April 27th Free KFC Grilled Chicken Day Unthink the Unthink KFC Wants You to Unthink!

April 27th Free KFC Grilled Chicken Day

Unthink the Unthink KFC Wants You to Unthink!

April 27th is Free Grilled Chicken Day at KFC. Kentucky Fried Chicken is trying to shake off its saturated high fat image and asking everyone to unthink what they have thought about KFC with their new invention of unfried - grilled chicken. I suspect Kentucky Fried Chicken is finally understanding we are a fat saturated nation that needs to lighten up and hopes that grilled chicken will lure back health conscious consumers who dropped KFC like a bad coronary habit.

I am constantly asked by my clients to recommend healthy foods from fast food chains so they can grab a healthy choice in a pinch. Of course, I had to investigate KFC’s announcement.

KFC may claim to have closely guarded herbs and spices secret ingredients, and perhaps there is not enough legislation to demand to know what lies in that closely guarded vault. However, we do have the right to know what the main ingredients are for their new grilled chicken which can be found at KFC’s nutrition guide: http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/pdf/kfc_ingredients_april09.pdf It is no secret, you may be in for a shock!

KFC Grilled chicken contains the following:
Fresh Chicken Marinated with: Salt, Sodium Phosphate, and Monosodium Glutamate Seasoned with: Maltodextrin, Salt, Bleached Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Monosodium Glutamate, Spices, Palm Oil, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Chicken Fat, Chicken Broth, Autolyzed Yeast, Beef Powder, Rendered Beef Fat, Extractives of Turmeric, Dehydrated Carrot, Onion Powder, and Not More Than 2% Each of Calcium Silicate and Silicon Dioxide Added as Anticaking Agents. Contains Wheat and Soy.

I don’t care how many turkey's are dancing their chicken dance on their new website. With an ingredient list like this, I can’t possibly "unthink" the unthink KFC wants me to unthink!

Now, I will admit the Grilled Chicken with 70 to 180 calories with four to nine grams of fat and 160 to 440 mg of sodium is a far better choice health-wise than the original recipe at 110 to 370 calories with seven to 21 grams of fat, 290 to 1,050 mg of sodium. But, at what cost? Does it truly take a list of obnoxious anti-health ingredients to do so?

Wheat, soy sauce and beef powder to most, means nothing, but to those who are wheat sensitive, gluten intolerant, or suffer celiac disease, or Sprue are already clutching their sensitive stomach’s in disbelief.

When you think of grilled chicken the last thing one might think of is a coating of flour. And, why do we need flour on grilled chicken anyway? KFC is reinventing it’s advertising and I wonder if there will be a disclosure statement for such individuals. In fact, KFC is thinking about changing their name, to incorporate grilled, perhaps to give the illusion of healthy food. Maybe it should read Kentucky (fried for some) GRILLED, Gluten laden Chicken. I think that covers every one, Right? So please, if you are intolerable to wheat and gluten, please pass this on to all who need to be aware.

And now for the health conscious individuals that KFC is hoping to capture, let’s get up close and personal with the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity. Notice the first three ingredient are salt, sodium phosphate and monosodium glutamate. These are, in essence, three types of salt. And, the chicken is marinated in this bath of unwanted concoction.

Now, this is interesting, Monosodium glutamate known as MSG is actually listed twice. What this mean to you is there is an abundance of MSG in this product. MSG (Monosodium glutamate) is a potent excitotoxin whose only purpose is to enhance the flavor of food. The American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs, the National Academy of Sciences, as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have all determined that MSG, at current consumption levels, is safe."

So, what exactly are "current levels"? Does "current levels" apply to batches or individual pieces? If you consume 3-6 pieces are you getting too much? If you find you suddenly have symptoms like rapid pulse, confusion, a burning sensation, facial pressure or chest pains, not to worry, this is a temporary condition and is not harmful. MSG has a degenerative effect on the brain and nervous system and over stimulates cells to the point of exhaustion and death. It tricks the brain into thinking it’s getting something tasty and triggers insulin production which results in a craving response, triggering one to eat more often which leads to excess stored fat. For more information click  here.

Ask yourself this, "Why would I want to consume anything that will affect your body negatively?" Suddenly KFC’s grilled chicken is not looking so revolutionary.

Now that I have brought your attention to the fact that the first three ingredients are essentially salt, there are in fact 3 forms of sodium, some repeating, never-the-less, if it is listed, it’s in there. Can you find the 7 times sodium are listed?

