue studying this with you, on topics ranging from the harmful stuff in Walmart or Publix meats to a Christian's need to keep balance in their minds between various scriptural concerns (I must be careful of my budget and a good steward of my families money vs. I must try to be wise to be a good steward of our health which may at times cause me to want to spend money for a 25 dollar supplement that I have to pay for out of pocket vs. a 3 dollar co-pay for a chemical medication that will rid me of a serious symptom. This is a real concern with no perfect answer that must be bound on every person. I recognize that. These are things worthy of discussion.
And on a separate topic, for the record, I think the idea of such a petition is a travesty. There is no room within a just society for a group of people to force another group of people that they cannot believe that they should not work on Sunday's nor have any of their employees work on Sunday, AND act on that belief. I can't imagine what their motivation could be that they could convince themselves that it is a worthy cause. But I sincerely suspect that they have unworthy underlying motivations that they may not even be able to be honest with themselves about.
Sheril says
Oh, and I should have mentioned... I never slaughter my own animals, but I do buy my meat directly from farmers who I have real and reliable information from. I pay the farmer. The farmer delivers the animal to the processor. The processor and I speak about what cuts I want, such as so many pounds of ground beef vs. some number of roasts and steaks. Later the processor lets me know when my meat will be ready for pick up, which may include time for the meat to hang before being cut up. I drive to the processor and pay a processing fee for their labor. The processor then gives me my meat, already hard frozen. I take it home and put it in my deep freeze.
for all that, possibly sounding like a complex thing to anyone who has never conceived of doing such a thing, it is simple after the first time and then I do not have to run to make time to buy meat in the grocery for months at a time.
also, in the long run it has not worked out to be any more expensive for my family than grocery store meat. We get a variety of cuts all at the same price and it averages out, without me paying any extra for the excellent quality of the meat. For a family that never buys nicer cuts of meat, the bottom line may work out somewhat differently.
Alicia says
How do you go about that? I live in nanaimo bc its a small town. should I look into local farms around here? how do you find a processor? how do I go about asking about this? Please let me know im very interested in doing so :)
Alicia says
if you have time email me at [email protected] about this
Angela says
1. Please learn how to spell. It will greatly increase the level that people take you seriously.
2. Just because you aren't sick now doesn't mean that you won't be later. That reasoning doesn't hold up.
3. Lisa actually advocates buying locally raised meat, and it's really not as hard or time consuming as you make it sound. She definitely does not promote buying meat from Wal-Mart or Publix for those very reasons (antibiotics, growth hormone, fillers, etc.).
4. You say that everyone is feeding their kids food with God knows what in them. That doesn't make it OK for you to do! I see people abusing kids all the time that doesn't make it ok for me to do so.(BTW as a Christian I figured you would know that you're supposed to capitalize God.)
Karen says
Very well said Angela. I couldn't agree with you more on all points!!!
KC says
There are grocery stores in most towns that provide completely fresh products which include, meat, dairy, vegetables, fruit, and a variety of other foods. There are even certain products in stores such as Wal-Mart and Kroger that are fresh and do not include chemicals or preservatives etc. It simply takes a little time to read the labels. There really isn't an excuse other than an individual's own desire not to try.
fatbuckel says
First off you could learn how to spell. Obviously your laziness for proper language skills is a potential indicator for other deficiencies across your life. Second, if you think that feeding your children healthy foods requires an investment in the farming industry than maybe you should`nt have had children. You should start saving your money for medical treatments for your family because of the junk you`re forcing down their gullets. Maybe you`ll get lucky and your children won`t develop issues until they`re older(out of your household) but you probably won`t take care of their medical problems anyway, seeing how that would require investing in the entire medical industry,according to your logic. People should be tested first, before they can reproduce.
Carole says
I'm disturbed by the tone of some of these responses. If you want the original commenter to actually pay attention to your post, I find that speaking in love will get you much farther (see Sheril's response for a great example). As a side note, and I only bring this up because I find it very ironic, if you're going to criticize language skills, make sure your post is picture perfect (in line 4, it should have been "then" rather than "than").
I must admit that I have been tempted in the past to reply very quickly and in a similar tone to this when I have been incensed by some comment, but I've come to learn to read the whole article and comments over again (in a neutral frame of mind) before writing anything down. This allows me to see where comments are coming from, and it helps me reply more appropriately.
