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.
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Richard says
Alarmists will do anything to get page views.
This site's whole concept makes Perfect the enemy of Good. I can't imagine what kinds of comestibles would qualify as "real food", unless it involves brushing organic dirt off cucumbers grown in a semi-sterile environment and eating them raw.
If you want to stay healthy, eat a variety of foods and none of them to excess; use common sense to avoid foods that are clearly foolish; exercise regularly and talk to your doctor about any health issues you already have. Poof: instant better living, without all the grief that sites like this impose.
Renee says
I'm not sure exactly what she refers to as 'real food'; however, I am so glad that sites like this exist to inform consumers of the dangers of preservatives in foods. I am severely allergic to yeast and will die if I ingest msg, which is derived from yeast. I wanted to check to see if I could eat Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken breast and found this article. I'm so thankful that it was out here to inform me along with the actual ingredient list that I finally located on Chick-Fil-A's website. Many people eat at this restaurant because they believe that it is healthy and good for their children. At least people are more informed now because of foodbabe's research...
Jennifer M says
You do realize that doctors have zero training on nutrition unless they go out of their way to get educated. So most physicians have no idea what effects our bodies will have as a result of what we've done to our food supplies; but their finding out, the hard way...after the damage is done. Why do you think cancer (in all forms) is on the rise? It's getting to the point where 1 in every 2 people will get some form of cancer in their lifetime. I have stage 3 breast cancer; it doesn't run in my family, it's not genetic, it's because of all the hormones in so much of the foods we eat...and I'm not a junk food junky or fast food queen; 90% of our meals are prepared at home using grocery meats, produce, etc. Sites like this bring to light just how corrupt and deadly our food supply has become.
And, by the way, they're called practicing physicians for a reason - they're still practicing at getting it right.
Michael Woodruff says
Food, yeah. I would like to hear something about looking at porn and the health effects of that. I would say I've gone from eating to libidinous looking at porn roller coaster. I eat healthier now and don't look so much, but maybe that's age. is there any answer other than im a sick perv?
Kristy says
This cracked me up despite not being very relevant...lol
lori says
OK, I GET IT IT IS BAD STUFF. But can you really say that eall the fresh fuits and veggies out there are really fresh!!! They are picked before they ready loaded with preservetives to keep them fresh longer. Then when you get them home you wash znd wash them and that wax feeling never goes away. So all of THOSE preservetives are ok fir our kids because its on fruits and veggies????? There is nothing good left, thats why everyone is always ill.....
A says
If you read a little further into this website, you'll see that they recommend organic produce for that very reason. Farmer's Markets and Homegrown is a much better option to avoid the chemicals.
Kansas says
I work at Chick-Fil-A, and I eat there every day that I work. I agree on so many levels that people should be made aware of what they are eating! I think people don't look into what they are putting into their bodies enough. I agree though, that most things are okay in moderation. I have never had an adverse reaction to MSG, though a few employees can't eat our chicken because of it. I recommend that anyone with concerns about the MSG levels see a doctor about how your own body may negatively react to it. (The chicken is filleted, seasoned, coated, breaded, and fried in stores, by the way- doesn't change the ingredients, but fresh should count for something.)
Diana says
Whole Foods. That is where it is at. Trust NO OTHER PLACE!!!
jenifer divine says
one thing i am surprised you have never mentioned in your ingredient analysis: the term "natural flavors"- the FDA allows that to be used as another euphemism for MSG, as well as other meuroexciter toxins (the usual culprits) so you see, each of the aforementioned poisoned "UFOs" (Unhealthy Food-like Objects) contains even more msg, etc than even you suspect, foodbabe!!! thanx and keep up the good work; so much education to still be done (its galling to see people STILL defending this chemical garbage, as in the 1st comment; what part of poisonous & unhealthful, devoid of nutrition & potentially deadly [and DEFINITELY deadly cumulatively] do people NOT understand?!?!?)
Tracey @cookingwithlove says
I am so glad someone finally brought this information out about their ingredients. Don't get me wrong, I have eaten my share of Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, but after reading the ingredients and sodium content I was floored. They should remove the msg and take the transfat out of the buns. The chicken is really salty. People need to be made aware of what they are feeding themselves and their children. Kudos to you for bringing attention to the ingredients!
Amber says
When I was pregnant w/my daughter in 2009 if I ate Chic-fil-A (these were pre-real food days) it made me feel sick. Ever since then I haven't liked Chic-fil-A! Now I know why! My body was ahead of my brain on the real food journey!
Jennifer says
Oh, say it isn't so. I guess I'm going to have to plead- EVERTHING IN MODERATION on this one. I do not intend to quit eating the most tasty chicken sandwich ever made. We probably get a sandwich once a quarter, and you know what, I'm not going to lie- I think about them all the time. So, that said-I'm not quitting and I'm not going to quit giving it to my family when I'm too bushed to cook either, but now, I'll make sure it's only about once a quarter...
