"You need to be creative" when eating at fast-food restaurants, said Ulka Agarwal, chief medical officer for the Washington, D.C.-based PCRM, a health-advocacy group that also conducts its own research.Īgarwal said to watch for unhealthy items in disguise, such as salads with bacon and fatty dressings pre-added.
Analyses by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has found that most fast-food salads are not any more healthful than a greasy burger. So, what's a health-conscious consumer to do for lunch aside from packing it? A salad at just about any fast-food chain might not be the answer. McDonald's has improved the nutritional profile of its Happy Meals by adding apple slices and reducing the portion size of french fries and it has gained six points, peaking at 48 on the Healthy Eating Index. KFC made the greatest gains, from 42 to 51 points on the Healthy Eating Index, by increasing its offerings of vegetables and total grains while reducing saturated fat. Yet the offerings are not, say, 86 percent healthier. "If they seek a socially responsible mission, they should continue to improve the nutritional quality of their menus."įor example, market research published in 2011 found an 86-percent increase in the term "healthy" and a 33-percent increase in the term "low-fat" on fast-food menus. "If they are claiming healthy options, they should be able to demonstrate it," Hearst said. At issue for the researchers, in part, are the health claims that fast-food restaurants make. But Hearst emphasized that the study doesn't state that fast food restaurants need to alter their menu. The restaurants analyzed were McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Arby's, Jack in the Box, and Dairy Queen. But along with adding some greens, the restaurants also have added less healthful items - in terms of calories, fat, salt, sugar, and other measures - that have minimized any nutritional gains relative to the entire menu, the study found. In 2010, food items scored 48 points on average, out of a possible 100, an increase from 44 points in 1997.
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