No I’m not writing this for Google page rank despite the fact that tons of people are searching for info about this sandwich. Well, according to Wikipedia:
A sandwich is a food item consisting of two or more slices of bread with one or more fillings between them,[1] or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich
So KFC’s choice to call it a Sandwich is highly inaccurate but I’ll let that one slide. The chicken thing that KFC is promoting is actually one of the most healthy meals that they sell. Seriously.
I found this blog post that contained the following statement:
The Double Down, really, is a nutritional powerhouse. Chicken, bacon and cheese provide an astounding 53 grams of protein, which mean that every bite you take brings you that much closer to accruing lean muscle mass. The breading on the patties offer a great source of complex carbohydrates, and there’s also plenty of fat in this to keep you full. The Double Down drops in 10 grams of saturated fat, which may raise your cholesterol, but can also boost testosterone. The Double Down also comes with a heaping serving of guilt (no extra charge!), so you’ll probably skip the rest of your day’s meals. Upon closer inspection, the Double Down seems like the ultimate fitness food; low in carbohydrates (Atkins all the way!), high in protein, and obscenely high in fat to keep your stomach full and your cardiologist in business. After wolfing down the Double Down, it’s unlikely you’ll be craving any more food – likely because you’ll be too nauseated with yourself to even think about eating again. It seems, then, that praise is in order for KFC – the Double Down is too good to pass up. I’ll take two.
I can sense the sarcasm in this post but let’s look into this a bit further. Most food that we consume as Americans is bad for us. This is true but to some degree, exercise will cure or filter out most of the crap we do eat. Here’s the test. Eat something, wait 25 minutes then go run 2 miles. If you puke, the food was probably not meant to be in your body. If you eat a skinless piece of boiled chicken with plain brocoli and a glass of water, you’ll be able to run those 2 miles no problem. A bratwurst w/ mac & cheese and a glass of beer is another story. You will throw up.
But if you manage to hold the food down, other than the long term affects that foods that are high in saturated fat and low in necessary nutrients will cause to your body, you won’t gain any weight. I can eat 4,000 calories and as long as I do enough activity to burn those calories, I won’t gain weight but the primary issue is bad foods cause us to lack any inspiration to go run a few miles because foods drain us and decrease the amount of energy we have.
Let’s compare the Double Down to what I would order at a fast food restaurant. Granted I’m 240 pounds and can consume one of those 2 pound San Francisco Mission burritos no problem.
- McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder (no fries or soda just the sandwich): 740 calories 42 grams of fat 1380 milligrams of sodium.
- Burger King Double Whopper (no fries or soda) 920 calories, 58 grams of fat and 1090 milligrams of sodium
- Wendys Double w/ Cheese (no fries or soda) 750 calories, 42 grams of fat,1 560 milligrams of sodium
I could go on and on. All of these double patty burgers are BAD for you. Not to mention the long time proof that people who skip out on red meat and only eat chicken & fish lead a longer and healthier life. Let’s just ignore that :)
The KFC Double Down sandwich:
1/3 less calories than every sandwich I linked to, 1/3 less fat and about the same amount of sodium. If you don’t get the fried double down, you cut out 100 calories and 10 grams of fat.
Let’s also remember, that most of the weight gain people experience is from simple carbs which is what’s in bread and is converted into sucrose (aka sugar) by your body and if not utilized, is almost immediately turned into fat. It’s a lack of protein and a raised level of carbohydrates in your diet w/ innactivity that leads to fat going up, muscle mass going down which leads to heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
So. IF you lead a healthy lifestyle, (30 minutes of an elevated heart rate 4-6 days a week), the Grilled Double Down sandwich from KFC is a perfect fast food item. I wouldn’t recommend consuming it daily because the absence of vegetables and fruits will lead to nutrient deficiencies in your body which can lead to sickness or long term affects (loss of vision, digestive issues) and the saturated fat in the double down can increase your likelihood of heart disease as you get older.
BUT if you’re on the go and you plan on running a mile later that day, the double down is the best way to get your necessary protein for the day (it has more protein than any other fast food sandwich), skip out on the bread (that leads to fat) and is far healthier than any other fast food meal (chicken instead of beef w/ less fat and calories).
Let’s also not forget that KFC serves vegetables as a side. Green beans, baked beans and even mashed potatoes where the other popular fast food chains give you the option of fries, a one week old pre-packaged salad or 3 apple slices.
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So I’ll be getting one of these (minus the bacon and w/ light mayo instead of regular) and pairing it with a glass of water and a side of green beans as a perfect way to get the protein I need without the bread and a great meal on the go.
The price, $5.65 which is high for fast food but the health benefits are simply incredible
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One final note, I was eating 6″ subway subs every day for 6 months. I gained 50 pounds of fat that year. Why? Because I’d eat a huge subway sandwich w/ sauce and then do zero physical activity. I stopped eating subway and basically cut out all simple carbohydrates from my diet but still didn’t do any physical activity other than biking to work and I lost 15 pounds in 45 days. Cutting out bread is very important.
Then I started doing cross fit and biking longer distances and doing mountain climbing. I lost another 20 pounds. Carbs are evil if you live a sedentary lifestyle.
Thanks for reading!