Janice Wright says
thanks for ruining my day. j/k..kinda :)
Faith says
I think everyone knows that fast food is bad for you but we are lazy in America, so we choose not to read the ingredients because it will only make us feel bad about eating it but it wouldn't stop us because we are lazy.
angela says
Thanks for the info!
On a side note, if you receive a free coupon for Chickfila and you don't want it, please pass it on to a charity of some sort and don't throw it away. People are hungry and starving, and would be happy to have an msg chicken sandwich. Just sayin.
Laura says
I happened to be eating Chick-fil-A while reading this. Hilarious! For some reason, I feel even better about my decision.
Kelly says
Um..why? I don't get why people are so self-righteous about Chik-fil-A. It's ridiculous.
Desiray says
I want to thank you for posting this. Ever since I read your article about chick fil a, I have stopped eating there. This is coming from a mom who allowed her children to eat there whenever we went to the mall, which is pretty regularly. My kids love the place but knowing what I know now, I refuse to feed them that. Im big on reading ingredients and I cant believe that I thought chick fil a was some how better than Mcdonalds or any other fast food joint.
Shanna says
Chick-Fil-a is the only fast food that I would let my kids eat. Until now...thank you, thank you. I am enlightened. And I feel more empowered having this knowledge.
Tami says
Chick-fil-a is fast food. Pure and simple. I will treat it as such, which means that my family and I will eat it sparingly. Listing all the junk in this or any other fast food restaurant's food will not affect my decision. I already know it's unhealthy.
Morgan says
Thank-you for posting this! I've never thought about it like this or even bothered to check the ingredients! I do eat their chicken nuggets occasionally or a salad with grilled chicken (hopefully those are just chicken?). I'm always checking ingredient boxes when we do eat processed foods, and try to find healthier alternatives if we still want to splurge on something like Mac-n-cheese. I don't think we'll be eating there much at all, even though we cut back a while ago and are trying to eat in more and get healthier meats and more vegetables/fruits.
Dan Lovingood says
After reading the comments from other, I am compelled to make a follow on statement. Each has the ability to control the quality of their life, and therefore extend our lifespans. Otherwise, stand in front of an oncoming tractor trailer and see what Psalms will do for you then. God would say that you're stupid!
The preservatives and monosodium glutimate are bad enough, but it's the large-scale use of antibiotics that is a major health risk. One could with reasonable argument say that Chick-Fil-A's appreciation day last Wednesday with over 700,000 people may well have been the largest wholesale acute public health risk of the entire fast food industry.
Centers for Disease Control has documented a large upsurge in antibiotic infections, especially urinary track infections in women. These infections can become chronic and deadly. In fact I lost a friend last year to such an infection. Genetic analyses of the culprit bacteria show clearly that they have been modified by the antibiotics given to chickens (in large doses I will add) to make them grow faster. CDC sees the use of antibiotics in chicken as the #1 risk to public health like a ticking time bomb. The poultry industry has been encouraged to adopt the European cleanliness methods, but so far they have resisted and people like Dan and Truett Cathy want to keep it that way. Well, we are not going to allow them. New regulations for cleanliness a for chickens raised WITHOUT antibiotics are just around the corner.
Dan Lovingood says
I stopped eating at Chick-Fil-A in 2005 after I learned of the company's discrimination practices against is employees and against LBGT person. Quite simply, they despicable. Now I see that they use chicken heavily loaded with antibiotics, we have another mechanism to attack them: from a regulatory side.
emil2 says
sadly, justin passed away from a heart attack shortly after writing his comment. I would say you will be missed justin, but I would be wrong.
JulieZ says
I drive right past fast food places these days. No more of that stuff for me, even in moderation.
I'm 54 this year and I'm making lifestyle changes to help the rest of my years be (hopefully) healthier. Good luck to everyone on their own personal journeys -- may you choose wisely.
Live long and prosper.
Alex says
The author is definitely misinformed and hippie-naive about these products and additives. And MSG is delicious. I will bathe my children in it.
KuroiShi says
...wow.
Kelly says
Yeah, wow.
justin says
I Love Chik Fil A and will continue to eat there.....everything in life is bad for you to some degree....Moderation and healthy lifestyle are most important and Chick Fil A is a great part of that for me!!!!! I'm going to get some right now....you're missing out!!
Missy says
I have heard that Moe's fast food restaurant uses locally grown and in season foods in their menu items. Might be worth a looking into. It is burritos and wraps and things like that, I know not this is not everyone's ideal type of food but better than the alternatives if this happens to pan out.
Courtney says
The only fast food restaurant that I've ever been to that seems healthy is EVOS.
Unfortunately, there are only about 5 of them so far.
