Fox News commentator and Evangelical, Mike Huckabee, recently rallied for a Chick-fil-A "Customer Appreciation Day" in support of CEO Dan Cathy's outspoken views on the so-called "preservation of the sanctity of marriage." While this political
propagation of bigotry for a minority group suffices to sour my appetite for nuclear chicken patties, my real distaste for Chick-fil-A are its horrible standards of nutrition. As a student of nutrition science and someone who generally avoids eating garbage, I haven't exactly found a reason to grace the inside of a Chick-fil-A. The kitschy name in itself has done
little to persuade me that its menu might possibly offer anything outside of the
"pink slime" variety.
Just glancing at some of the items on its online menu, I mourn for the bodies of Americans who recently showed up to Huckabee's event. Sales increased by the millions as customers cashed-in to chow-down on chicken-byproducts all the while masquerading in some moral fight for marriage. For example, the Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap--which may sound like a reasonable selection--contains 410 calories, 10 grams of fat, 32 grams of protein, and 1070 milligrams of sodium. Dietary guidelines established by the American Dietetic Association have set the maximum limit of adequate intake of sodium for adults under the age of 51 at 1500 mg/day, so the fact that one of these wraps comes close to this number is unsettling. Furthermore, the EER (estimated energy requirement) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, so depending on the weight of the individual ordering a Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap, 32 grams of protein may very well be close to their dietary needs for an entire day.
When looking at classic items, such as the Chicken Sandwich, what is most alarming is the amount of sodium it contains: 1400 milligrams--100 milligrams shy of the 1500 mg/day maximum. According to the results of numerous studies, high sodium intakes are associated with increased risk of hypertension, or high blood pressure. An estimated 27-percent of adult Americans have hypertension, known as the "silent killer," because high blood pressure generally does not produce symptoms until organs and other vital systems are drastically damaged.
In conclusion, I strongly discourage supporting any establishment that funds legislation for the execution of any minority group, be it sexual orientation/race/religion/creed. (http://thetruthpursuit.com/society/society-blogs/chick-fil-may-have-more-just-chicken-blood-its-hands/11304). But if that's not enough to dissuade the typical American consumer, I can only hope that preservation of the sanctity of one's health will prevail. After all, our bodies are our temple.
