Dr. Robert Cook - Is It Bad For You? Approved by Dr. Robert Cook

Is KFC Bad For You?

Also Known As: Kentucky Fried Chicken


Grade

F


Short answer

It is impossible to eat a healthy, well-balanced meal at KFC. Diners who choose to eat here should consider their experience an occasional indulgence, anyone else should cut their losses and construct a meal with less than 400 calories and 15 grams of fat.

Grade

F


Long answer

As a subsidiary of Yum! Brands with over 17,000 restaurants worldwide, Kentucky Fried Chicken is an American tradition.  Even though it removed the “fried” from its name and rebranded itself as KFC, this eatery does not pretend to be healthy – making a breakdown of its unabashedly, unhealthy menu items readily available online.

The truth is, people line up at KFC for the taste - the name change and menu diversification simply provide committed diners with the denial they need in order to indulge. A case in point is the recently released “Double” – a sandwich consisting of bacon and cheese wedged between two pieces of crispy fried chicken, which advertises the health benefits associated with eliminating the bread.

At this destination spot for fried chicken, very few natural ingredients – three of 29 to be exact – go into the process of seasoning and battering.  Moreover, the chicken is raised with the benefit of both antibiotics and growth hormones. An obvious concern is the fat content, which pervades KFC’s menu. Although a fried chicken thigh may only have 290 calories, a full 189 of these come from fat. A grilled chicken thigh doesn’t fare much better, deriving 90 of its 170 calories from unhealthy fats.  

However, the high fat content is only one unhealthy element of the food at KFC. Perhaps the greater culprit is sodium, which finds its way abundantly into all menu items, with the possible exception of the corn on the cob. In addition to contributing to high blood pressure and kidney disease, the toxicity associated with the heavy metal in refined table salt has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.  While there are many menu items which weigh in at under 400 calories and 15 grams of fat – including an original menu breast (minus the skin!), and grilled chicken wings, drumsticks or thighs – all are extremely high in sodium, as are all side salads, dressings, and croutons.

If you like what KFC has to offer, confine your indulgence to a rare treat.  If you must eat there, let the “400 calories, 15 grams of fat” rule guide your choice - remove the skin where necessary, and skip the soda and dessert.


Possible short-term side effects

  • water-retention
  • dehydration
  • lethargy
  • headache from msg

Possible long-term side effects

  • heart attack
  • stroke
  • kidney disease
  • high blood pressure
  • diabetes
  • high cholesterol
  • obesity alzheimer’s disease
  • cancer

Ingredients to be aware of





Thank you for your feedback!

Written by Healthy Living 35
Published on: 01-07-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016

Thank you for your feedback!

Written by Healthy Living 35
Published on: 01-07-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016




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