Emily says
Hi,
I enjoy your website, and I appreciate the effort you are going to, in order to educate folks about the things we eat, but the meat thing is a serious issue. I am a single parent, and I cannot afford to buy the entire cow at once, so that my family can have beef for a year. Frankly, I struggle to buy the whole chicken at once! Short of becoming a vegetarian, which isn't likely, how is a person with a normal budget supposed to buy their meat from local farmers? I'm surrounded by them, and I go to the fair every year, and watch them sell for over a thousand bucks at a time. This would be a MAJOR investment for me. Is there some other way? Thanks!
Morgan says
Hi Emily do you have any farmer's markets near you? We have a few near us (central fl) that sell grass-fed beef and free range chickens, all are antibiotic free. We cannot afford to buy a whole cow and cannot keep chickens because of city ordinances, but we try to make our meat stretch further and include more vegetables/sides instead of a large piece of meat per person.
David says
Emily, this is late in coming but start asking around. Sometimes the farmer's markets are filled with people who buy products from farmers and resell them. See if you can locate some small, local farmers and ranchers that will sell you less. In Brenham, TX, there is a farm that raises cattle, chickens and pigs. They actually have memberships where they vacuum pack and, once a month, deliver fresh meat for the coming month, vacuum packed and frozen, to your door. Perhaps there is something like it in your area.
Local farms for fresh vegetables should be more plentiful than that, though, and you'll be surprised how good the food tastes. Also, there are cheap (even free) things you can grow yourself in just about any size space to add to your meals and make them more attractive. I would definitely keep up the search if I were you. It may prove worth it in the long run to be patient and keep looking.
Sylvia says
Thanks for this information, I'm a type of person who is not conscious of what I eat, but after reading your blog I should be aware of what I will eat and if its beneficial or not.
Sylvia from bouture rosierÂ
Christina says
The clinician who reportedly believes that MSG can "excite brain cells to death" also believes that vaccines are still causing autism. He retired to 'market' his own brand of 'brain repair formula' to anyone who will buy it. I am all for supporting natural alternatives to fast food, but I'll believe that MSG (glutamic acid/a naturally occurring substance) is actually harmful when I see someone with decent credentials and research (preferably more than one) supporting it, and not with an ulterior motive.
Christy says
I agree with you completely. It's stuff like that that really prevents people from wanting to make a lifestyle change. They see one scare tactic and then assume it's ALL scare tactics, even though there's good stuff in there that will help them. Argh!
David says
I can attest to the fact that MSG causes those problems in people. My wife is MSG sensitive and, when she accidentally ingests it, she finds herself in the bathroom hours later with both vomiting and diarrhea and a splitting migraine-like headache. She is in a cold sweat and loses a day's work each time this happens. We don't eat out a lot but, when we do, we make sure the restaurants don't use MSG.
It also affects me but, since I'm not especially sensitive, I only experience the worst of the symptoms if I eat a lot of the food or its especially saturated. My mother is more sensitive than I and not as much as my wife and, as you would expect, she experiences symptoms to a greater degree than I do but to a lesser extent than my wife does.
lisa says
This article and the comments make me so sad. Why? Not because I love CFA.. I've actually never understood the hype.
It makes me sad because six months ago the business my husband and i owned had to close from lack of sales.
Not counting the soda machine (we did have other alternatives), we had nothing that had preservatives or msg. Our bread was made fresh that morning by us, and it had a grand total of 7 ingredients. We cooked all of our meats in house except the ham and pepperoni. Some days we even threw in a gluten free flax seed bread.
Where do you all live that your area would support this? Sigh...
Kelly says
Austin, TX would support this type of restaurant for sure. I'm sorry you had such a hard time with that business. It's not right.
SuzyQ says
Awesome Lisa, thank you for your post! I live in Plano, TX. Yesterday at the Plano Public Library, YES, a *public library* - they were handing out coupons for a free Chick-Fil-A kid's meal (with a free kid's Dr. Pepper beverage of course)to children. Let me tell you I was shocked that a place young children go to learn, that Chick-Fil-A and the director of children's programming would not think twice to market fast food to children. My daughter is 4 years old! That Chick-Fil-A and other peddlers of junk food would stoop this low to advertize to young children is disturbing. Letter to director of children's programming and the Plano Public Library director sent!
Mixing paprika, olive oil, and salt and rubbing it on a pasture raised piece of chicken from my nearby market takes no time.
Maria says
My son's school gives away coupons for free Chick-Fil-A kid's meal for joining the PTA or doing things like having perfect attendance for an X amount of days and other accomplishments like that. I will say that the local Chick-Fil-A donates money to the school which is great. I will be hiding the coupons this year before my son sees them.
sabrina says
The Bible tells us that “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be†(Psalm 139:16) I say eat a chick Fila sandwich with your family and thank the Lord for giving you such a great meal. This article is written as if you have control over the day you die. remember your MAKER!!!