MK says
I live a far distance from any CFAs, so on a trip to Baltimore I gave one a try. Blah, not interesting, barely had to chew the thing. That's not great food, it's crappy, mediocre food that you have a memory of being delicious once upon a time. I feel that way about KFC, but anytime I've had it in the last several years, it's been a big disappointment. Don't fool yourself for one second that any fast food is good food, because it isn't. Living in California we have In 'n Out, which I'm sure you have all heard is SOOOOO GOOOOD. Not really, it's maybe less bland and boring that other fast food burgers, but it has nothing on one made at home. Same goes for the fries. I do justify it every one in a blue moon, but once again, I'm usually disappointed in my meal as a whole. When you start eating real food, you realize that fast food just isn't good. All the chemicals they douse their "food" in to make it taste good should be outlawed IMO, and it would be eye opening to people how the food tastes without them. I don't have any plans or intentions to give my kids fast food, though I know it will happen at some point. What I do hope is that the foundation I've set of real food will help them realize on their own that fast food isn't good food.
Misti says
This is meant to be educational. If you dont like it don't read it. And of course all the "Chemists" are going to cry that this is bad info, wouldn't want to put themselves out of a job now would they? I dont know all about the chemistry either but what I DO know is that when we haven't eaten out for a while we feel better, but then we are running real late getting home or whatever and stop for fast food and then we crave fast food for weeks and if becomes a vicious circle getting off of it. I appreciate those like The Food Babe for doing everything she can to educate all of us. Thank you. I loved the article!
Amy says
@Ian Your analogies are hysterical yet so full of truth. When I began reading Lisa's 100 Days, I "thought" I bought and made decent food. We only ate fast food and at restaurants occasionally. When it became apparent that myself and my fiance needed to lose a few pounds, we decided to follow a REAL FOOD only diet, we also cut out ALL fast food, dining out and alcohol for 30 days. That month I lost 9 lbs and my fiance, 17 lbs (okay, maybe we needed to lose more than a few, but this is all about denial, right?) We were amazed that we could eat whole dairy, real meat, full fat everything and still lose so much weight! Of course we exercised, but with full-time jobs, a full-time family and extra-curricular activities who has time to do all that much? My point, is that by changing our diet, and exercising a little, we lost weight, gained a ton of perspective and changed our lives forever. Everyone can do this.
ian says
What if you thought about cheating on your diet, the way you thought about cheating on your spouse...could you justify your fake-food affairs? Could you tell your wife, "Hey honey, i had sex with my secretary only twice this week, but don't worry I drank a bunch of water."
Try fasting for 40 days consuming nothing but water, let your senses, including taste-buds rejuvenate, and then see if you're still a slave to your food addictions.
ian says
'Eat a Peach' --Duane Allman
ian says
Eat a Peach
chicken eater says
Just curious: Did you seek comment from Chick-fil-A before publishing this?
Ilove Chickfila says
I don't like this post for numerous reasons. Perhaps the biggest one is the ridiculous judgmental and snotty tone and attitude with which it reeks. If some stranger is approaching my family and me in CFA, acting all holier-than-thou and in-your-face, you better bet I am not going to take whatever kind of clutter he or she is trying to force upon me while I am trying to enjoy a meal with some loved ones. Who do you think you are?
Sheril says
Since she spoke, very early on in the comments, about how friendly all the people she spoke with at the CFA were it is a good bet that she did not approach them in the manner you have described. Way to get upset and start projecting.
Amy says
The idea that fast food is cheaper is completely absurd! I have a family of 5. Three growing boys means big appetites. If we were to go to CFA, or any other fast food establishment, we would easily spend $30+ for the entire family to eat ONE meal. Tell me that you can't go into a grocery store and purchase fresh, real food to feed your family a meal for $30 bucks! Excuses are excuses. Having a tight budget is one of them. You either commit to spending the extra time and effort to feed your family good food or you don't. End of story.
Danyelle says
Amy, I totally agree with you however we have forgotten how to COOK! We don't think outside the box..we use the box! Haha. :) I could buy a gallon of milk, some cheese, eggs, ground beef, pasta, rice chicken and frozen or fresh veggies with that and make several meals. It is more about they have made us dependent on them and taken away our power to feed our families which includes basic cooking knowledge. I had a home ec in school...it isn't offered here anymore! Basics!
Sheril says
Sad, but true. many of us have forgotten how to cook. Even a big time, love to cook person like me sometimes lets the habit go to by the wayside.
