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• August 16, 2009 8:27 p.m.

  I am working on a cost analysis: home made meals vs fast food. In my heart I know that my homemade minestrone soup or my cabbage casserole is cheaper for a family of four than the burgers/sodas/fries from any fast food. All it takes is a mother who is willing to chop the veggies and turn ont he burner. The path to a healthy family and put the seed mongers out of business.

  - Dee

• May 20, 2009 8:47 a.m.

  I'm amazed at reading that a typical American meal should be a hamburger. No wonder we also read that obesity is a great problem in your country. In Scandinavia, we also enjoy hamburgers, but quite seldom. Our typical dinner could be for example: pork cutlets, cooked potatoes, suitable sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, piece of rye bread with vegetable based margarine, a glass of milk. Another example: Soup (casserole) made of mixed root vegetables, broth, lean meat of beef, a couple of pieces rye bread with margarine, a glass of milk. Well, in our countries young people go more often to the McDonalds or similar, and they tend to obesity as well.

  - Kirsti

• April 23, 2009 4:13 a.m.

  If I go to Whole Foods and buy hamburger it was made from one cow at a low plant. If I buy a hamburger from McDonalds the meat came from 8 or more cows and from who knows which plant in whatever state the feds don't monitor. I get local lettuce that I wash or lettuce that may come from a field and plant with ecoli contamination, or tomatoes with salmonella contamination shipped up from Mexico. Since the days of Secretary Butz under Nixon with taxpayer subsidies to big corporate grain farmers we have gone from grass feed range cattle to cattle crammed into feed lots and stuffed with corn and been told this high fat beef is actually a good thing to eat, along with all the antibiotics, e-coli, sulfites, MSG, and anything else that will disguise the true nature of the meat they are selling. I love the term all-beef as it is quite accurate as one does get all of the cow including parts that we don't expect to be eating.

  - ZeeBruce

• March 31, 2009 4:34 p.m.

  I 100% agree with this because we need to spend more quality time with family.

  - zamzam

• March 18, 2009 5:13 p.m.

  While I appreciate the intent of the article, what will separate RDs as nutrition experts is when we decide to tell consumers the cold hard facts about what they are eating. Many will read the chart showing fast food has less fat and costs only a few pennies more, and stop reading. What consumers need to consider beyond the pennies and total fat content is the consumption of trans fats of which fast food is laden and the huge health risks and cost to their pocketbooks when they get sick from it. If we are the nutrition experts, we will give people reasons to make changes, such as the fact the FDA has stated there is no safe level of trans fat to consume, researchers suspect a possible 75% increase in breast cancer risk posed by trans fat consumption, and there are many others. A strong stand on whole, healthy, clean food, rather than equivocating on cost per ounce and total fat (ignoring fat composition)does not help the public make better choices. The bottom line is fast food across the board is the lesser choice. Let's help people make the best choices and stop helping them justify a less healthy lifestyle.

  - Linda Illingworth, RD

• March 16, 2009 4:03 p.m.

  Hi there, To some other posters, the point was a price-comparison -- the article noted that viewing burgers purely on a cost level isn't seeing the forest from the trees. Otherwise, my cooking style is geared for versatility and buying simple ingredients and making the most out of them (a la infusions and the like), so my food costs are already pretty lean. The two best home cooking deals are garlic and rotisserie chicken | I peel the cloves, put them in a pan of olive oil and roast them for 30 minutes or so at 350. I keep the garlic in the fridge for salads, sauces and any number of items. Once it's cooled I reserved the garlic-infused oil for my sauteing, salad dressings, etc. As for chickens, you can make multiple meals with the meat, and also use the carcass for chicken stock. Hope this helps! Best, Russ Lane Second Helping, www.secondhelpingonline.com Life after Weight Loss | News, Cooking, Commentary

  - Russ Lane, Second Helping

• March 15, 2009 10:49 a.m.

  Thank you for show your topic. I have been learned it more. Your information is useful Eric Lam 1nutrition.blogspot.com

  - Eric Lam

• March 13, 2009 7:41 p.m.

  I'm sure the fast food burger is NOT made with lean ground beef, so the difference in calories between it and the home mad eone is much bigger.

  - creagastro

• March 13, 2009 7:30 a.m.

  hi i am lorrie from california ..... I gather more information from this website..... Your website is really informative for me........ I enjoyed reading this article.. Drug Intervention Arizona

  - jenny

• March 13, 2009 7:26 a.m.

  When in business I learned that lunching out, fast food or slow, put weight on. Serving sizes were double on the breads and greasy stuff. Nutritious vegetables were rarely considered. Today, I read the labels on the prepared foods and then purchase fresh. Nutrition is the key for me. Have you ever walked into a public kitchen?

  - Ginny