banana or mcdonalds apple pie?
 

Banana
Calories 105
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0.0g 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Carbohydrates 27.0g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3.0g 12%
Sugars 14.0g
Protein 1.0g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 17%
Calcium 1% ·
Iron 2%

mcdonalds apple pie
Calories 260
Calories from Fat 117
Total Fat 13g
Sodium 200mg
Carbohydrates 34g
Dietary Fiber 0
Sugars 13g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 40%
Calcium 2%
Iron 6%

I think that few people who frequent the high-fat and high-sugar meals of McDonald's would see any reason to eat a mere banana... After becoming used to the McDonald' fat and sugar laden meals, the banana would not be satisfying.

Conversly, those who are careful of their nutrition would not see much reason to eat a McDonald's apple pie. For myself, having become accustomed to low-fat & low-sugar eating, that apple pie holds no appeal for me. Actually, it sounds a bit disgusting.

Depends on what you're doing ... going for a walk, eat the banana ... mid-randonnee and perhaps the apple pie might be more appealing.

Why do you ask?

is this really a question?

I normally like to eat a banana at 4:30 with some B6 & B12 before the gym after work at 5. yesterday I didn't have one with me and didn't have time to get one from the grocery store. since I was getting a coffee at mcdonalds I got their pie at 2:30 and saved it 'till later, thinking it would give me a similar simple carb boost. while I survived I found it didn't hold up the same even though it had more carbs and calories. I do a 20 minute jog on the treadmil and then 20 min of intense weight training. yesterday I felt a bit ill, weak, shaky after my run. I took my time and a few extra minutes before the weight training and worked my way through it. I think the pie, in some way went through my system and left me weak, whereas the banana holds up better. maybe the banana takes longer to digest? anyway, I brought my banana today.

I don't have the science behind it, but when I eat foods loaded with cheap calories (like deep friend, loaded with corn syrup, etc) I usually feel like crap and don't perform well.

I haven't liked McDonald's apple pies since they changed the recipe... I think Hardee's still makes them the way I like (no cinnamon, flaky crust with no openings.)

I don't like apple pies.

A few weeks ago in a different thread I said something to the effect that only the colossally stupid would go to McDonald's looking for health food.

I see I've been proven correct.

personal attacks are against forum rules. do it again and I'll report you to a moderator.

On a long ride, say 2 passes and 100 miles into it, what I like is a nice Hostess fruit pie. It's the perfect thing. Paid for and down in 2 minutes and don't have to eat again for about 45. A Brit of all people taught me that.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=358782
I once ate a big muffin at a rest stop after the first century, paper and all. Probably a lot of nutrition soaked into that paper. One more muffin (paperless) and I was out of there. I've never eaten the Hostess wrapper. Plastic is yucky.

Out on a long ride, sometimes a cinnamon pop tart is just the thing.

Or a Snickers bar.

Or an ice cream bar.

I eat a lot of stuff in the middle of a long ride that I try to avoid in "real life."

You are much more likely to experience a "sugar crash" from the apple pie during normal fitness. As others have indicated, a high- mileage ride will be more likely to consume everything that nasty pie has to throw at it. Even so, the very thought of eating a greasy fried pie before, during, or after a ride nauseates me.

Ok, so it's not on your menu, but a bicycle McDonalds stop requires a small ice cream cone. :-)

You could certainly do a lot worse about 70 miles in than a Snickers and a Coke. The feeling of being on 'crack' (i.e. full of energy) for the next hour does make one ponder what it does to those who eat this way while watching TV.

Yogurt Parfait
Grilled chicken snack wraps
Southwest salad w grilled chicken
Apple slices
Milk
McWraps

Any of the above can be (or be part of) a healthy meal with decent macronutrient balance. On the other hand, I am sure that I can procure some pretty darned unhealthy stuff at a Whole Foods. It is all about making choices. And calling people names is mean and only serves to make you look bad.

On the OT, I would go for the pie if I was several hours into a ride and needed some energy. It is all about calories and getting the energy into the bloodstream! Off the bike, I wouldn't touch the pie though. Two bananas sound better to me.

The yogurt is something like 75g of carbs/ 50g of sugar (read HFCS). Maybe if that's what you were interested in for a ride stop, it would be OK, but hardly a 'healthy' alternative for a daily afternoon snack. The salad and wraps are made with disgusting franken-chickens. If that's your thing, though, enjoy. If milk is a good option for you, knock yourself out, I'm sure it's the finest quality.

So that leaves us with the apples. Perhaps the only good option as long as you're not digging into the caramel 'sauce' that they serve with them. Well done Mickey D's, I take it all back.

Look, eat what you want. I really don't care, but if you're eating fast-food pies and gas-station hot dogs, don't expect much. I just shake my head that anyone needs this notion reinforced.

McDonalds or any other fast food is nowhere near the top of my list of food options. In a pinch, the choices outlined will do though. Most of us ride enough to offset any harm done from the occasional Mickey D's stop.

Not condoning calling people names, but look at the actual nutrition information for the "healthy" options at McDs. Most aren't all that healthy and have lots of sugar, sodium, and more fat than you'd expect. They also have a bad reputation for huge amounts of preservatives so that their foods still look fresh even when they may not be. I like hamburgers but I don't buy fast food burgers, I'll go to the mom n pop diners where I know they buy real ground beef from the local butcher. Still not health food, but if you are going to indulge at least make it worth it. I have a few favorites in various towns and they make better burgers than anything Wendy McBurger King will ever crank out.

I'm still a big fan of oatmeal raisin cookies for quick cycling nutrition. Subway makes some decent ones, but small local bakeries that make them from scratch are even better.

No way a McD's fruit pie should be chosen over a banana.

It's processed food coated with high fructose corn syrup. Other than a sugar rush, no value at all and certainly no nutritional value.
Makes my stomach queasy just thinking about it.

At least the banana has natural sugar.

Banana has a biodegradable wrapper too.

MacDonalds is evil. They offer these cute little toys with their meals and have play areas to attract little kids and force them to eat their junk. But that's not the worst part. The other bad thing is that fast food companies spend a lot of money to hire chemists who make fast food very addictive. It's like a drug, people keep eating it because it tastes so good and creates cravings to come back for more.

+1,000
... Yes, they are pushing addictions to fat & HFCS -- and then reaping the profits from that. And the kids toys are even worse...

My friend HATES McD's -- but she takes her son there anyway so he can play on the indoor playground... His favorite food is 'chicken' McNuggets... "Get 'im while they're young"

I agree in a way. They certainly work to make their food hyper-palatable. Having said that, pretty much every food corporation does that, so you can hardly single them out of the crowd any more than any other fast/convenient food. They peddle salt, grease and HFCS, that's pretty much the extent of it, but if you walk the aisles of any local supermarket you'll find plenty of the same.

It's sad, really, that people know and/or care so little about what they eat.

My kids have had McD's a couple times and they don't care for it. I seem to have indoctrinated them successfully.

I've done a decent job with my 5 year old daughter, and I try to keep her away from that stuff.
Her mother, on the other hand, makes things very difficult. She doesn't understand that I'm not just being uptight, that there are legitimate risks involved with feeding children food that isn't food.