Oh, re-hee-heeeeeally?

I was recently caught in the middle of a “damn-these-gas-prices” bitchapalooza, talking about how we’ve all had to cut back on buying stuff in order to fill up our gas tanks. Everything was humming along, just airing out our general feelings about the price of things, and then it happened. I knew it would come up. This one lady who loves to go for a daily Frosty at Wendy’s started crankin’ about not being able to eat healthy at the fast food places because it was too expensive. She referred to the 99-cent value menus and said that the options in that price range, which is all she can afford, are the crappiest of the crap.

I’m no Hilton heiress, and I manage to buy healthy foods for my home every week. Even on the road, I can always find an affordable healthy alternative to all the junky stuff. So how could this woman - who is educated and who has access to the same information I have access to - how could she make that claim? Expensive to eat healthy? What is expensive to her? Is $1.00 expensive? It can’t be, because she loves the 99-cent menu at the fast food joints. A few items off one of those menus comes out to nearly $4. Burger, fries, soda, Frosty.

After hearing her go on and on about the price of healthy food, I decided to do some homework. Of course, I would always tell you it’s better to plan ahead and bring your own food with you to work, or on a long drive, but since this is the real world, here are some of the healthier options I found on the value menus, side by side with the dollar burgers.

Wendy’s:

• Small Chili ($1) + Side Salad w/ Fat Free Ranch ($1) + Diet Soda or ($1) = $3.00
  That’s just 290 calories, 7 grams of fat and about 30% of your daily recommended fiber intake, not to mention a good amount of protein! Skip the dressing and you save 70 calories. Skip the diet soda (which isn’t all that good for you anyway), and ask for a cup for water, and save a buck.
• Love your carbs or want something gluten-free? Baked Potato with Reduced Fat Sour Cream and Chives = $1.00
  That dollar gets you a 320-calorie meal with 7 grams of fiber and only 4g of fat. Skip the sour cream and save 45 calories and 3.5g of fat.

McDonald’s:

• Chipotle or Honey Mustard Snack Wrap - Grilled = $1.39
  A quick and complete bite to eat with just 260 calories, 9 grams of fat, 27g of carbs, and 18g of protein
• Side Salad with Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette = $1
  Only 60 calories, 3 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber. If you go with Low Fat Italian, it’s 80 calories, and with Low Fat Sesame Ginger it’s 110 calories and 15 more grams of carbs.
• Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad = $1
  210 calories, 8 grams of fat (good fat!), 2 grams of fiber - A little heavy on the calories, for the small amount you get, but it’s fruits and nuts. Just think of the quality of these calories compared to 210 calories from fat and low-grade burger meat.
• Fruit & Yogurt Parfait = $1
  A pretty healthy treat for just 160 calories, and 2 grams of fat. Skip the granola and you save 30 calories and 6g of carbs
• For a quick sweet snack that won’t break your calorie bank or your bank bank, the kiddie cone is a safe bet. Also $1. That buck gets you 45 calories, 1 gram of fat and only 8 grams of carbs.

Burger King:
Ah, BK. They suck. At least the choices on their Value Menu. There is one obviously healthy item. Really, truly - BK is a tough one. On the bright side, at least their burgers aren’t fried.

• Side Garden Salad with Ken’s Light Italian Dressing = $1
  140 calories, 12 grams of fat. Use only half the dressing and save 60 calories and 6 grams of fat.
• Whopper Jr., hold the Mayo = $1
  Savor the 290 calories, 12 grams of fat, 31 g of carbs and 16 grams of protein. Just make a better choice the next day, somewhere else.

Taco Bell:
If Mexican is your thing (though the “Mexican-ness” of Taco Bell can be argued here in Arizona), Taco Bell has some value options for ya. And you can order them “fresco” – no cheese or sour cream. Granted it’s not necessarily quality, but if you’re eating out and find yourself at The Bell, these are the safer choices from the value menu…

• Crunchy or soft taco, Fresco = 89 cents each
  The crunchy taco clocks in at 150 calories and 8 grams of fat, while the soft taco gives you 30 calories more.
• Bean Burrito, Fresco = 99 cents
  This one’s for those who don’t fear the carbs. It’s the bean burrito without cheese and it’s got 330 calories, only 7 grams of fat and 54 grams of carbs (9 grams of fiber, though!). Also a good source of protein and iron.

And these are just the value menus at four of the most popular fast food stops. Come on, chickies - take a closer look at those menus! What are some healthy and affordable options at your favorite restaurants? 

Last Modified : July 13th, 2008 Filed under : Eat Navigate : Previous post / Next post