We tend to consider that the top of the pyramid of poor nutrition is crowned by pizzas and hamburgers , especially if they are distributed by certain fast food chains that easily come to mind when we think of it. Now, from a time ago until today, it should also be incorporated into the kebab.
The increase in popularity of the kebab
Although there is often a belief that containing meat and salad makes it a recommended product, the truth is that this typical Turkish sandwich doubles the calories of any hamburger, turning out to be a time bomb for our body .
In the next sections we are going to try to explain why we have reached situations in which we sometimes prefer to eat what we know can be harmful before choosing healthier ways of eating, since this rise in fame has been due in recent years. Next, we will review what are the ingredients with which kebabs are made and we will explain why it is better to eliminate them from our diet.
The fast food society…
We are all more or less familiar with the consequences that a poor diet brings, not only on an aesthetic level, but also on health; but even so we continue to resort to this type of “food” on certain occasions. The frenetic pace of life that prevails in thehe more industrialized societies have caused their consumption to be normalized and tolerated , relying on the speed with which they are served to us, allowing us to continue with our routine.
This is also promoted by working hours that reduce the stipulated period for eating to the maximum, sometimes going beyond what is legally established, and by a sedentary lifestyle combined, depending on the case, with little sports activity and a questionable diet in many aspects. how much less.
…and the measures in this regard
There are many complaints that the World Health Organization has made regarding junk food restaurants of all kinds, which have been subjected to countless health inspections to determine the quality of their products, after several scandals by which some They had to pay millions in compensation. However, they remain in the spotlight.
The WHO has been trying for some time to make the population aware of the risks of frequently resorting to this type of establishment , due to the amount of saturated fat, excess calories and sugar that any of the menus that are distributed contain.
Documentaries such as the controversial Super size me (Morgan Spurlock, 2003) have also served as a loudspeaker to try to warn the public and try to instill good eating habits from adolescence.
Composition (ingredients) of a kebab
Theoretically, the kebab or Turkish sandwich contains animal meat such as beef, lamb or chicken, discarding pork for religious reasons. This meat is accompanied by abundant salad (lettuce, onion, beetroot, tomato, among others) and is wrapped in a wrap, a pancake roll called durum; or in ‘pitta’ bread, small and rounded. Many like to accompany it with different types of sauces, sweet or more spicy, to enhance its flavor.
The convenience of being able to hold it in your hand while walking or chatting, without the need to sit at a table and use cutlery or plates, has contributed to many weekend plans ending with a kebab to quickly fill empty stomachs.
However, since its popularization, the content of its meat has been investigated, and it is far from encouraging: what is sold as meat is actually meat mixed with the entrails of said animals. In fact, a British study published by the English newspaper Daily Mail found that the labeled meat that many kebabs sold did not correspond to its label in 15% of cases .
Being more precise, it contained lamb meat (as stipulated), but combined with beef and pork, something unheard of if we take into account that it is a food originating in Muslim countries, where the latter’s meat is prohibited; but also consumed in South Asia, where cows are considered sacred animals. However, the blame for this issue is placed on the manufacturers ; not the vendors.
¿Nutritional value
The form and preparation of the kebab that we know in Western countries do not make it recommendable for eating. The amount of salt per unit exceeds that recommended for one person per day; and the calories contained in a single piece range between 1000 and 2000. Certainly, this dish has never been characterized by an exhaustive control to adjust to the patterns of a healthy life, but these doses are exacerbated.
There may be those who think that choosing the smaller ones solves this problem. This is false: the myth that small kebabs are healthier than large ones falls by itself, because the difference in calories between the two is small.
Let’s combine all this with chips and drinks with a high sugar content, it makes you think twice if you value your well-being, right?
So, let’s face it: the nutritional contribution of the kebab is of very low quality.
