Grabbing a shawarma for lunch? It might have more fat than a Big Mac

In addition to being a useful tool for economists and fodder for schlocky documentary filmmakers, the Big Mac, with its 540 calories and 29 grams of fat, can also act as a useful guilt yardstick for your latest indulgence. Ryan Berry recently wrote to the Toronto Star’s Dish column with a simple question: just how bad are the Me Va Me shawarmas that he and his wife love so much? Before we go any further, we should point out that stories about sandwiches and salads (!) that are fattier or higher in calories than the Big Mac are a well-worn journalistic standby. Still, even Berry’s claim that the shawarma was as big as his forearm didn’t prepare us for the results the Star got back from the lab: 1215 calories, 73 grams of fat and 2512 milligrams of sodium. You’d get fewer calories and less fat (but more sodium) eating two KFC Double Downs, which were pretty much the gold standard for fast food fattiness not long ago. The dietitian the Star spoke with recommends the couple split the sandwich and cut back on toppings. We recommend people stop ruining their guilty pleasures by sending them into the folks at the Star. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »