One food phenomenon in America that comes back every year with the return of Saint Patrick's Day is the Shamrock Shake at McDonald's fast food restaurant chain. Thousands of people look forward to ringing in springtime with these bright green milkshakes, but a quick look at the nutrition facts reveals that these fun looking drinks are actually packed with a shocking amount of calories and saturated fat. One thing that is deceiving about this drink is that people often only take into consideration the amount of calories that they are eating, and forget about the nutritional value of what they are drinking as well.

While of course one should not expect extremely healthy foods from a fast food restaurant, this seasonal item is exceptionally unhealthy. A large Shamrock Shake will cost you 800 calories, a whopping 14 grams of saturated fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 280 milligrams of sodium, and an unimaginable 115 grams of sugar. To put it into perspective, out of a recommended two thousand calorie a day diet, one large Shamrock Shake from McDonald's would consist of almost half of the daily caloric intake and seventy two percent of the daily recommended maximum level of saturated fat.

This season, the franchise announced that there are now four new flavors of this sugar shake. Now customers can choose from the classic, a Chocolate Shamrock Shake, a Shamrock Chocolate Chip Frappe, Shamrock Hot Chocolate, and Shamrock Mocha. A quick look at the nutrition facts breakdown on the McDonald's website reveals the ingredients of each part that makes up the Shamrock Shakes. The main ingredients in the shake are corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.

The stereotype of Americans being unhealthy is not just a stereotype, and this product is proof of the mainstream acceptance of utter junk in the diet of the average American. Another factor that plays into the hype of the Shamrock Shake is that because it is only available for a short time each year, people feel pressured into buying it. This marketing tactic is a smart way of profiting off of people unknowingly ingesting a huge portion of their daily intake of sugar and fat in one colorful drink.

On the other hand, sugary foods are much more acceptable when eaten or drank in moderation. A small serving of the Shamrock Shake will only put you off by 470 calories as opposed to 800, so if you need your Shamrock Shake fix for the year, a small might do the trick. The next time you consider ordering a beloved Shamrock Shake, keep in mind the massive amounts of sugar and fat that comes along with it.