Book ~ "Fast Food Vindication" (2012) Lisa Tillinger Johansen

From FastFoodVindication.com ~ Written in a lively and informative manner, “Fast Food Vindication” is a realistic look at the industry, examining the thesis from a variety of viewpoints: nutritionally, socially and economically. The author, a former McDonald’s real estate executive, offers an insider’s view of a business that is much maligned but seldom understood.

The fast food industry has been criticized by best-selling books (“Fast Food Nation”), documentaries (“Super Size Me”), and countless television, newspaper and magazine news stories. The author acknowledges that fast food restaurants offer many poor nutritional choices, but by blaming only fast food for the “fattening of America,” critics may be doing more harm than good; they are ignoring a host of other factors such as larger portion sizes at sit-down restaurants, decreased physical activity levels, increased caloric intake from sodas and energy drinks and the content and serving sizes of foods prepared at home, to name a few.

Finally, the author utilizes her expertise as a Registered Dietitian to help the reader make better choices wherever they eat their meals, whether at home, sit-down establishments or fast food restaurants. Education is key, and “Fast Food Vindication” is both a nutritional roadmap and an antidote to the misconceptions about an industry that touches the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Like most, I have some pounds that I'd like to lose.  And like most, I do eat fast food (pizza is my favourite!) ... so I thought this would be an interesting book.

Unlike most books, the author isn't against fast food restaurants.  In fact, before she went back to school in her 40s to become a dietitian, she worked for McDonalds and still has lots of good things to say about them.

Fast food restaurants get such a bad wrap.  Her points about them are valid.  In the first place, you don't have to go to one ... YOU are choosing to go.  And when you do go to one, you don't have to eat crap ... there are healthier options to choose from.


This book covers a lot of areas.  The author discusses the hazards of being overweight, not eating healthy and not getting enough exercise.  She gives a brief history of how some of the larger fast food chains got started along with all the good these companies do (education to employees, giving back to their communities, helping the economy by being large employers, etc).  When she compares eat-in restaurants with fast food restaurants, surprisingly fast food restaurants come out ahead.  Why?  Because fast food servings are portioned but eat-in restaurants usually aren't.  Plus servings at eat-in restaurants are too large (but we are conditioned to clean off our plates).  Finally just because we cook and eat the majority of our meals at home doesn't mean we are eating more healthy.  The bottom line is that you have to take responsibility for what you put in your body.

It's an interesting book and it might change the way you view McDonalds, KFC, etc. and be more conscious of what you are eating whether you make it yourself or you eat out.