I was just cooking with my daughters a little earlier and speaking to them about having understanding for how easy it is for that to happen so they can be kind to people including themselves in the future, but also about remembering how to get back to simple whole foods and just how few ingredients can be thrown together for a really great result. We have a pot luck to go to tomorrow. We made mashed potatoes, then used them in making shepherd's pie. Then we made a cucumber salad, which was just cucumber sliced thinly stirred together with some chopped onion, salt, pepper and sour cream. Lastly we made a celeriac and apple salad with a homemade dressing, which mostly involves all the knife time cutting the produce into matchsticks and then making a mustard flavored homemade dressing to stir in.
Danyelle says
So true. I just got back from the groceries, while I bought a few organic items mostly I bought real food items, butter, milk, bananas, oranges, green beans, eggplant etc. For dinner I did caesar salad and I used bottled dressing (the only bottled dressing I do buy and we don't often), chicken shredded onto whole wheat flatbread, much cheaper than eating out and it fed 5. That is generally my idea of not cooking.. :)
Sheril says
"That is generally my idea of not cooking.. "
hehe, I love that! Thanks for the smile I got from it!
You mentioned that there is just the one dressing you do still buy... this is one of my most current issues in my revamping our diet. I held out for a long time not wanting to stop buying bottled dressing. So, I am just starting to force myself to make homemade dressings more often. What a journey! (who knows why that one has been so hard for me?!)
MyPeaceOfFood says
I find it very disturbing how many people are basically defending processed foods (and are so up in arms about it) when cancer is clearly an epidemic in this country and across the world right now. Why? Because we are the first generation to be exposed to so many chemicals and toxins #1 in our food, #2 in the products we put in and on our bodies (toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, etc) and #3 yes, in other things we can't necessarily control, like fluoride in water or fire retardants in mattresses (until we replace that bad boy for an organic one some day). I agree with some of the people above who wonder WHO CAN DEFEND THIS? WHY??? Make your own chicken. It's not that hard IF you make health a priority.
Jennyjen says
Funny this article came up. I took my kids to CFA on Tues, it was a no school day for us so this was a special treat.
We changed our diets over a year ago and I now believe we eat 100% pure whole, healthy foods. Our lifestyle and the way I cook, what I buy, ect. has been changed for the better.
However I still have 2 school aged children so I took them to eat and play for awhile.
I can not even explain to you how sick I felt that evening and the next day. After not eating fast food for so long it was a TOTAL shock to my body. I felt awful. I thought that I was doing ok by ordering the grilled chicken breast, whole wheat bun, and then I ate a handful of fries. I felt so guilty for taking my kids there after the effect that it had on my body, I can only imagine what they felt like.
Lauren Bristow says
Did you know that even those so called "whole foods" will contain toxins just from the environment they are grown in, even if grown in your own backyard? If you grow your own food take it to an independent lab and see if there are toxins in it and which ones, you may be surprised. We cannot escape toxins. There was an article in National Geographic a couple of years ago about a man who ate nothing but organic foods and had the toxins in his body tested. They found over 100 different toxins in his body that he said competed with a Kansas wheat field. Do not be fooled by all of this hype. Environment has a lot to do with it too.
I do not advocate a diet of fast food. I also do not have the food budget to shop ALL organic, so I stick to the dirty dozen. I cook at home 90% of the time so I know what is going in my food, but even then there is no 100% guarantee. We all need to eat as healthy as we can exercise, and stay at a healthy weight. Fat will kill you faster than any of those chemicals. In the end the thing that's going to decide the outcome is genetics. That is science not conjecture.
The fact is that we are living longer than ever and for the most part healthier. I have seen both of the movies talked about and yes it makes me sick. But maybe what we should be doing is spending time writing Congress so they will support organic growers, grass fed cattle ranchers, and others so we everyone can afford to buy more organic and natural foods. Otherwise for most people it's cost prohibitive.
I like Chick-fil-A and will continue to eat there once in a while. I will also continue to eat Kashi cereal and other goods. With so many families working full time it's hard to have a garden, shop for expensive foods and cook everything from scratch. I would love to but it's not realistic.
In the mean time if one is going to write articles about food one may need to have things independent tested and report on it from a scientific standpoint and not just opinion.
Sheril says
Ummm... yes toxins are everywhere. One of the many reasons is the ongoing support some consumers are giving to the market to produce those chemicals so they can be put in your food and you can buy them. I can't fathom why you want to discourage people who have made a different choice with such fallacies as you have presented. But those of us who are voting with our dollars and being heard in the marketplace so that good healthy choices are increasing and becoming more affordable are very happy with our decision to go in this direction.
And you appear to have very little good info to go on about what fat in the diet does and doesn't do. To say "fat" is killing people as a blanket statement does not reflect the reality of what is wrong with the man-made fats in our diets that are harming people versus healthy fats that are healing people like coconut oil. And don't even get me started on the fertility problems being caused by low fat diets because of so many people in our society buying into the all fat is bad dogma and failing to get educated to the fact that fat is necessary to our nervous systems and our reproductive systems.
Some people are living longer healthier lives and a bunch of people are suffering from chronic debilitating and misery inducing health problems that were extremely rare 60 or so years ago and unheard of past centuries.
Makia says
Thanks for the information! I was definitely like a lot of the parents you interviewed. I figured Chick Fil A was one of the better fast food alternatives and never bothered to look at the list of "ingredients". The fact is, chemicals should not be considered ingredients in foods for human consumption, period.
Marla says
I have been a loyal Chick-fil-A customer since I was 9. My father operated a store for 2 years and after that, we were smitten! I have always admired Truitt Cathy's stand on being closed on Sundays. Their customer service is always outstanding. I guess I just trusted that they held all their standards high. I am saddened to learn what is in their food. I can't believe that I am just now finding this out. But since I am now on a mission to change what we eat, I am learning so much and most of it is shocking. Everywhere you turn, our food has been polluted. But I can choose what I feed my family. And chick-fil-A is off the list.
Julie says
The people who get the most defensive, saying the author is judgemental and doesn't have the facts...why are you all in a twist? Did you READ the title of her blog?
Look, as parents, and as WORKING parents we are ALL busy. My family NEVER eats at fast food restaurants. NEVER. Really, how hard is it to grab a few healthy snacks on your way out the door to tide kids over until you get home? My kids are 11, 9 and 7 and when we go out they all know to grab their water bottles, and we grab a few snacks. That way if anyone gets hungry while we are out we have healthy options with us. Does it take planning? Of course it does. Are there days when the last thing I want to do is cook something for dinner? Uh, hell yeah. But going to a restaurant where the food is of questionable origin and loaded with chemicals is NOT an option. I suck it up and make dinner for my family. If you *choose* to go to fast food restaurants, it is a choice. No one is holding a gun to your head. If you are educated as to what is served at these places and still *choose* to go there...well, that's on you. Don't attack the messenger.
Oh,and to the poster who said the author didn't back up her *facts*...google ANYTHING she says and you will find the facts. She isn't making this stuff up.
Laura Walker says
I actually enjoyed your post. I've never had chick fil A, but I've had Mc. Donald's and I am happy you are so passionate about what you believe. If anyone attacks you I would love to hear their solution to our nations obesity . Cooking at home more often is obviously much more healthy , even my 4 year old can understand that. You are not claiming to be an expert and I'm surprised people get so offended or upset at the fact that you are actually trying to inform people, it's not like you are stopping them from eating anything at the end of the day the choice is theirs!
Helen says
I lived in South Carolina for 7 years and we all LOVED CFA!!! Yes, I took my kids there at times....along with some of the other nasty fast food places.
For the past several years, we have been mostly organic and vegetarian. We have also become marathon runners. I can tell you that we have seen a huge difference in our family's health and our running performance since we changed our diet!!!
People, fast food is BAD. I know that CFA as a company is wonderful, but their food is plain old fast food so it is filled with all kinds of preservatives and unprounounceable words and abbreviations. Remember the old adage, "You are what you eat?" Well, I don't really want my family to be BHT or MSG or hydrolzed anything. That doesn't feed muscles and brains and immune systems.
I am a homeschooling mom of four and I also care for my 97 year old grandmother who lives with us. I worked part time until my grandmother's health got so bad that someone had to be with her 24/7 and I had to do things like take blood sugars and give insulin shots 4 times a day. (BTW, if you want a picture of what bad food choices can do, spend a day with my grandmother.....) Even with all that I do, I find time to cook our food. Crock pots make it so easy to put a pot of soup on or whip up a batch of pasta sauce. When you cook something, just make double and freeze some for later. Believe me, it's much easier to serve a sandwich of real peanut butter and real fruit spread or honey on some real wheat bread with some cut up fruit than to be testing blood sugars and giving insulin shots all day.
