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Not So Slim Salads Weigh Down Fast Food Menus
Mpls., MN June 30, 2003: Offering a salad entrée is the latest attempt at health conscious marketing by fast-food and quick-serve chains, but according to a new analysis by the nutrition experts at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), many fast-food salads are no more healthful than a greasy burger. For example, McDonald's Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with dressing has a hefty 51 grams of fat and 660 calories while a Big Mac has 34 grams of fat and 590 calories. This salad entrée also has just as much cholesterol, 85 milligrams, as the Big Mac.
The PCRM researchers analyzed thirty-four salads offered by Wendy's, Subway, Au Bon Pain, Panera, Taco Bell, and McDonald's according to five nutritional criteria. One star was given for each criterion a salad met. Each salad was rated using two ounces of the dressing served with it, or if no dressing was recommended, the lowest-fat dressing on the menu was used. The two top-rated salads earned five stars for meeting all five of the following criteria for healthfulness:
- One star for 13 g fat or less
- One star for 4.5 g saturated fat or less
- One star for 50 mg of cholesterol or less
- One star for 3 g of fiber or more
- One star for 1,000 mg of sodium or less
Five Star (Outstanding) Salads:
Au Bon Pain Garden Salad: With no cholesterol and just one gram of saturated fat, this salad was the winner. Top it with the fat-free raspberry vinaigrette for a sweet and tangy twist.
Subway Veggie Delite with Fat-free Italian Dressing: Order it without the cheese topping and chose balsamic vinegar or fat-free Italian dressing, and this salad is slightly healthier than Au Bon Pain's Garden Salad: no cholesterol, and no saturated fat.
Four Star (Good) Salads:
Au Bon Pain has five salads in this category: Charbroiled Salmon Filet with Yellow Pepper, Mediterranean Chicken, Thai Chicken, Tuna, and Caesar.
Other salads receiving 4 stars were Panera's Classic Café Salad, and Subway's Club Salad with Fat-free Italian Dressing.
One Star (Unacceptable) Salads:
All six salads offered by McDonalds rated only one star and this was because they contained a bare minimum of fiber (3 grams). However, the fat, cholesterol and calories in each of these salads will quickly undo any benefits of the fiber they provide.
Taco Bell's Taco Salad with Salsa, Panera's Caesar Salad, and Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, and Subway's Meatball Salad also received this lowly ranking.
If you are interested in learning more of the nutritional details on these salads and seeing how other favorite fast food salads stack up, click here: http://www.pcrm.org/news/health030508.html.
Our Response:
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