Health & Lifestyle

Burger King Announces Deep Fried, Mac ‘n Cheetos, An Item Sure To Make Health Enthusiasts Cringe

Published on: June 25, 2016 at 4:26 AM
By Teri Webster

Fans of salty, greasy food unite. Burger King is introducing its deep fried Mac ‘n Cheetos on Monday. Yes, Cheetos as in the crunchy snack.

The Mac n’ Cheetos menu item is made by deep frying sticks of macaroni cheese in a Cheetos-flavored shell. They come with a price tag of $2.49, ranch dressing on the side, and 310 calories, the fast food chain announced.

The item is part of a trend that blends fast food and famous snacks, Bloomberg News reported.

It’s also a way for fast food restaurants to step up the competition and offer customers more than the typical, burger, coke and fries.

But that’s not all it offers. Study after study shows our country’s decadence when it comes to fatty, sugary foods, is taking a toll on our health and our waistlines.

Health-conscious people wouldn’t set foot in a fast-food restaurant. But these mini diet disasters are just too much for some people to resist.

And that’s exactly what Burger King is hoping.

Many of the glowing reviews online leave out the health risks associated with a diet that includes a lot of fast food.

There’s probably nothing wrong with “having a little fun,” when it comes to unhealthy foods. But some would argue that Americans as a whole have been having a little too much fun when it comes to junk food and fast food.

The Washington Post referred to the nation’s rising incidence of diabetes as “ terrifying .”

“If current disease rates continue, one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050,” the Post reported in 2015. Diabetes is notorious for causing complications such as kidney and heart failure, and even blindness or limb amputations.

The American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee also warns against the perils of a diet too high in fat, which has long been considered a risk for cardiovascular disease.

Most fats we eat should come from “fish, nuts, and vegetable oils,” the American Heart Association Advises. Saturated fats – like the kind found in fast foods, should comprise just 7 percent of our daily calorie intake. Finally, trans fats should be less than 1 percent of our diet. To put that in perspective, that’s just 20 calories under a 2,000-calorie diet.

Burger King’s double Whopper with cheese, for example, packs 930 calories (540 from fat), and 1280 mg of sodium. No wonder someone invented the phrase, “a heart attack on a bun.”

Some groups serve as watchdogs nutritional values associated with foods loaded with calories, fat and sugar. One example is the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which puts out an annual Xtreme Eating Awards .

One example from the 2015 list was Sonic’s “Pineapple Upside Down Master Blast.”

The Center for Science in the Public Interest reported: “SONIC’s real, vanilla ice cream perfectly mixed with pineapple, salted caramel & pie crust pieces” comes in a 32 oz. cup topped with several inches of whipped cream. That’s for a large, which fires 2,020 calories at your midsection, and 61 grams (three days’ worth) of sat fat and 4½ grams (two days’ worth) of trans fat (from the pie crust) at your arteries. And it comes with some 29 teaspoons of added sugar.”

Full nutritional details on Mac’n Cheetos is not yet available on Burger King’s website. The item is expected to be offered for a limited time only.

This is not the first time Burger King has partnered with other brand names. In February, it began selling Oscar Meyer hot dogs. The fast food chain has also wheeled out a vast selection of new items. Earlier this month, Burger King introduced the Whopperino a Whopper sandwich fashioned into a burrito. The item was offered in a limited capacity nation-wide. In March, the Angriest Burger – complete with a red bun – was wheeled out.

So, what’s next? Who knows. But chances are enough of it will add a few inches to your waistline.

[Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images]

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