Martha says
I so appreciated this post. I don't eat sugar or meat and I'm lactose intolerant. Needless to say I don't eat much processed food because most of it has sugar in it. And I'm amazingly healthy for a 40 mumble ish (I think it is the good food).
But I DREAM ABOUT CFA. I used to love that stuff. LOVE IT. Of course, I don't eat anymore. But sometimes, after the lentil soup is gone and the melon I ate for dessert is a distant memory...I can smell the just right spiciness of CFA. Sigh.
Krystal says
I am in charge of nourishing my family and 90% of our diet is homemade, homegrown, organic or local. HOWEVER, I am guilty of CFA being one of the few escapes we have back to the ignorant food culture! As hypocritical as it sounds, I am a Chikfila lover mostly for what they stand for and their southern style food and service, but AHH.. as hard as it was to hear..I am VERY grateful for your post, information, and research. This has greatly impacted my view of an occasional visit and I will very much limit if not end it as a choice I make for our family! (can't believe it) Much needed motivation for me. But I also want to THANK YOU THANK you for the make-at home recipe you provided!! Can't wait to try it!
{Lisa-along with many others, I LOVE your site and appreciate your work!)
Helen says
I 100% agree with you!!! It's hard to hear about our beloved and cherished places and foods, but we all need to be aware of what we're eating and feeding our families. What we choose to do with that information is up to each one of us. Don't shoot the messganger because you don't like the message!
Amy says
It seems, from reading the comments above, that peoples food choices are nearly as sacred as their religious ones. What we put in our bodies appears to be highly personal and when our choices are attacked, we defend with gusto! The fact of the matter is, whole, natural, unmodified ingredients are better for our bodies. There is no denying the fact that we all try to stay away from something unnatural, trans fats, soduim, MSG, or even sugars and refined flours. This is made clear to me by the amount of food labels claiming what they "don't" contain. The thing is, when we're in a rush, pressed for time and our children are hungry, we justify less-than-acceptable choices because some marketing campaign managed to appeal to our feelings of inadequecy as parents. It would take no more time to drive home and make the kids a pb&h with all natural peanut butter, honey and whole wheat bread. It just takes a smidge more effort. But these marketing companies don't want you to think you have a smidge more effort in you and therefore convince you that CFA and its MSG is a satisfactory choice, instead. This forum is about awareness. Be aware of what food manufacturers DON'T tell you. Be aware of the kinds of food and additives you put in your body and how often. Be aware that no one is claiming you are a bad parent because you want a little treat every once in a while. I don't believe that they are claiming you will die from it, either, if you consume it sparingly. CFA tastes good. No one will argue that. When you make the decision to eat it, don't confuse your reasons for doing so with making a healthy choice. Embrace the fact that its not a good choice but you really feel like eating some CFA!
Sharon says
I cannot decide if the desire to put information in front of people ticks them off because they then KNOW they are eating things that are bad for them or if they're afraid that you might lead some of the "sheeple" away from the Standard American Diet. We love what CFA stands for but carefully choose what we eat there. Its fast food not matter how you slice it. I write them regularly about their use of MSG and food coloring in their chicken. I am hoping that if we(and others) continue to do that, they will come up with an alternate plan. Although I seriously doubt that they will ever refrain from using factory-farm chicken, one can hope. Never give up on trying to educate people. I'd like to think that for every 5 that hear you, at least one will make changes. Keep up the good work!
Valerie says
Amen, Sharon!!!!!!
Food Babe. .. .have you sent this info to CFA? I think they should see/read it! I would love it if they started to implement some changes :) They already lead the pack in customer service, family values, and keeping God #1. . .. I bet they would be open to this as well.
FoodBabe says
Working on it Valerie!
Lauren Bristow says
Write to Congress and have them support organic and natural growers.
Sheril says
and get specific when you write them. If they stopped interfering in farming in ways that make conventional farming cheaper to do and in other ways that add a ton to the cost structure of an organic farmer's bottom line that would be amazing!
Leslie says
I've read a lot of comments from folks saying they eat fast food because they have to. It is an excuse. If you are committed to not eating fast food it can be done and it isn't that hard. I have two small children who have never eaten any fast food. Never. Any. And I take a three day long car trip two times a year to visit my parents. I go alone, with the kids and we don't eat fast food. I pack everything and we picnic at rest stops or eat inside when it is raining. At home my son is on two soccer teams and swims twice a week so our weekdays are busy. I make meals ahead and pack snacks (cheese, fruit, etc.) that we will need on the road. Basically I plan ahead as if fast food didn't exist. Food is a 'hot button' for me and I understand that it isn't for everyone. Because it is for me I put the time an effort into eating alternatively and I understand not everyone wants to do that. But, ultimately it is a choice. You don't have to eat fast food if you are committed to avoiding it.
