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Via Ezra Klein's twitterfeed, this list of America's top 10 healthiest fast food restaurants indeed does not seem so much the healthiest list that could be assembled. By my count, the D.C. area features four of these heart-healthy-in-a-hurry options: Au Bon Pain, the Corner Bakery, and, ahem, Chipotle and McDonald's.
Wait a second! Didn't we learn from that one movie that if you eat in an absurd fashion that resembles absolutely no one's real eating habits, you'll get totally fat off this stuff? Perhaps because of the serious negative buzz, McDonald's is purportedly on the up and up, developing a more conscientious menu. In the last few years they've built out the menu with salads (salads that no one, but no one, orders) and grilled chicken sandwiches. They cook their fries in a healthy way, compared to the competition.
Indeed, you'd think McDonald's might show up on a list of the worst offenders — after all, it's not like they took the Double Quarter Pounder off the menu. But then, you'd be underestimating the race to the bottom. Hardee's might as well offer an angioplasty alongside their 920-calorie Country Breakfast Burrito, which is evil made tastable. Jack in the Box doesn't know cooking that doesn't start with heating up a pan of trans fats. If you don't consider McDonald's efforts commendable, consider that Rush Limbaugh has made it a point to celebrate Carl's Jr.'s "defiant" embrace of totally disgusting food, like the opulent Monster Thickburger, that will speed your steady march toward death. That could just as easily be a million ditto heads ordering Big Macs in the drivethru. There is of course never an economic benefit to doing the right thing.
(Oh, and Carl's Jr.? (Unabashedly sexist).
What about our local choices? Five Guys is a great option, so long as you eat only the peanuts and ketchup packets. Seriously, this stuff will kill you. A T.B.M. at Cosi will set you back a lot further than a Big Mac. Are there any decent options for food in the city that you doesn't come from the farmer's market? I'm never eating again.
Please use the comments to explain that I can't count, the city features all 10 healthiest fast-food joints, there's a Jason's Deli several miles from the last stop on the Orange Line, etc.
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sorry, can't help you with this one. swore of chain fast food so long ago i can't remember.
(have fallen off the wagon twice in the last year and had a bean burrito at taco bell)
I use ChipotleFan to put together orders with a reasonable amount of calories and fat on days when I haven't packed my own lunch. It's a little tricky but it works, and it's filling enough that I don't get too hungry before dinner.
That said, that list is ridiculous. Panera Bread the #1 healthy choice? Their food is delicious and I'm sure they use good quality ingredients, but a meal there has twice the amount of calories any reasonable lunch should have, just like every other fast food chain ever. I also don't understand why Cosi and Panera put so much starch in their soups.
There's a Cosi right next to my work so it's tempting to go there, especially on cold/rainy days. I started checking the nutrition info on their website, and it's not only the calories but the insane amounts of sodium in most items on their menu. Some sandwiches have more sodium than you should consume in one day.
You can definitely find healthy fast food options, but you have to do some research. Take Au Bon Pain... I started checking their website to see which soups are the healthiest and they have some great and tasty options.
there are several noodles & co. and paneras in the area as well.
Noodles & Company is a counter service restaurant like the others in the list, but I'd hardly call it fast food. The people who work there are slow as shit. The food is okay, but seriously, don't go there unless you have a good 15-20 minutes to kill standing in line and then waiting for your order to be prepared.
And there's an Einstein's near the Social Safeway and at least one out in Fairfax. And AtlantaBread.com reveals locations in Sterling, Greenbelt, and someplace called Gambrills, MD. TacoDelMar.com says there's one in Annandale. And JasonsDeli.com reports locations in Fairfax and Falls Church.
Wow, I really sound like a know-it-all. But once we identified 7, I needed to check the others... Yay, DC Metro, for batting 1.000!
Actually, I kinda miss the Hardees that used to be at the old Greyhound station near North Capitol Street. The Monster Thickburger is actually a pretty tasty burger as far as fast food burgers go. At least it's consistent, unlike Five Guys
And those Heart Smart, Healthy Menu options suddenly go straight to hell once you add mayo and cheese.
Kriston, my hat is off. This is a BEAUTIFULLY written story that is both hilarious and informative. Well done!
I would be cautious about the nutrition information on the websites provided in this article. The information is seriously out of date. For example, the information on Trans Fat is from 2007. Since then, McDonalds has eliminated artificial trans fats from its menu. The only menu items that still have trans fat are the burgers since beef has a few grams of naturally-occurring trans fat.
Wait... I get those salads :( I actually think the Cesar is pretty yummy (though, if you really want to watch the calories, bring your own dressing).
Also, Chipotle can get into the dangerous level of calories fast, if you pile on all the add-ons. Guy at work almost cried when he found out his 'healthy' lunch was pushing 900 calories.
Someone posted this last week but once more, with feeling: http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/.
Boondoggle, those are some of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life. (Except for the deep-fried cupcake with chocolate syrup and sprinkles, which merely sounds disgusting -- at first glance, it just looks like a cupcake with too much frosting.) People actually eat that stuff? And live?
I get the salads on the rare occasions I end up at McDonalds. It's called "being a vegetarian on a road trip, with very few options."
The truth is that any foods can be 'healthy' or 'unhealthy' depending on the quantities consumed.
You can lose weight eating just McDonalds and gain wait eating just salads.
It's really ridiculously simple: consume more calories than you burn and you'll gain wait. Burn more than you consume and you'll lose weight.
I eat Chipotle all the time, but I avoid things like sour cream and gauc which ratchet up the fat content considerably. Even though a burrito may have 1000 calories, you can keep the fat calories to a minimum. I usually eat half of the burrito and save the other half for later. I don't pay much attention to carb count, since carbs should be a good 2/3 of your caloric intake.
A McDonalds burger isn't too terribly unhealthy if you omit the mayo and cheese. That's if you can stomach a McD burger, of course.
People actually eat that stuff? And live?
Not sure. But if you post a picture on the internet of 12 different birds stuffed into a turkey (click on previous once or twice to see that one) you will get my attention.