| WARNING: Today's column features plenty of | | | | 245 pounds eating subs (please do not try |
| fowl language.Let's talk chicken. Fast food | | | | this with meatball or cheesesteak subs) has |
| chicken. We'll chew on the nutritional info | | | | lately been skewering fast food chicken |
| surrounding the sandwiches, subs, salads... | | | | choices.But before you grab a few bawk, bawk, |
| even the new "chicken fries" recently trotted | | | | bawks and rush off to Subway for a super |
| out by Burger King.Every savvy dieter knows | | | | healthy chicken sandwich, check this out:The |
| white meat chicken is a yummy part of a | | | | 6" Chicken & Bacon Ranch sandwich has 530 |
| healthy eating plan. So why are the | | | | calories and 25 grams of fat. The numbers |
| nutritional numbers so scary at your favorite | | | | aren't that much better than the McDonald's |
| fast food joint? Flock this way and check out | | | | sandwiches listed above. In fact, the |
| the latest offerings including McDonald's new | | | | McChicken boasts just 370 calories and 16 |
| line of premium chicken sandwiches.By now, | | | | grams of fat. So what gives?Well, Jared was |
| you must have seen the ads featuring the | | | | sort of comparing apples to oranges when he |
| so-called premium sandwiches. When McDonald's | | | | attacked the fast food sandwich with mucho |
| launches a new product, they saturate the | | | | grams of fat and recommended the 6" Sweet |
| market with mouthwatering ads. But please | | | | Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich and its 5 |
| don't confuse the catchword premium as a | | | | grams of fat.Savvy dieters like you and me |
| synonym for healthy.Let's check the tale of | | | | know we need to do our homework before we |
| the tape for the nutritional numbers that are | | | | head to the corner fast food joint for |
| accessible a few pecks away at As you seem, | | | | breakfast, lunch or dinner. Stick with |
| you have a choice of 3 new sandwiches, with | | | | grilled and steer clear of breaded chicken |
| each coming in two forms -- grilled or | | | | and you are off to a good start. Other |
| "crispy" which is a nicer word than fried. | | | | tips:Say nay-o to mayo. Mustard is a |
| The envelope please...Premium Crispy Chicken | | | | perfectly good chicken sandwich topping.Be |
| Classic Sandwich: This 8.2-ounce sandwich has | | | | sure to load up your sandwich with lettuce |
| 490 calories (150 from fat), 16 grams of fat, | | | | and tomato... and any other raw veggie you |
| 3 grams of saturated fat (1.5g trans fat), 60 | | | | can sink your teeth into.Just say NO to |
| milligrams cholesterol, 1,350mg sodium, 62 | | | | fries. Round out your meal (not your belly) |
| grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber.The | | | | with water, diet soda, and fruit or a side |
| 8-ounce Premium Grilled Chicken Classic | | | | salad with light dressing served on the |
| Sandwich is a better bet with 410 calories | | | | side.Most large franchises now offer |
| (80 from fat), 9g fat, 2g saturated fat (zero | | | | nutritional values online or on the premises. |
| trans fat), 80 mg cholesterol, 1,210mg | | | | Ask for the info if it's not readily |
| sodium, 52g carb, and 3g fiber.The Premium | | | | accessible. If they don't want to dish it |
| Crispy Chicken Ranch BLT Sandwich weighs in | | | | out, say bye-bye. It's your money and your |
| at 8.6 ounces and weighs ya down with 570 | | | | health at stake here. Get what you want, not |
| calories (180 from fat), 20g fat, 5g | | | | what they want to serve you.Now, back to |
| saturated fat (1.5g trans fat), 70mg | | | | chewing the fat -- and calories -- on fast |
| cholesterol, 1,730mg sodium, 64g carbs, and | | | | food chicken.Consumer Reports recently |
| 3g fiber.A Premium Grilled Chicken Ranch BLT | | | | investigated more than 35 chicken dishes in |
| Sandwich (8.5 ounces) has 480 calories (120 | | | | 16 restaurants. Some of the more unappetizing |
| from fat), 13g fat, 3.5g saturated fat (zero | | | | results:Boston Market's Marinated Grilled |
| trans fat), 90mg cholesterol, 1,590mg sodium, | | | | Chicken Caesar Salad: 800 cals, 62g of fat |
| 53g carbs, and 3g fiber.The 9.6-ounce Premium | | | | |
| Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich packs 660 | | | | Wendy's Mandarin Chicken Salad: 630 cals, |
| calories, 29g fat, 9g saturated fat (1.5g | | | | 35g of fat |
| trans fat), 100mg cholesterol, 1,800mg | | | | |
| sodium, 63g carbs and 3g fiber.And, finally, | | | | Carl's Jr.'s Low-Carb Breakfast Bowl: 900 |
| the 9.4-ounce Premium Grilled Chicken Club | | | | cals, 73g of fatMr. Bad Food would be remiss |
