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| November 1997 — U.S. Edition |
Fast Food Follow Up
 What
Left To Eat? | | By Jayne Hurley & Bonnie Liebman | |
Remember when all fast-food burgers and fries were small, all the chicken
was fried, and the only decision was whether to get a shake or a Coke?
More than three decades--and billions of burgers--later, the choices are better...and worse.
Fast food chains are tripping over each other to build bigger burgers. Fries have swollen to "super
sizes" that have as many calories as a Big Mac. Chicken, fish, and potatoes are no longer fried in
beef fat, but the vegetable shortening clogs arteries almost as much.
What's more, restaurants have dropped some of the improvements of the early '90s. McDonald's
has canned its McLean Deluxe burger, which was made from lean meat. The company's grilled
chicken sandwich has put on 140 extra calories from a thick layer of mayo. And its shakes and ice
cream cones are no longer low-fat. Likewise, Taco Bell's Border Lights menu is gone.
And yet, if you look hard enough, you can find some new fast foods that are worth crossing the
street for. The best of the lot: Wendy's Fresh Stuffed Pitas. They join a handful of salads, baked
potatoes, grilled chicken sandwiches, and selected subs on the short list of fast food that's not half
bad.
It's the usual fast-food refrain: one more item you can try...a dozen more to avoid. Here's a
rundown of what's hot, and what's worth a closer look.
Burgers, etc.
It's tough to walk out of a fast food restaurant without blowing at least half a day's
artery-clogging fat. A large fries will do it. So will a Big Mac, a Whopper, a Burger King Chicken
Sandwich, or nine Chicken McNuggets.
So what are fast food chains doing? Late last year, McDonald's introduced the Arch Deluxe
burger. Even without the bacon, it's worse than a Quarter Pounder. And MickeyD is testing the
Big 'N Tasty--make that the Big 'N Fatty--its version of Burger King's Whopper.
Meanwhile, Burger King has rolled out its Big King burger to battle the Big Mac. "It's like a Big
Mac, only it has more beef than bread," says the ad. Just what America needs: more beef to clog
arteries and raise the risk of colon and prostate cancer.
"We think it's a bigger, better Big Mac," boasts a company spokesperson.
With nearly double the Big Mac's sat fat, it's more like a bigger, badder Big Mac.
Wraps
A pita (pocket) bread or flour tortilla stuffed with salad, chicken, fish, or other foods often has
less artery-clogging fat than a burger, an order of nuggets, or a fried chicken sandwich. But some
wraps are better than others.
Wendy's Fresh Stuffed Pitas lead the line-up. While most chains think salad is synonymous with
iceberg lettuce, Wendy's dares to add carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers, red onion, broccoli, and
romaine. Try skipping the dressing. You should still have flavor to spare. Just beware of Wendy's
Classic Greek Pita. To your heart, its feta cheese looks like a Quarter Pounder.
Most other companies' wraps have fewer vegetables. Taco Bell stuffs its Fajita Wraps mostly with
rice. But if you hold the fajita sauce--they taste fine without it--they almost get a Better Bite.
Unfortunately, you can't order KFC's Chicken Twister without sauce. And Long John Silver's
fried fish, chicken, or breaded "popcorn" shrimp is greasy and unappetizing ...with or without the
sauce.
Despite its healthy image, Au Bon Pain's Southwestern Tuna Wrap has more sat fat than two
Quarter Pounders, plus 950 calories to pad your waistline. Au Bon's delicious Summer Turkey
Wrap, on the other hand, is the lowest-fat wrap we found.
Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
"McDonald's has ruined its grilled chicken sandwich," writes NAH reader Mrs. Allen Nitz of
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. "It used to have three grams of fat and now it has 20 grams."
What happened? McDonald's now adds more than a tablespoon of mayo to its sandwich. The
added fat isn't saturated, but it piles on an extra 140 calories.
A grilled chicken sandwich is still better than almost anything else on the menu. A few chicken
tips:
- At McDonald's, order the Grilled Chicken Deluxe without the mayo or ask for a package of
light mayo. It will add just four grams of fat and 40 calories.
- Go elsewhere. A KFC BBQ Flavored Chicken Sandwich, Wendy's Grilled Chicken Sandwich,
Arby's Light Roast Chicken Deluxe or Grilled Chicken BBQ, Long John Silver's Flavorbaked
Chicken Sandwich, Hardee's Grilled Chicken Sandwich, or Dairy Queen Grilled Chicken
Sandwich all have roughly half the fat of McDonald's Grilled Chicken Deluxe.
- Don't go to Burger King. Its BK Broiler has nine more grams of fat than a Grilled Chicken
Deluxe. Or get the BK without mayo and add mustard, ketchup, or the barbecue dipping sauce
that comes with the Chicken Tenders.
