Medical Reports: Eat This, Not That

WSVN -- We're a nation looking for a quick fix when it's time to eat. Hamburgers are heaven, but eat enough and those buns are going straight to your buns.

Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, super-sized. Fast foods are wreaking havoc on our waistlines.

Matt Goulding: "People on average underestimate their caloric intake by 93 percent when they eat out."

That's why Matt Goulding and David Zinczenko of "Men's Health" magazine wrote "Eat This Not That."

Matt Goulding: "You can cut 200 calories from your diet in a number of different ways and save over 20 pounds a year."

You would think the healthy choices would be obvious, but it can be tricky. We decided to put some smart university students to the test.

Meal one: breakfast from Starbucks, which is the healthier choice? A multi-grain bagel with cream cheese or a reduced-fat turkey bacon, egg and white cheddar sandwich?

Matthew Rosen: "I'd say the bagel."

Ron Honick: "I would have to say the bagel and creme cheese. I know the dangers of bacon."

The bagel and cream cheese has 410 calories. The sandwich has 350, so you save 60 calories and get more protein with the low-fat bacon and eggs.

Matthew Rosen: "You're talking about refined carbohydrates rather than lean protein."

Moving on to lunch: Blimpie's grilled chicken sub versus the chicken Caesar wrap.

Katie Guyon: "I would say this is the healthier choice because it's in a wrap."

Ron Honick: "Probably the wrap, bread generally tends to be more high in calories than wraps are."

Wrong. The wrap has almost 200 more calories than the sub.

Lisa Dorfman: "Something like a wrap makes us feel like we're not really eating something that is rich in starch and breads, but a wrap could actually have the equivalent of four slices of bread."

four slices of bread? Ouch. OK, one more. From Wendy's, the ultimate chicken grill sandwich versus the mandarin chicken salad.

Shari Gurkin: "You'd think a salad would be healthier, but in reality, the dressing is like a million calories."

Angela Murfin: "The noodles are really bad for you, and the nuts are higher calories, so it's deceiving."

Finally, someone gets it right. The sandwich is the healthier choice with 120 less calories.

Lisa Dorfman: "If you eat salads that also include things like dressings, you can get half your calories from total fat."

And that goes for anything you order. Ketchup, mayo, fries, they all pack on extra calories.

Matthew Rosen: "It's just about making a couple of smart choices here and there, and ultimately, the impact is going to be massive on your lifestyle."

So, fast food junkies, do your homework. Take a look at the nutritional information before you order, and get smart about choices, so you know if you eat this you'll never have to worry about too much junk in your trunk.

Lynn Martinez: "More and more restaurants are making healthier choices a lot easier. In fact, Wendy's told us that their sandwiches are "made-to-order," so it's easier for customers to control the total number of calories. Sounds good.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: