Fooled By “Nutritious” Fast Food Options

More and more instant eateries are poisoning people’s minds, convincing them that they have so-called “nutritious options,” which is purely a marketing ploy.

Adrion Green, Columnist

Today,  too many people have become obsessed with trying to stay in good shape and enjoy getting a quick meal from their local eatery. As a result, fast-food companies have come up with so called “healthy” foods to draw in more customers. From Wendy’s Baja Salad to Taco Bell’s Fresco Menu, the drive-in you thought was healthy is all just a scam.

McDonald’s: Kale Salad

According to Business Insider, McDonald’s has been experimenting with kale salads to attract more “health-conscious diners.” However, this supposedly healthy meal is actually worse than a double Big Mac. Compared to the Big Mac, which only has 680 calories, the Kale Salad has 730 calories, 53 grams of fat, and 1,400 milligrams of salt.

KFC: Grilled Chicken

As stated by the Physicians Committee, KFC has begun to market grilled chicken, seemingly “better-for-you chicken,” and many customers found it to be “a nutritious alternative.” It turns out, that each 4-ounce grilled chicken breast contains 105 grams of cholesterol and 460 milligrams of sodium. Almost 107 million Americans have blood cholesterol levels more than 200, and high intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol. In addition, KFC’s Grilled Chicken contains a carcinogen called PhIP, a chemical substance formed in meats that are grilled, pan-fried or barbecued. It’s associated with numerous human cancer developments.

Quiznos: Mediterranean Chicken Wrap

As stated by the Readers Digest, in 2012 Quiznos added a new meal to their menu, which seemingly was meant to emphasize “better” flavor and ingredients. It turns out, that this nutritious alternative has 48 grams of fat, 840 calories (with dressing), and 2,200 milligrams of sodium. Doesn’t “Mediterranean” and “wrap” sound both nourishing and delicious. Well, it certainly drew in lots of customers.

I honestly find it amusing and absurd that customers actually purchase these meals. Just because you saw a TV ad telling you that the meal is beneficial doesn’t mean it’s true. You can’t assume that a restaurant that uses cheap and heavily processed ingredients, out of nowhere come up with a “healthy” choice for a meal. Now, I’m not putting all of the blame on the customers, it is partially the restaurant’s fault for tricking them, but the consumers should’ve thought twice.

In addition to the attention it gets, most of  the fast food options that are considered “nutritious” are premium meals, which means they cost more. Why buy a supposed healthy meal, which we’ve established that sometimes isn’t all that healthy, when you can easily stick to a meal on the value menu. Designated by the Denver Post ,  most items held on the value menu tend to be more healthy, considering that they are more basic. For instance, four out of five sandwiches on Wendy’s value menu are under 400 calories, with the Jr. Cheeseburger being the lowest.

According to the Huffington Post, healthy food items are just a marketing tool to lure customers to their restaurant. There’s a good chance that person won’t even order a healthier item.