Amber says
I think most people were upset at the original post because of the way it was written. Lisa has always been this is what I do for my family but to each his own so the original post from Food Babe was a drastic departure, at least from what I read. I thought the revised article was much better but communicated the actual message far better. Thank you for the updates. Will definitely share with others now.
Jenn p says
Here's a novel idea... Why not stop all the complaining (ie research) and do something about it? Seriously! I'm a working mom of 3 and I would love to spend money on fast and healthy food! I don't have the time to prepare 3 meals a day from scratch and I do give in to CFA once per week (unfortunately). So please, Im asking all of us to think outside the box here... Clearly there's a market for this. Make a move, you have my business!
Sheril says
You are not alone. We have a Jason's Deli near me and it is always busy. An Earth Fare grocery just opened up down the road yesterday and you would not believe the crowds in there. The free market is ripe for these business that are starting to make the right changes for those of us who are educating ourselves and cleaning up our diet and there is money to be made.
Jennifer says
Hello, I am rather surprised to see how uneducated many responces have been especially a pharmasist who claims that someone can die from drinking excessive anounts of water and has not released it. I work in a palharmacy as a vitamin consultant and every single person leaves believing that if they take medication more toxins and harsh chemicals it will fix their problem. Chemists fail to observe the cause of the problem and fail to recognise the person as a whole.
Someone responded about being uncertain of the correct dose of MSG , do you reallly need to know the dose that will cause that? Cant you just know thats what it does? Would it really make a difference in you changing your food because your body levels might have enough now so you'll have to stop?
So many people have lost touch with their self and connection to natural foods and what is food and what isnt. What do people think is food or the definition of food? If you userstand how to nourish your body and feed it with what it needs from nature how can you even say that mac donalds is food when it is really rubbish.
Robin says
Well done. I just do not understand why anyone would be offended by hearing that their food is on fact, not food at all. Please read Dr. Russell Blaylock's books (he's a neurosurgeon, perhaps you'll believe him on the real issues of excitotoxins): MSG allows glutamate to pass through the blood brain barrier, causes cells to swell to the point they explode and die. The sad news is that MSG is now hidden in foods labeled MSG free. Look for Autolyzed yeast extract, Hydrolyzed Soy or Whey protein, Torula Yeast Extract on the label, yep that's the free glutamate in your "food"; soups and Asian foods, and anything cheese flavored are the biggest culprits/deceivers.
Unfortunately, people just don't care and symptoms do not present until around 75-80% of those precious brain cells are damaged. Then it's too late. You present with MS-like symptoms, or Parkinsons or Lou Gerigs. I AM a Bioligist with a strong Chemistry background. Believe or not, argue if you will, but the damage is real. Either eat REAL food, drink clean water, get your vitamin D from the sun, sleep 7-8 hours...or pay the price with your health.
Jennifer says
Thanks so much for this post! I agree with you 100%! I think it's sad that so many people get all upset and start fuming at you about it. If they are willing to feed this crap to themselves and their kids, then so be it, but don't get mad about being called out on it. In this day and age, if people don't know what they're eating and feeding their kids, then they just don't care to know. The information and education is out there, they'd just rather do other things than cook healthy meals every day. It's a lifestyle choice. People shouldn't get defensive about feeding crap to their kids, they should own up to it and try to do better.
My family follows the feingold diet, and it's great. We buy most of our food a Walmart or Target, and without eating in restaurants, we spend LESS each month. There are PLENTY of healthy "convenience" foods, you just have to know the right ones to buy. If I can do it with 4 kids (plus up to 6 foster kids over the last 6 years), anyone can do it. Use your crock pot, cook stuff ahead, and pack your lunches.
Thanks again for the great post! I just found your blog today and will definitely stick with it :o)
angela p. says
I LOVE CHICK-FIL-A! & I'm not going to stop eating it either. I've been eating majority organic or natural but I only have 1 life & my taste buds will not miss the GOODNESS OF WAFFLE FRIES & POLYNESIAN SAUCE MMMMMMM.......
:D