Growing up my mother fed me hearty and well balanced meals.  Fruits and vegetables were plentiful.  Every summer we gardened and harvested a beautifully large crop of corn, okra, green peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, and collards.  I wasn’t allowed to eat much candy and don’t recall eating fast food until nearly high school age.

Remembering the unhealthiest meal that I’ve ever eaten, really stirred me up. The meal was at McDonald’s and became a weekend ritual somewhere around the age of 15.  I’m repulsed and down right disgusted at the amount of garbage that I put into my body.  I was a member of the Oakcrest High School Marching Ambassadors.  We participated in competitions all over and traveled on the weekends.  That’s when I got the opportunity to eat at fast food restaurants.  My mother wouldn’t dare feed me McDonald’s.

I ate two Big Mac sandwiches, two large fries, an apple pie, and a large orange soda.  Now that may now sound like much, but for a nearly 5’9, 120 pound teenage girl, that just doesn’t sound normal to me. My cousin Curtis and I collected the McDonald’s calendars that had the buy one get one free coupon at the bottom of each month.  We lived for those coupons.

I was curious and had to get the nutritional facts on what I ate.  Below is the data:

Big Mac’s (2)

            33g  fat each

            1007g Sodium each

Large Fries (2)

            25g  Total fat each

            350g Sodium each

            15g Fat

            200g. Sodium

            20g  Sodium

            33g Sugar

Honestly, I want to take a laxative and a 15 mile run just thinking about the calories, fat and sodium that I consumed.  Stunned and astonished! 

Fast forward to 30+ years later-  I stopped eating red meat in 1994 and I don’t eat pork.  I eat turkey, chicken, and seafood. My occasional indulgence from McDonald’s is a small order of fries and that’s a rarity.  These days, I love my fruits, fresh vegetables, and other healthier food choices.  I religiously read nutritional labels before I buy or eat mostly everything. 

Personally, I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself of anything.  I cherish my body more than I did then before.  I eat now to fuel my body with the proper nutrients so that my body and mind can perform at its best.  I’ve tried to teach my children the importance of eating well, but they too may go through a similar stage.

My 22 year old was a bit deprived of candy, but she did enjoy the pleasures of happy meals.  I’ve relaxed  even more with my 8 year old.  He gets more candy and about the same amount of fast food as his sister did, but more  junk food than she ever did.  I hope that by not depriving them of the fun stuff that they won’t over indulge like I did.  Perhaps we’ve all had our stages as teens or adults.  Maybe.  Maybe not.
 
What was the unhealthiest meal you’ve ever eaten?  Oh, please share!