Cheap Eats for Hard Times (beware the value meal)
 

I guess they're focusing on value menu items because of current economic factors, but it seems the problems identified (sodium, carcinogens, etc.) would be found throughout the menus at these establishments.

Link to the Cancer Project's report here.

Spoiler: Jacques in the Box "Junior Bacon Cheeseburger" takes top honors ^

The "Cancer Project" site is a thinly-disguised advocacy site for vegetarianism, they even advocate banning all meat in school lunch programs. They solicit charitable contributions, but they spend $0 on cancer treatment or research. All they apparently do is "nutrition education and research," in other words they take tax-exempt donations and use the funds primarily if not exclusively for animal-rights advocacy. How is this legal? Can I make a tax-deductible gift to Pork, The Other White Meat?

The trouble with sites like these is that they don't discuss the alternative. If I don't spend a buck on a Jack In The Box Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, I might have an infinitesimally smaller chance of dying of cancer in 30 years, but if I don't eat, I'll be irritable, impaired in my ability to work or sleep or interact with others, and ultimately suffer malnourishment and starvation. Or the alternative is to spend more money on what the elitist doctors at the "Cancer Project" regard as a healthy meal, leaving less money in my budget for rent, fuel, bank fees, and tomorrow's meal.

Here is a partial list of what they'd have me eat:

Sweet-and-Sour Vegetable Stew
Spaghetti Squash with Sauce
Ten-Minute Tostadas
Sweet Potato Muffins
Tex-Mex Bulgur Pilaf
Green Tea Smoothie
Broccoli à la King

Oh, and don't forget the time and energy expended in shopping and cooking. My $1 not only purchases a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, but also the valuable time I've saved in not having to prepare my own meal.

Just buy the premade stuff from the freezer section.

The only thing I'd eat from that list, aside from the Jr. Bacon (BACON!) Cheeseburger would be the Green Tea smoothie. OTW, I concur with the post above.^^^ Hallelujah!

while I am neither for nor against the Cancer Project, I do agree that most of the "food" (and I use that term loosely) found at Fast Food establishments is a complete abomination. Plying your body with those kinds of chemicals and preservatives on a constant basis is not, IMO, healthy. I believe the reason why many people are overweight and unhealthy is due to too many foods like these in their diets and not enough fresh fruits and vegetables and free-range meats (I'm NOT anti-meat) but plying any animal full of steroids in order to get them fatter is not good for anyone.

And if it is a time thing and an "I don't want to cook thing" there are plenty of establishments that offer carry out which are far healthier and tastier than Mickey Ds, Burger King, Whataburger, etc...

... like what?

I could never figure out why more restaurants didn't offer drive-thru service. Chinese food, for example, is fast enough or holds well enough in the steamer pans to work well in drive-through. Italian could too: par-cook the pasta (which many dine-in restaurants do anyway) then it just takes 3 minutes to finish the cooking add the sauce and box it up.

yes. I've found many options near my office that are relatively quick and far better than any fast food stuff.

There is a wonderful Middle Eastern place that I can get great tabbouli, kibbi, falafel, chicken schwarma, hummus and pita bread.

Most sushi can be boxed up to go and bento boxes are easy enough as take out too.

I've even gotten salads, dim sum, pho soup...pretty much anything on the menu can be made to go at most places. I haven't come across anything yet where they've told me "no you can't have that to go". :p And if you call it in advance you don't even have to wait.

I'd even rather do a Chipotle or Mission Burrito wrap than some little burger that has been sitting under a heat lamp at McDonalds for too long.

McDonald's doesn't make burgers in advance any more. Each one is made to order.

IMO, it doesn't make them any better. I'd still take any of the options I listed over McDonalds any day. But then again, I can't even tell you the last time I was in a McDonalds or one of their drive-thrus...

OK. They cook the sandwich meats in advance and put them in little warming trays, to be assembled with buns and condiments when ordered. Since going to this method, I don't believe I've ever had a hot McD's burger, just lukewarm. Bleh.

On a different note, here's a very cheap, very filling, tasty, and modestly healthy meal from Wendy's that Mrs. Deubster & I occasionally enjoy:

1 Side salad
1 Sour cream & chives baked potato
1 Small chili

In our town, these are $1.19 each.

I never said they were good, merely freshly assembled. :)

I practically lived on this during college, except they were on the 99 cent menu back then.