Fast Food Trafficking Hits New Highs

Fast Food Trafficking Hits New Highs

Until KFC launched its “Double Down” (DD) breadless sandwich (you might think this is healthy.. but read on…) a few weeks ago, we hoped fast food chains might give their menus an affordable, nutritional and belly filling upgrade - especially because of the countless news headlines highlighting the myriad of flaws concerning the average American diet, its connection to food availability, and the allure and irresistibility of junk and fast food’s general marketing genius.

We don’t mean to single out KFC, but the “Double Down” (only in test and selling for $6.99) uses “hungry men” in their advertising who claim they usually need to eat two chicken sandwiches to fill them up. This is a clever (?) marketing ploy. The DD is a breadless sandwich and consists of two pieces of “KFC Original Recipe” fried chicken breasts topped with two pieces of bacon, two types of cheese and the Colonel’s sauce inside. The amount of calories, fat, and sodium loaded into this quick belly filling fix is a bit of a mystery.

The Vancouver Sun newspaper estimates it at 1,200 calories and over 50 fat grams. According to the NY Daily News, “KFC public relations rep Rick Maynard responded to experts' guesstimated calorie counts by providing estimated figures of 590 calories and 31 grams of fat for the sandwich. He said, when the Sun ran its numbers, it calculated the nutrition info using two Original Recipe breasts, which are chicken on the bone, while the new sandwich uses Original Recipe filets. According to the nutrition facts on their website, two “Original Chicken” breasts alone contain 740 calories. And since when are chicken bones so laden with fat and calories that they would account for the extra amount? The Colonel is rolling over in his grave no doubt.

Consumers are eating sandwiches like these whether it’s due to convenience, cost or taste, and Americans are still able to fully satisfy their hungry bellies for less than a Lincoln. Yes, many fast food menus feature “healthier” options, but when you empty the creamy dressing on top of the crisp iceberg lettuce with a scarce sprinkling of carrots and tasteless tomatoes, what kind of satisfaction, let alone nutrition, are we actually getting? And they want us to believe that to make it even healthier we should finish it off with a fruit parfait; which could contain up to 40+ grams of sugars.

Isn’t it time we give Americans fast food with better nutrition? Plain and simple. Let’s look at the menus that we’ve got and rethink the way the foods are cooked, and include quality ingredients - good looking lettuce and tomatoes and hearty fiber filled bread - that will keep us full, satisfied and coming back time and time again. This might even give fast food joints healthier, happier and longer living customers that appreciate the true satisfaction nutritious food can bring… and of course this approach would lead to greater profits?