I am curious as to why KFC chicken requires rendered beef fat and chicken fat. Essentially, another word for rendered fat is lard. Rendering is the process of converting animal fatty tissue waste and bi-product and turn it into a stable product such as lard or tallow The question raised in my mind is just how much saturated fat is involved in making a healthier version of chicken?

Here is a brief breakdown of some of the more questionable ingredients.

Partially hydrogenated Soybean oil: A transmogrified industrial process laden with lethal trans fat. Most soybean oils are from genetically modified soybeans, unless otherwise marked on the product (and it is not listed above, and I am sure that KFC would promote the use of non-GMO’ if they were using).   Top nutritionists at Harvard have concluded that trans fat could be responsible for as many as 30,000 premature coronary deaths per year.

Hydrogenated Cotton Seed Oil: The oil is extracted from the seeds of the highly genetically modified cotton plant after harvesting. Cotton oil in its unrefined state contains a serious toxin, gossypol, and is used as an effective pesticide. Natural occurring gossypol protects the plant from insect damage and is one of the most heavily used pesticides on crops in North America. Hydrogenated cotton seed oil was originally intended for candle production and soon became a cheap way of producing oil suitable for food consumption. Peanut allergy? BEWARE: Cotton seed oils are extremely similar in its protein structure to peanuts and may cause a serious allergic reaction. As mentioned above cottonseed oil is also a transmogrified industrial process laden with lethal trans fat. For more information click here.

Palm Oil: Palm Oil is derived from the pulp of palm tree fruit. It is high in saturated fat and can promote heart disease and is contributing to the destruction of the rainforest and wildlife of Southeast Asia.

So far there are 5 types of fat in this product and none of them are heart healthy omega 3 anti inflammatory oils. I am still trying to figure out how the new grilled chicken could possibly be healthier than their original chicken.

Natural Flavoring is another ingredient that seems to be on every label. What is it? According to the US Code of Federal RegulationsUS Code of Federal Regulation Code of Federal Regulations (CFR):

...the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.

So, what this says to me is that natural flavoring can be almost anything and it does not have to be precisely disclosed. Again, if you have certain food allergies, not knowing exactly what is being used, leaves one guessing. Eating a piece of grilled chicken should not be a crap shoot!

I think I will not "unthink" my health conscious mind to run out and try their new interpretation of a healthy meal. And, I most definitely will educate my clients on the detriments of KFC’s grilled chicken! Think about it, when you are grilling chicken at home do you plaster it with 3 types of salt, 5 different types of saturated fats and questionable other ingredients? KFC wants to bring people back to their restaurants by creating the perception of health value in their grilled chicken. Why not honestly slow grill a piece of chicken with some herbs and oil and feel good that you are providing a healthy meal. Why must we trick consumers with potent flavor enhancers to get them hooked and coming back for more? Would it be so much of a risk to honestly cook naturally and expect people to come back because of the quality?

On March 13, 2009, President Obama stated, in part, that the nation’s decades-old food safety system is a “hazard to public health”. While nominating Margaret Hamburg, M.D., the former New York Health Commissioner, for the position of FDA commissioner, he also indicated that he would be creating a Food Safety Working Group to coordinate food safety laws throughout government and to advise him on how to update them.

The Obama initiative provides a unique opportunity to have a voice and get involved with what proper labeling should be. Think about it, KFC claims they serve nearly eight million customers around the world daily. Eight million people getting involved in the legislation of organic, natural (and even that word is loaded) ingredients and abolish hidden and useless harmful ingredients would help us reduce our waistlines and reduce health issues (anybody for more affordable health care for all? - Sorry, that's another conversation). For more information click here.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is hoping that their grilled chicken along with their patented new oven that grills a batch of chicken in just over 20 minutes will lure health conscious consumers back to their establishments because there are significantly fewer calories, sodium and fat than their signature fried chicken. KFC wants you to unthink what you think about KFC. Personally analyzing the ingredients I know one thing for sure, KFC’s grilled chicken has let this health-savvy consumer down and, as a nutritionist, unimpressed!


KFC goes to the grill http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2008-03-23-kfc_N.htm
KFC allergy & Sensitivity Guide http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/pdf/kfc_allergens_april09.pdf

_____________________
Karen Langston, Chief Body Reorganizer
Shape shifting your body and mind environment

Karen@iamworthit2.com
http://www.IamWorthit2.com
http://21stcenturyhealthcare.blogspot.com
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