Taco Bell Mystery Meat And Other Fake Foods

With the recent Taco Bell lawsuit alleging that the fast food restaurant doesn't use all beef in their tacos, burritos and other food items, many people are questioning what other fast foods aren't really food. The class action lawsuit claims Taco Bell users binders and fillers in their products. Well, duh. Did you really think that they would just use beef? How can they afford to when a taco costs a mere $0.99? Plus, it's expected that beef would include seasonings and other spices. Hello, where do you think the flavor comes from? Beef itself doesn't taste seasoned.

Basically, you get what you pay for. This brought me to other fast foods and what we are REALLY eating. Is the cheap price of fast food worth your health?

McDonald's Chicken Nuggets: In one word, gross. Have you seen what they're really made of? They start off as a pink paste that's defined by the FDA as "mechanically separated meat." Umm, okay. The picture made me want to hurl. I'm just wondering how they get the nuggets to turn white to make it look like chicken. Upon further investigation, an itemization of chicken nuggets ingredients yielded a long list of chemicals I can't pronounce. The cost of ten pieces of nuggets is only around $5. I'd rather save my $5 and buy some fruit and veggies.

McDonald's Happy Meal: Back in October 2010, New York artist Sally Davies did a project on the hamburger Happy Meal. She took pictures of it every day for six months to see how it changed. It didn't. It looked exactly the same as the day she bought it. No smell, no decomposing, nothing. Frightening! I shudder to think of all the parents buying this and feeding it to their kids. And no wonder it didn't decay--the hamburger contains so many preservatives, it will probably last a lifetime. Same goes for the french fries, containing partially hydrogenated corn oil with TBHQ and citric acid. What the heck is TBHQ? According to the Wiki, TBHQ is an organic compound used as a preservative in foods. A study shows that prolonged exposure to TBHQ induces stomach tumors and can damage your DNA. Hmm, no thanks. Sure, a Happy Meal costs around $3 and comes with a toy, but I'd rather take my $3 and buy some real food elsewhere.

KFC Double Down: Need I say more? Even the name sounds scary. A sandwich that comes with bacon in between two pieces of fried chicken with lots of cheese and special sauce really needs to be taken off the market. Not only does it pack 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,430 mg of sodium along with a side of heart failure, the Double Down contains sodium phosphates, MSG and a bunch of chemicals. Phosphates have been known to cause kidney injury. Save your $5.65 and your heart and opt for healthier sandwich from Subway.

Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich: There has been lots of controversy over which fish sandwich is better, Wendy's or McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. John M. Edwards of Serious Eats even did a blog post on it. He said the Wendy's fish fillet sandwich reminded him of fish sticks, "not extremely meaty, not particularly moist." At 500 calories a pop for this sandwich, I would pass. Not to mention it contains a ton of fake ingredients that only someone in the science lab could discern. Save your $5 and eat something natural.

Not all fake foods are fast foods. Some of them are lurking in your fridge or pantry.

Cheez Whiz: A bright orange, processed cheese sauce developed by Kraft foods in 1953, this popular product is a hit with kids and adults. They like the convenience of having cheese in a jar and using it as spreads for sandwiches. It also comes in a can for easier eating, just squeeze directly in your mouth! Disgusting. I have never tasted Cheez Whiz and never will. How do they even get it to be that bright orange color? It contains tons of stabilizers and extenders so the cheese can remain soft at room temperature. Oh yum. Not. Save your $3 and get some real cheese.

Cool Whip: Ahhh, who doesn't love a lil Cool Whip on fruits and pies? I sure did--until I read that Cool Whip contains no cream or milk. Instead, it is made with a milk derivative called casein which is basically a food addictive. No wonder it tasted so different! It contains water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup and several preservatives. High fructose corn syrup is responsible for many cases of obesity because people who eat it don't know they are full, they just keep eating and eating. Crazy stuff, huh? And if you're really a thrill seeker, get the Cool Whip that comes in an aerosol can. It's propelled with nitrous oxide, otherwise known as laughing gas--which is also a greenhouse gas and air pollutant. Now, do you really want to squirt some Cool Whip in your mouth?

So, before you buy your next fast food meal or processed food at the store, think about your health. Not only will you save yourself a few dollars, you'll be saving your body and preserving your health and that's what really matters in the long run.

What are some other fake foods you avoid and why?