Are shakes at fast food restaurants a good source of calcium?
Fast-food milk shakes are generally good sources of calcium, with a small or medium serving often providing about a third of the daily calcium now recommended for most adults. But these shakes also give you 300 to 400 calories and 5 to 12 grams of fat. Those numbers are even higher for a few restaurant shakes and, of course, a large serving size provides even more. On the other hand, you could get just as much calcium in an eight-ounce glass of skim milk for only about 90 calories and 0 grams of fat. An eight-ounce glass of reduced-fat milk (2 percent) or one and one-half ounces of reduced-fat cheese has 120 calories and 5 to 8 grams of fat. So think of these shakes not as beverages, but as desserts – desserts with more protein and calcium than most, but nonetheless desserts. Q: How concerned should consumers be about additives and colors in food? A: Some consumers see food additives as a major health concern, but most researchers disagree. These substances may seem unsafe because they
