This is probably a very silly post, but I’m in a silly mood. I had KFC for lunch yesterday (maybe that’s why), and was struck by how insidious the menu is at the Carlingford branch – if you actually want to have their chicken and not a burger, you can either choose from the ~$3 snack options, or else you have to order a ~$10 combo box that could easily feed 2-3 people. I couldn’t see any other “in between” options (nor most of the other options listed on their Web site menu). I would’ve been happy with a piece of chicken and some chips, but ended up getting the “All-stars” box containing:
- A piece of original recipe chicken
- 2 hot-and-spicy wicked wings
- A crispy strip
- Popcorn chicken
- Chips
- Potato and gravy
- A bread roll
- A can of soft drink
Now I’ve probably got you salivating, and you’re going to go out and get KFC aren’t you? Well if you are, or you tend to eat junk food anyway, try to keep the following three things in mind to minimise the damage to your health:
- Avoid drinking the cold drink that comes with the meal. There’s a rumour that drinking cold beverages will make the fat content of the meal congeal in your stomach, making it harder to digest. It could be Asian propaganda, since we like to have hot (Chinese) tea with our meals so I can’t guarantee that there is any scientific basis to the claim, but it does seem at least a little bit plausible. Plus, having less sugary fizzy drink never hurt anybody.
- Don’t eat everything – a few months ago I ordered a $5 meal at Macdonalds which included a cheeseburger, fries, soft serve and a drink. The Asian in me who was raised not to waste anything felt compelled to finish every last morsel, but after 2 spoonfuls of the slop that was being passed off as iced confectionery, and a couple of sips of the drink to wash down the limp, dry burger, I chucked the rest away (except the fries, of course… who can resist those salty fatty stalks of fried deliciousness?)
- Don’t super-size me, ‘coz although I could get the large coke and fries for only $1 extra, not carrying around the extra weight of the coin is denying me precious exercise. Hehe… just kidding. Seriously though, just because it’s better value doesn’t mean that it’s better.
Isn’t it funny how fast food punishes fiscally responsible behaviour – as in getting better value-for-money – is more detrimental to your health? But man, if they ever open up a Cafe de Coral (大家樂) here in Australia, I’d be a lost cause.
For no reason at all, here’s a cool picture I found:
I couldn’t find the source of the image to give credit, but if it’s yours please let me know.
Photo credit: avlxyz, Flickr