New burger at sci fi with hot dog???

[havoc315]

A lot of restaurant entrees (and appetizers) contain far more calories than you would imagine. Even a salad, or a piece of meat with potatoes, could easily contain 1000+ calories because of all the hidden butter and oils.

So while I understand your point about the burger in particular (it clearly represents excess), you should know that whenever you go to a restaurant it isn't that unlikely that a single course contains 1000+ calories.

I'm well aware, which is precisely my point. Most of the "normal" dishes at Disney, and many restaurants, are already pretty excessive. So to intentionally add another 300-500 calories and 20 grams of fat to a dish that was already excessive....!!!!!!

 

[havoc315]

My point exactly. And Disney is not exactly focused on low cal meals. They are more interested in taste.

First off, I'm not talking about low cal, I'm talking about normal, or even a reasonable range around normal.

And yes, I fully expect any restaurant -- even the greatest restaurants in the world, to put flavor above a few calories.
But there lies the difference -- it's like do you enhance a meal by adding a fine glass of wine, or a micro brewed beer? Or do you enhance the meal by closing your eyes and guzzling down a cheap 6 pack?
If they were adding calories by using kobe beef, for example, that would be increasing calories a bit to increase flavor. But to simply pile on fatty hot dogs?

It truly is the equivalent of smoking a few cigarettes, and saying to yourself that it's ok as long as you're not smoking 2 packs per day.

 

[poohbear158]

Gosh, I think it's time to stay on topic. The OP didn't ask how many calories were in the darn burger or how healthy or unhealthy it is or start a debate of any kind. She simply asked if anyone had one and if it was good or not. I'm sure we all know that it isn't the healthiest menu choice.

Back on topic... My hubby had one a few weeks ago when we were there and he like it. I took a bite and also thought it was good. Here is a picture of it... all 50,000 calories of it

 

[of the seas]

Here's my pic of it.

 

[no capes darling]

Is this what replaced the Bacon, Beef & Blue salad?

 

[Mom of 2 Wife of 1]

That's ridiculous. It's like saying that since I am on vacation, I should smoke a pack of cigarettes per day. Being on vacation shouldn't be a reason to throw the most basic common sense health into the garbage.

And how does an excess of calories make it a challenge to not go hungry?? Quite easy to "not go hungry" -- heck, my family of 4 could split the Sci Fi picnic burger, and we wouldn't go hungry! (2 hamburger halves, and 2 hot dogs-- plenty of food for 4 regular eaters)

That's fine. That's what works for you. What you enjoy is not necessarily what others do. Please refrain from being so judgmental in the future.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I'm well aware, which is precisely my point. Most of the "normal" dishes at Disney, and many restaurants, are already pretty excessive. So to intentionally add another 300-500 calories and 20 grams of fat to a dish that was already excessive....!!!!!!

Still, I can't help but feel the argument is kind of irrelevant if you like to eat out at any normal restaurant (even in the real world). In New York, some restaurants (especially chains) include the calorie count of their menu items. It's truly shocking how many calories are in those lettuce wraps or the miso salmon with rice - a burger might be in a similar calorie range. When you're at a restaurant in general, there's really no winning unless you go all out to cut calories (no dressing, no sauce, no oil, no cheese, no fries, only eat half of your portion, etc). That's why, especially in WDW, I don't think a burger like this is any worse than their normal offerings.

Honestly, I would get that burger. It sounds delicious, and I think the taste of a hamburger and a grilled hot dog could complement each other surprisingly well. I would order it with cucumber salad instead of fries, I wouldn't want the ketchup (it's sugary and I don't like it anyway - regular tomatoes taste better IMO) and I would remove the bun and eat it with a knife and fork. Now, it's ground angus beef, a hot dog (or apparently two), sauerkraut, sautéed onions, mustard, a pickle, and cucumber salad. Hardly the unhealthiest thing at Disney World, let alone at Sci-Fi (where the butter and cream-laden mashed potatoes or the huge bowl of pasta with olive oil and parmesan probably packs more calories. even a regular burger with bun, cheese, and fries is probably worse).

