Fast-Food Fare Still Gets a Failing Grade
Fast-food marketers may trumpet the “healthful” menu options they’ve added in the past decade, but a study suggests that, overall, the fare is as unhealthy as ever. Researchers analyzed calorie counts of foods at eight major chains in 1997–1998 and again in 2009–2010. The average calorie count for a fast-food meal didn’t change over 14 years, though the average side item has 45 fewer calories today than it did years ago.
Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, November 2012
| The Restaurant | The "Healthy Option" | The Nutrition Toll | |
| Arby’s Chopped Farmhouse Salad with crispy chicken | 430 calories | 1,000 mg of sodium* |
| KFC Kentucky Grilled Chicken, breast | 220 calories | 730 mg of sodium* |
| McDonald’s Premium Bacon Ranch Salad With Crispy Chicken | 390 calories | 870 mg of sodium* |
 | Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad with beef | 780 calories | 1,380 mg of sodium* |
 | Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad | 770 calories | 1,810 mg of sodium* |
| *People with high blood pressure, which is common with diabetes, are often instructed to limit sodium to no more than 1,500 mg total each day. | |||
