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] »
This is crazy! Must be the extra sauce they load on.
I still feel better about eating shawarma than mcdonalds. How many chemicals are in their buns again?
Shwarma is real food. A big Mac is not. Hummus, avocado, tahini, olive oil…all fattening , healthy and delicious. Let’s stop worrying about calories and start focusing on eating balanced whole foods.
Me Va Me shawarmas are like a healthy party in your mouth. Full of healthy ingredients. You can always share one. Still healthier than McDonalds where the hamburgers are microwaved. No comparison. Balance meals in a day is the key.
Shawarma is good and there are lots of ways to make it healthier…I am sure it is better than BigMac…They are so tasty that you can resist them :)