 

[sukhakuli]

I'd love to see some research that shows that indulging in a high calorie meal once or twice a year on vacation for someone who is normally eating a healthy whole foods diet and working out regularly, with a healthy BMI, is the same as smoking.

 

[havoc315]

I'd love to see some research that shows that indulging in a high calorie meal once or twice a year on vacation for someone who is normally eating a healthy whole foods diet and working out regularly, with a healthy BMI, is the same as smoking.

Both the attitudes (the attitude toward unhealthy eating today, versus the attitude towards smoking in the '60s and '70s), and health effects are quite parallel.
But it would be absurd to say that 2 bad meals per year is the equivalent of regular smoking. It's a matter of cumulative effects -- with smoking, and with excessively fatty meals. For example, they are both proven carcinogens. (high fat foods increase the risk of pancreatic cancer). Now, a handful of really bad meals per year is pretty unlikely to have significant health issues, especially if your cholesterol and BMI are normal. And the same can be said of having a handful of cigarettes per year. 1 cigar isn't going to kill you, any more than 1 bad meal. But they are both unhealthy, and both become very dangerous when consumed regularly.

 

[havoc315]

Still, I can't help but feel the argument is kind of irrelevant if you like to eat out at any normal restaurant (even in the real world). In New York, some restaurants (especially chains) include the calorie count of their menu items. It's truly shocking how many calories are in those lettuce wraps or the miso salmon with rice - a burger might be in a similar calorie range. When you're at a restaurant in general, there's really no winning unless you go all out to cut calories (no dressing, no sauce, no oil, no cheese, no fries, only eat half of your portion, etc). That's why, especially in WDW, I don't think a burger like this is any worse than their normal offerings.

Honestly, I would get that burger. It sounds delicious, and I think the taste of a hamburger and a grilled hot dog could complement each other surprisingly well. I would order it with cucumber salad instead of fries, I wouldn't want the ketchup (it's sugary and I don't like it anyway - regular tomatoes taste better IMO) and I would remove the bun and eat it with a knife and fork. Now, it's ground angus beef, a hot dog (or apparently two), sauerkraut, sautéed onions, mustard, a pickle, and cucumber salad. Hardly the unhealthiest thing at Disney World, let alone at Sci-Fi (where the butter and cream-laden mashed potatoes or the huge bowl of pasta with olive oil and parmesan probably packs more calories. even a regular burger with bun, cheese, and fries is probably worse).

I forgot about the cheese in my estimate!
Lol. But in all seriousness, you just answered the inquiry you placed in the first paragraph.
Many restaurants -- especially the big chains -- the entire menu is simply sickening from a normal eating perspective. There are whole menus, that really, any person wanting to stay rationally healthy, should avoid.
So what should a reasonable eating person do if they can't avoid a place like TGIFridays or Sci Fi diner, where practically the whole menu is horrible?
You already figured it out for yourself. While you didn't transform the dish into health food, you easily cut out 400-600 calories by skipping the fries and bun. You took an unreasonable dish, and brought it back down into reality. You easily cut the fat and calorie content on the plate by 20-30%.

 

[sukhakuli]

I forgot about the cheese in my estimate!
Lol. But in all seriousness, you just answered the inquiry you placed in the first paragraph.
Many restaurants -- especially the big chains -- the entire menu is simply sickening from a normal eating perspective. There are whole menus, that really, any person wanting to stay rationally healthy, should avoid.
So what should a reasonable eating person do if they can't avoid a place like TGIFridays or Sci Fi diner, where practically the whole menu is horrible?
You already figured it out for yourself. While you didn't transform the dish into health food, you easily cut out 400-600 calories by skipping the fries and bun. You took an unreasonable dish, and brought it back down into reality. You easily cut the fat and calorie content on the plate by 20-30%.

I don't understand your argument here. For one thing, it's not like that is the only thing on the menu (check out the whole wheat veggie pasta, looks pretty healthy from the menu). There are healthy choices. No one is forcing you to eat the hot dog burger. Another thing, if you are trying to eat healthy, then why on earth are you eating out? Eat at home, make everything from scratch. If you are eating out because you are on vacation, then what you eat doesn't really matter as long as you take care of yourself the other 51 weeks a year.

I think what you put in your body is less important than how much of it you put in your body.

 

[havoc315]

I don't understand your argument here. For one thing, it's not like that is the only thing on the menu (check out the whole wheat veggie pasta, looks pretty healthy from the menu). There are healthy choices. No one is forcing you to eat the hot dog burger. Another thing, if you are trying to eat healthy, then why on earth are you eating out? Eat at home, make everything from scratch. If you are eating out because you are on vacation, then what you eat doesn't really matter as long as you take care of yourself the other 51 weeks a year.

I think what you put in your body is less important than how much of it you put in your body.

There is no "argument."
And this isn't a discussion of the whole menu at Sci Fi diner. The question was, what do people think of the new picnic burger at Sci Fi. This discussion did evolve. But my own opinion was rather simple -- it sounds disgusting beyond a few bites. It is hard to imagine any person with reasonable eating habits even being able to finish off a whole plate.

As to.. It doesn't matter what you eat for 1 week on vacation per year -- that really is te equivalent of saying, I'll smoke a pack per day for a week, but quit the rest of the year. How's it any different? Smoking is no more unhealthy. But our cultural attitudes treat cigarettes as poison nowadays. Meanwhile, our attitudes about unhealthy foods, is more like the attitude about smoking in the 60s. (I know it's not healthy... But I only smoke half a pack per day, and I only smoke filtered tips, so it's not really that bad)

I do 100% agree with you about focusing on quantity. Portion sizes is really the overwhelming problem. A fast food children's meal today, is the same size portion as an adult meal just 1-2 generations ago. The typical American restaurant plate, is usually a double - triple regular portion size.
Go to Paris, where restaurant eating is even more prevalent than America -- and they use plenty of butter, fat, carbs -- but the portions are half the size you find at typical restaurants here.

 

[sukhakuli]

There is no "argument."
And this isn't a discussion of the whole menu at Sci Fi diner. The question was, what do people think of the new picnic burger at Sci Fi. This discussion did evolve. But my own opinion was rather simple -- it sounds disgusting beyond a few bites. It is hard to imagine any person with reasonable eating habits even being able to finish off a whole plate.

As to.. It doesn't matter what you eat for 1 week on vacation per year -- that really is te equivalent of saying, I'll smoke a pack per day for a week, but quit the rest of the year. How's it any different? Smoking is no more unhealthy. But our cultural attitudes treat cigarettes as poison nowadays. Meanwhile, our attitudes about unhealthy foods, is more like the attitude about smoking in the 60s. (I know it's not healthy... But I only smoke half a pack per day, and I only smoke filtered tips, so it's not really that bad)

I do 100% agree with you about focusing on quantity. Portion sizes is really the overwhelming problem. A fast food children's meal today, is the same size portion as an adult meal just 1-2 generations ago. The typical American restaurant plate, is usually a double - triple regular portion size.
Go to Paris, where restaurant eating is even more prevalent than America -- and they use plenty of butter, fat, carbs -- but the portions are half the size you find at typical restaurants here.

Once again, I'm just not following you. First you say that eating a fatty meal is just as carcinogenic as smoking (love to see a study on that, still. Smoke is poison, but we're talking about food here, not the same), and then you say that fatty meals are OK, as long as they are in France. So which is it, fat is cancer causing, or OK in small or limited quantities, which is what vacation food really is.

FWIW, I won't be ordering it when we go to Sci Fi on Thanksgiving, but if my dh orders it, I really don't think it raises his risk of cancer, since he works out daily and we eat a healthy whole foods diet at home. I'm a stay at home mom, so I make everything from scratch. I even grind our own grains and make our breads and pastas and stuff. We both have a healthy BMI and a healthy body fat percentage. If he wants to eat that burger, I think he will be just fine.

If you don't want the burger, that's fine. But throwing out "OMG you will die of cancer if you eat the hot dog burger!!" seems like a bit of a stretch.

 

[havoc315]

Once again, I'm just not following you. First you say that eating a fatty meal is just as carcinogenic as smoking (love to see a study on that, still. Smoke is poison, but we're talking about food here, not the same), and then you say that fatty meals are OK, as long as they are in France. So which is it, fat is cancer causing, or OK in small or limited quantities, which is what vacation food really is.

FWIW, I won't be ordering it when we go to Sci Fi on Thanksgiving, but if my dh orders it, I really don't think it raises his risk of cancer, since he works out daily and we eat a healthy whole foods diet at home. I'm a stay at home mom, so I make everything from scratch. I even grind our own grains and make our breads and pastas and stuff. We both have a healthy BMI and a healthy body fat percentage. If he wants to eat that burger, I think he will be just fine.

If you don't want the burger, that's fine. But throwing out "OMG you will die of cancer if you eat the hot dog burger!!" seems like a bit of a stretch.

Now you are misrepresenting my statements. I never suggested 1 bite of fat will give you cancer. And 1 cigarette won't give you cancer either. Eating lots of fatty foods-- will pose serious health risks. And smoking lots of cigarettes will pose lots of health risks.

For 1 study, since you are interested, you may want to look at volume 21 of the Journal of Health Affairs (2002), Dr. Sturm's study which compared the effects of obesity with smoking. Regular smoking was found to increase the risk of chronic medical conditions by 25%. Obesity led to a 67% risk of increased chronic medical conditions.
In both cases -- the danger is not 1 cigarette or 1 bite of fatty food. In both cases, it is the habit and regular use, that is dangerous.

 

[havoc315]

In regards to studies specifically about cancer, comparing obesity to smoking --
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/31/earlyshow/health/main3434821.shtml

 

[sukhakuli]

But you weren't talking about obesity, you were directly comparing being an occasional smoker to eating a hamburger. Its apples and oranges. There's no question that long term obesity has serious health risks, but eating a hot dog burger at Sci Fi on vacation is not going to cause health problems in people who are otherwise healthy.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

To each his own, just because I would not eat the new Sci-Fi burger doesn't mean others can't. A few years back someone came up with the hamburger in between a doughnut, some ate it and liked it, other's were repulsed by it.
This is not a battle of good verses evil , it's a burger, chill!

SCi-Fi is offering their new hot dog /burger, if you want to try it, go ahead and if you don't, then order something else. In the end if enough people keep ordering it it will stay on the menu, if not they will replace it with something else.

 

[havoc315]

But you weren't talking about obesity, you were directly comparing being an occasional smoker to eating a hamburger. Its apples and oranges. There's no question that long term obesity has serious health risks, but eating a hot dog burger at Sci Fi on vacation is not going to cause health problems in people who are otherwise healthy.

I'm not telling anybody else what to eat, or not to eat. I'm simply stating why I am personally disgusted by it, and wouldn't eat it.

I didn't compare occasional smoking to eating 1 hamburger. I compared 1 week of horrible eating to 1 week of smoking. You're mixing your apples and oranges --- I never said that 1 hamburger is the same as regular smoking.

Smoking 1 cigarette is not going to cause health problems in a person who is otherwise healthy, either. And I do, on rare occasion, I do smoke a cigar. And on rare occasion, I eat a totally glutinous meal. But overall, I find both to be very very unappealing.

 

[havoc315]

To each his own, just because I would not eat the new Sci-Fi burger doesn't mean others can't. A few years back someone came up with the hamburger in between a doughnut, some ate it and liked it, other's were repulsed by it.
This is not a battle of good verses evil , it's a burger, chill!

I agree with that statement. And was only stating my own personal revulsion. Other than my own children, I wouldn't tell others what to eat, I wouldn't tell them not to smoke. Each person has to make their own decisions.

 

[archdandy]

This is a Disney vacation forum not a diet police forum. You're not getting anywhere by telling people how unhealthy this burger is. If you really want to be the champion of informing people how unhealthy Disney's food is than do it some other way because this obviously isn't working.