Subs
Subway offers seven six-inch subs with no more than six grams of fatif you skip the cheese,
mayo, and oil. Get them with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers instead. Tuna and other
prepared-salad subs aren't on that list. But if you like them, at least get them at a Subway that
uses "light" mayo to make the salads and to smear on the bun.
Main-Dish Salads
Arby's, Burger King, Hardee's, Jack in the Box, McDonald's, and Subway all offer decent chicken
salads. But only Wendy's Grilled Chicken Salad adds far more vegetables than just lettuce. And
you get a warm soft breadstick to make it a meal.
Just remember to get fat-free or low-cal dressing on whatever salad you order. Four tablespoons
of regular can coat it with 15 to 35 grams of fat, 250 to 750 mg of sodium, and as many calories
as six Chicken McNuggets.
Baked Potatoes
Wendy's Broccoli & Cheese, Bacon & Cheese, and Sour Cream & Chives potatoes have the least
artery-clogging fat...unless you order your spud plain. But with so much sodium in the bacon and
cheese, your best bet may be the Sour Cream & Chives.
If a potato doesn't fill you up, get it with a salad.
The information for this article was compiled by Wendy Meltzer, Ingrid Van Tuinen, and Aaron Buurma.
The use of information from this article is strictly prohibited without written permission from CSPI.
The Fast
Track
Within each category, we've ranked the foods from lowest to highest percent
of calories from saturated fat. Runaway sodium levels meant no "Best Bites." "Better Bites" got less than then 10 percent of their calories
from saturated fat and less than 40 percent of their calories from total fat. That sounds high, but
it allows in a few wraps that are loaded with vegetables.
| Burgers, etc. | Calories | Total Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) | Cals. from Fat (%)
| Sodium (mg) |
Burger King Whopper | 640 | 39 | 11 | 15 | 870 |
McDonald's Chicken McNuggets (9) | 430 | 26 | 8 | 16 | 770
|
McDonald's Big Mac | 560 | 31 | 10 | 16 | 1,070 |
McDonald's Quarter Pounder | 420 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 820 |
McDonald's French Fries, large | 450 | 22 | 9 | 17 | 290 |
McDonald's Arch Deluxe | 550 | 31 | 11 | 18 | 1,010 |
McDonald's Quarter Pounder w/Cheese | 530 | 30 | 13 | 22 | 1,290
|
Burger King Double Whopper w/Cheese | 960 | 63 | 24 | 23 | 1,420
|
Jack in the Box Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger | 1,150 | 89 | 30 | 23 |
1,770 |
Burger King Big King | 660 | 43 | 18 | 25 | 920 |
Hardee's Monster Burger | 970 | 67 | 29 | 27 | 1,920 |
Wraps |
Au Bon Pain Summer Turkey Wrap | 340
| 9 | 1 | 3 | 1,380 |
Wendy's Garden Veggie Pita | 400 | 17
| 4 | 8 | 760 |
Wendy's Garden Ranch Chicken Pita | 480
| 18 | 4 | 8 | 1,180 |
Taco Bell Bean Burrito | 380 | 12
| 4 | 9 | 1,140 |
Wendy's Chicken Caesar Pita | 490 | 18
| 5 | 9 | 1,320 |
Long John Silver's Chicken Wrap | 720 | 35 | 7 | 9 | 1,800 |
Jack in the Box Chicken Caesar | 520 | 26 | 6 | 10 | 1,050 |
Long John Silver's Fish Wrap | 720 | 35 | 8 | 10 | 1,750 |
Taco Bell Veggie Fajita Wrap | 420 | 19 | 5 | 11 | 920 |
KFC Chicken Twister | 550 | 32 | 7 | 11 | 980 |
Au Bon Pain Chicken Caesar Wrap | 630 | 31 | 8 | 11 | 1,140
|
Long John Silver's Popcorn Shrimp Wrap | 720 | 35 | 9 | 11 | 1,780
|
McDonald's Chicken Fajita | 190 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 360 |
Taco Bell Steak Fajita Wrap | 460 | 21 | 6 | 12 | 1,130 |
Taco Bell Chicken Fajita Wrap | 460 | 21 | 6 | 12 | 1,220 |
Jack in the Box Chicken Fajita Pita | 280 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 840 |
Wendy's Classic Greek Pita | 440 | 20 | 8 | 16 | 1,050 |
Au Bon Pain Southwestern Tuna Wrap | 950 | 64 | 17 | 16 | 1,230
|
Taco Bell Chicken Club Burrito | 540 | 31 | 10 | 17 | 1,290
|
Taco Bell Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito | 560 | 30 | 12 | 19 | 1,360
|
Chicken & Turkey Sandwiches & Subs
|
Subway Chicken or Turkey Sub (6") | 320
| 5 | 1 | 3 | 1,190 |
Subway Turkey & Ham Sub (6") | 300
| 5 | 1 | 3 | 1,360 |
KFC BBQ Flavored Chicken Sandwich |
