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