While it’s hard to dispute the statement that “fast food is bad food,” we all give in to the need for grabbing a quick bite to eat. Fortunately, many in the fast-food industry have responded to demands for healthier fare, and some restaurants are making it easier to alter existing menu choices.
For example, Irvine, California based Taco Bell restaurants offers customers what it calls a “Fresco-Style” alternative designed to help cut fat and calories but not the flavor. Consumers can substitute fresh Fiesta Salsa (a mild mix of chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro) for the cheese and sauce found in many of the popular Mexican food chain’s dishes.
“Cutting your calorie and fat intake, combined with an active lifestyle, can increase energy and self-esteem and decrease the chance of obesity and certain diseases,” says registered dietitian Jackie Newgent, a nutritional consultant for Taco Bell.
In a world where consumers rank taste and convenience twice as significantly as eating healthy, a concept such as Fresco Style is essential to promoting a healthy diet without sacrificing taste.
And – for those who refuse to give up fried foods but still want to eat healthy – Taco Bell and other fast-food restaurant chains have responded to a nationwide concern about high levels of trans fat in fast food by switching from partially hydrogenated soybean oil to a zero grams trans fat canola oil.
Someday we might all eat healthier…even at the fast food restaurants.