260 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 780 |
Wendy's Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 310
| 8 | 2 | 4 | 790 |
Hardee's Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 350
| 11 | 2 | 5 | 950 |
Arby's Light Roast Chicken Deluxe | 280
| 6 | 2 | 6 | 780 |
Long John Silver's Flavorbaked Chicken Sandwich | 290 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 970 |
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Deluxe | 440
| 20 | 3 | 6 | 1,040 |
Arby's Light Roast Turkey Deluxe | 260
| 7 | 2 | 7 | 1,260 |
Dairy Queen Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 310
| 10 | 3 | 7 | 1,040 |
Arby's Grilled Chicken BBQ | 390 | 13
| 3 | 7 | 1,000 |
Arby's Grilled Chicken Deluxe | 430 | 20 | 4 | 8 | 850 |
Arby's Roast Chicken Deluxe | 430 | 22 | 5 | 10 | 760 |
Jack in the Box Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 520 | 26 | 6 | 10 | 1,240
|
Burger King BK Broiler | 550 | 29 | 6 | 10 | 480 |
Arby's Roast Chicken Santa Fe | 440 | 22 | 6 | 12 | 820 |
Arby's Roast Chicken Club | 550 | 31 | 9 | 15 | 1,100 |
Burger King Chicken Sandwich | 710 | 43 | 12 | 15 | 1,400 |
Other Sandwiches & Subs |
Subway Veggie Delite Sub (6") | 240 |
3 | 0 | 0 | 590 |
Subway Roast Beef Sub (6") | 300 | 5
| 1 | 3 | 940 |
Subway Club or Ham Sub (6") | 310 | 5
| 1 | 3 | 1,340 |
Subway Tuna Sub, made w/light mayo (6") |
390 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 940 |
Subway Tuna Sub (6") | 540 | 32 | 5 | 8 | 890 |
Arby's Light Roast Beef Deluxe | 300 |
10 | 3 | 9 | 830 |
Subway Classic Italian B.M.T. Sub (6") | 460 | 22 | 7 | 14 | 1,660
|
Arby's Regular Roast Beef | 390 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 1,010 |
Hardee's Regular Roast Beef | 320 | 16 | 6 | 17 | 820 |
Main-Dish Salads (with 1 packet -- 4Tbs. -- dressing)
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Salad (Fat-Free Herb Vinaigrette)
| 170 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 570 |
Arby's Roast Chicken Salad (Reduced-Calorie Buttermilk Ranch)
| 200 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1,130 |
Arby's Roast Chicken Salad (Reduced-Calorie Italian) | 170 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1,420 |
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Salad (Reduced-Calorie
French) | 280 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 730 |
Hardee's Grilled Chicken Salad (Fat-Free French) | 220 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1,190 |
Subway Roast Beef or Chicken Salad (Fat-Free Dressing) | 180 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1,230 |
Wendy's Grilled Chicken Salad (Fat-Free French) | 270 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1,020 |
Subway Turkey, Club, or Ham Salad (Fat-Free Dressing) | 160 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1,630 |
Wendy's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (Reduced-Fat Reduced-Calorie Italian) | 340 |
15 | 3 | 8 | 1,850 |
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Salad (Ranch) | 350 | 23 | 3 | 8 | 790
|
Wendy's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (1 pkt. -- 3 Tbs. -- Italian Caesar) | 485 | 33
| 7 | 13 | 1,530 |
Burger, King Broiled Chicken Salad (2 pkts.-- 4Tbs. -- Reduced Calorie Light Italian) | 230
| 11 | 4 | 16 | 830 |
Jack in the Box Garden Chicken Salad (Low-Calorie Italian) | 230 | 11 | 4 |
16 | 1,090 |
Taco Bell Taco Salad (with Salsa) | 840 | 52 | 15 | 16 | 1,670
|
Burger King Boiled Chicken Salad (2 pkts. -- 4 Tbs. -- Ranch) | 560 | 48 | 12
| 19 | 450 |
Baked Potatoes |
Wendy's Broccoli & Cheese | 470 |
14 | 3 | 5 | 470 |
Wendy's Bacon & Cheese | 530 | 18
| 4 | 7 | 1,390 |
Wendy's Sour Cream & Chives | 380 |
6 | 4 | 9 | 40 |
Wendy's Chili & Cheese | 630 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 770 |
Arby's Margarine & Sour Cream | 580 | 24 | 9 | 14 | 210 |
Arby's Deluxe | 740 | 36 | 16 | 20 | 500 | | |
RED = Better Bite
The use of information from this article for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited without
written permission from CSPI.
Source: Restaurant chains
