January 21, 2008

Best book (if you are going to eat fast food)

Many diners face a mystery of sorts at restaurants: They don't know how many calories are in the dishes they're eating. And when they guess, they greatly underestimate the numbers.

So says David Zinczenko, author of the new book Eat This, Not That! written with Matt Goulding (Rodale, $19.95). It was No. 19 on the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list last week.

But if consumers arm themselves with nutrition knowledge when eating out, they can figure out "a ton of ways to lose a ton of weight," says Zinczenko, who is editor in chief of Men's Health magazine and also wrote The Abs Diet and The Abs Diet for Women.

Some examples:

•Burger King's Whopper Jr. without mayonnaise and garden salad with fat-free ranch dressing has 365 calories and 12 fat grams, compared with a BK Big Fish Sandwich with tartar sauce and medium fries with 1,000 calories and 52 fat grams.

•A ham, egg and cheese English muffin sandwich from Dunkin' Donuts has 310 calories and 10 fat grams vs. a multigrain bagel with light cream cheese, 500 calories and 15 fat grams.

•Popeyes' spicy chicken breast, thigh, leg and wing without the skin and breading has 280 calories, 8.5 fat grams vs. a spicy chicken breast with the breading and skin, 360 calories, 22 fat grams.

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