But just how healthy are these new offerings, coming from restaurants renowned for juicy burgers and deep-fried potatoes?
Jayne Hurley, a senior nutritionist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest who wrote a recent CSPI report on the best and worst fast foods, was pleased to find some truly healthy fast food. Her top picks are McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, Burger King's BK Veggie Burger and Chicken Whopper Jr., and Wendy's Garden Sensations salads.
"I never thought you'd find luscious strawberries and blueberries layered with low-fat yogurt and granola at McDonald's"
Here’s her analysis of those dishes:
- McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (380 calories, 5 fat grams, just 2 of which are saturated fat). "In my wildest dreams, I never thought you'd find luscious strawberries and blueberries layered with low-fat yogurt and granola at McDonald's," she says. "As opposed to some foods that just have an absence of bad, this has a lot of things that are good for you, and it's delicious as well." She cites the calcium in yogurt, the fiber and nutrients in fruit, and fiber in granola. Order the smaller snack size, and you cut the calories in half.
- Burger King's BK Veggie Burger (330 calories, 13 fat grams, 2 of which are saturated fat). "It's the first time a major burger chain put a meatless sandwich on the menu," she says. "They deserve an enormous amount of credit for taking that step. Personally, I don't think it's the best-tasting veggie burger that's come down the pike, but once you put it between a bun with lettuce, tomato and all the other fixings, it's fine."
- Burger King Chicken Whopper Jr. (370 calories, 23 fat grams, 3 of which are saturated fat). Hurley commends the sandwich for its true grilled flavor but cautions against ordering the full-sized version, which packs 580 calories.
- Wendy's Garden Sensations (calories and fat vary). "Prior to these salads, fast food salads were iceberg lettuce with cheese on top," Hurley says. "Now Wendy's offers a base of dark leafy greens topped with interesting, high-end salad ingredients that make them more tempting."
Hurley also gives high marks to Subway, which, strictly speaking, is in the "quick casual" rather than fast-food restaurant category. She praises Subway for pioneering and promoting healthy, delicious sandwiches with fewer than 6 grams of fat.
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