Stacey says
But you do have a choice in how healthy those days are :) Why not make a little effort to have a quality life, where you can serve God because you have health to do it?
Kay says
This article in no way states that you can have control over the day you die, however it does that you can make educated decisions on what you put into your body...the one God gave you to take care of and use for good things. Im sure the Lord will approve people taking care of their bodies.
Foodie Laura says
The Bible also says your body is a temple. Why would you fill your holy temple with harmful and cancer-causing chemicals if you could easily avoid it?
Kelly says
Wait, the bible told you to eat at Chick-Fil-A? Did he tell you to drink the Kool-Aid too??
Anna says
If your'e going to go all bible thumping on something like this, then what about 'Your body is a temple'. The bible talks about caring for your body...How is eating all these chemicals and preservatives taking care of your body and your children s body??
1. EVERYBODY should be educated about what they are eating... regardless if you're still going to eat it or not.
You can enjoy a great home made meal with your family and thank GOd for that! Geez.
Alicia says
Thanks for clearing that up. I've been thinking about trying heroin for awhile, and now that I know it doesn't matter whatsoever what I put in my body, I'm going to jump right on that. Praise Jesus for giving us such a boon of heroin.
missy @ it's almost naptime says
I'm a Christian, and that comment is just so ridiculous it's not even worth responding to.
Jenny says
I have come to realize (sadly) unless I make the food from scratch from trusted local sources I am feeding my children mystery food. Yes it takes time and money and energy but everything we do as parents is to provide the best life we can for our family. Thank you for your time and energy you put into this blog. Many tasty and happy meals have been made and eaten at our family dining table because of you.
Also ignorance or "just because" is not a good reason to give up on giving your children the best you can. It is not a lost cause...it is us mommy's (and daddy's) that can change the world when we makes choices about what we will and will not buy!
Megan says
I found this article to be very interesting and a different look at why junk food is bad for us. I live in Australia although I have family in America and I travel there once every few years. I'm always amazed by the number of "chain" restaurants and fast food outlets that I see while there. I think that for a lot of people the convenience of picking something up is just too great over sourcing unprocessed foods. The people are left looking at the options of chains and fast food and feel that they have to make the "best" choice from that. I think it's a great disservice to a community when there isn't a way to access fresh meat and vegetable easily. In Australia we have local butchers in every suburb, some better than others still, who can tell you where the meat has come from. We have farmers markets even in the big cities and green grocers where you can find out just where your food has come from. We still have two big supermarket chains (no walmart, though) which sell meat and veg but we have a choice about where we get it. It's a shame that those mega-conglomo places in America push out little local butchers. At the end of the day a "healthy choice" from a fast food or chain place is still junk food from a chain or fast food place. If you don't make the food and put the ingredients in yourself; chances are you don't know all the ingredients in what you are eating!
Leah says
Wow!! THANK YOU for this! My fiance is not 100% on board with a completely real food diet, though he'll eat whatever I cook for him (then later scarf down Cup o' Noodles..) so hopefully showing him this, and making your wonderful knock-off recipe, will help curb some of the fast food habits he has!!
Maryann Goldman says
I am embarking on a new effort to feed my family whole foods. I was saying just the other day that if I were out with the kids at lunch and needed to feed them in a pinch that a Grilled CFA minus the bun would probably be an OK thing to do. Guess not! :-( We used to love CFA!
Susan Cox says
Well, daggone it! My husband LOVES Chick-fil-A as well as other fast food restaurants. He is just now beginning to learn about "clean eating". Are there ANY good restaurant choices out there??? I doubt he'll stop eating fast food altogether.
julie says
Oh, this makes me so sad. Chick-Fil-A was my last hopeful chain. Now we can't eat anywhere!! how disappointing! Sigh.....
My kids will think I've once again gone off the deep end.
Brent says
Great info! Sheril mentioned something in jest but I think it goes to the truth of the matter. Yes we need to start growing our own food again and yes that includes our meats. The corporations love people like Sheril that think its impossible to co op these farming tactics. I am a Christian a conservative and I have a brain! The genetically mortified food and chemicals/pesticides we are consuming are killing us in drastic numbers. Ask yourself how many people do I know right now that have or who have had cancer. Now do a little research and you'll discover cancer rates have drastically increased over the past 40yrs. Coincidence? Finally, yes its very hard to eat clean all the time but go to your local whole foods or farmers market and buy true nutrition. Our countries citizens are severely under fed with fake food due to the corporations pleasing our tastbuds and not our bodies! lastly talk to a farmer and see what you can arrange you might be surprised with the options !
Angela says
I think you mean Jennifer?
Cris says
This made me LOL because I nearly ate their everyday in college too! Except I knew it was bad for me having been raised by semi-hippies;) I wasn't that great at managing meal planning yet so I chose to buy when I was on campus.