“Do you want fries or Mandarin oranges with that?” That doesn’t sound like a normal question barked through the speakers at a Wendy’s drive-through window, but oranges have crept into the once fat-laden offerings at a fast-food chain near you.
And that’s not the only fast fruit available. Cantaloupe, pineapple, red grapes and honeydew melons with a side of yogurt have all been added to the hot-and-juicy menu recently.
As Americans are told to watch their waistlines, fast-food execs are finally listening. And the results mean tasty, healthy vitals are just a speed bump away.
Skeptics are probably thinking that anything dispensed at a drive- through must be fried. To find out, we conducted a recent drive-by and discovered that fast-food feasts taste pretty darn good.
The apple-and-walnut salad at McDonald’s is a far cry from the other apple option at the Golden Arches – pies. Teaming with California diet doc Dean Ornish, who wrote the book “Eat More, Weigh Less,” helps give McDonald’s credibility in its healthy makeover.
Designed under Ornish’s guidelines, the salad pairs slices of Granny Smith and red delicious apples with walnuts to provide protein, fiber and an added boosts of nutrient in one quick $3 portion. Apple dippers with a low-fat caramel sauce also have been added in the dessert menu next to the McFlurrys.
But when it comes to grabbing fruit on the fly, Wendy’s fruit bowl is a cut above. The serving, which could feed a small office or a picnic, comes with fresh pineapple, melon, grapes and strawberry yogurt that makes this a more satisfying meal.
From a parent’s standpoint, probably the smartest change is the fruit instead of fries option in kids’ meals. A.J. Rourke of Medford, Mass., was robustly digging into a bowl of Mandarin oranges at a Wendy’s last week as mom Alysia tucked into a BLT salad.
“Oh, I definitely prefer it over fries,” said Alysia about the orange slices her 22-month-old son was enjoying as if they were candy. “Of course he would probably have liked fries better.” But he didn’t seem to notice.
A year ago, Burger King introduced salads as part of its “Have It Your Way” campaign, which also includes an enormous omelet sandwich. The gut-busting breakfast sandwich with cheese is not a healthy hit, but “it goes back to giving people choices; salads and veggie burgers are new additions,” said Adrienne Hayes of Burger King.
Waist-watchers can build their own salads in the BK Lounge, just as they would in a deli. A garden or Caesar salad can be topped with tender-crisp or fire-grilled chicken, which comes in a separate pouch to keep it hot as you drive away.
“They are not as popular as the Whopper, but again it’s about choices,” said Hayes.
And who doesn’t want to think he’s in the driver’s seat at the drive-through?
Also at Burger King, a small salad can be substituted for fries, at a savings of 210 calories. A seemingly harmless order of small fries packs in 230 calories and 11 grams of fat compared with the fat-free salad’s 20 calories.
The Mandarin salad at Wendy’s is probably the most satisfying.
Fresh chunks of chicken, fruit and noodles makes this a crisp and filling alternative to salad bars.
Can’t schlep to the heath food store in enough time for your lunch break? Think McHealth.