| Sandwich has 580 calories, 21g fat, 8g | | | | if he didn't check out the nutrition numbers |
| saturated fat (zero trans fat), 40mg | | | | for the latest entry into the fast food |
| cholesterol, 1,660mg sodium, 53g carbs, and | | | | chicken wars -- Burger King's Chicken Fries. |
| 3g chief nutritionist Susan Burke offers this | | | | A 6-piece order with Buffalo dipping sauce |
| mini-review:"McDonald's new Premium Grilled | | | | has 340 calories (210 from fat), 24 grams of |
| Chicken Sandwich is an OK option for fast | | | | fat (4.5 saturated; 3 trans fat), 40mg |
| food, as long as you do a little modifying so | | | | cholesterol, 1,020mg sodium, 20g carbs and 2g |
| you can have it 'your way.' Just say, 'Hold | | | | fiber.The verdict? The 6-pack is actually |
| the mayo!' Mayo adds saturated fat and | | | | slightly worse in some respects than a medium |
| calories. Say YES to ketchup or mustard... or | | | | fries which has 360 calories (160 from fat), |
| both."By the way, I'm talking the grilled | | | | 18g fat (5 saturated; 4.5 trans fat), 0 |
| chicken, not the 'crispy' sandwich -- crispy | | | | cholesterol, 640mg sodium, 46g carbs, and 4g |
| is code for added fat -- or the chicken BLT, | | | | fiber. So don't fall for "chicken has to be |
| which has 20 grams of fat, 5 grams of | | | | better than french-fried potatoes" |
| saturated fat, and 1.5 grams of trans fat per | | | | trap.Another heavily hyped chicken sandwich |
| sandwich."If you're watching your sodium, all | | | | these days is the KFC Snacker. The 99 cents |
| bets are off... at McDonald's and all fast | | | | price tag makes it a lot more affordable than |
| food restaurants. A quick look at all the | | | | the Colonel's high-priced bucket selections. |
| chicken sandwiches gives me heart | | | | But you are basically getting little more |
| palpitations. There are 1,800 milligrams of | | | | than one crispy strip nestled inside a |
| sodium in just one Premium Crispy Club | | | | "snacker bun" with pepper mayo and a lettuce |
| Chicken Sandwich. That's 75% of what you need | | | | blend.The nutrition numbers are 320 calories, |
| for the entire day."Even the plain Premium | | | | 16 grams of fat (3g saturated), 25mg |
| Grilled Chicken Sandwich has 1,200mg sodium, | | | | cholesterol, 700mg sodium, 31 grams of carbs |
| which is still too high for just one | | | | and 1 gram of fiber. I don't know about you, |
| sandwich. So, balance the day with fresh | | | | but I'd need at least two of these 4-ounce |
| fruit and vegetables -- and don't make fast | | | | teasers to feel anywhere near full.A few |
| food a daily habit."Couldn't have said it | | | | decent chicken choices include:--Burger King |
| better myself Susan!While chatting with Susan | | | | Fire-Grilled Chicken Garden Salad with fat |
| about fast food in general, I learned that | | | | free honey mustard dressing has 280 calories |
| one managerial rooster at a huge chain said | | | | and 7 grams of fat. |
| size is what really matters when it comes to | | | | |
| pleasing the hungry public. Yep, this biz wiz | | | | --Wendy's Ultimate Grill Chicken Sandwich |
| claims we want BIGGER... as in bigger buns, | | | | has 360 calories and 7 grams of fat. |
| bigger meat, bigger toppings, bigger scale | | | | |
| numbers, bigger pants sizes, and bigger | | | | --Quizno's Small Honey Bourbon Chicken |
| medical bills. Oops, he didn't say all that. | | | | sandwich has 359 calories and 6 grams of fat. |
| But he may as well have.In honor of this | | | | |
| "bigger is better" belief, I think the fast | | | | --Hardee's Charbroiled Bar-B-Q Chicken |
| food chains ought to offer special "Really | | | | Sandwich has 415 calories and 5 grams of |
| Big Kid" meals featuring heart defibrillators | | | | fat... and includes the mayo.The bottom line: |
| and other nifty toys. I can hear the | | | | when you feel peckish for fast food chicken, |
| drive-thru window worker now, as she asks | | | | choose wisely and enjoy your meal. Oh, and |
| sweetly after taking your order, "Would you | | | | don't squawk to Mr. Bad Food if temptation |
| like oxygen with that?"But I digress. I came | | | | and bad decision-making cause you to lay an |
| here today to cackle about chicken. I have to | | | | egg, motivationally speaking.John McGran, |
| admit I was inspired by the recent spate of | | | | Editor-in-ChiefAt eDiets, there's something |
| Subway commercials featuring none other than | | | | for every body. Click here to choose from |
| that amazing shrinking man Jared. The | | | | more than 20 personalized diet plans! |
| thin-again spokesperson who says he lost some | | | | |