by Anita Osuri
Chipotle burritos are a staple of healthy fast food.
Reprinted from Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-healthy-fast-food-restaurants.[1]
Have you ever eaten at a Chipotle, Subway, or Chick fil-A? If so, you have experienced the newest food phenomenon: healthy fast food. It’s a trend that began with classic fast food chains like McDonalds advertising their salads, rather than their famous greasy, juicy burgers.
This tactic is known as the “health halo effect,”, where one healthy menu item may lead a customer to perceive the entire menu as healthier [2]. McDonalds is not the only company using this trick. In fact, this tactic has morphed to encompass the marketing of entire brands such as Chipotle and Chick fil-A.
Chipotle’s whole marketing strategy is based upon putting out fresh rice, beans, lettuce, tomato, and farm-raised chicken, beef, etc. Not only do they market their products as fresh and extremely healthy, but the food also tastes great! However, the ultimate question is: Is Chipotle as healthy as they claim? Results are mixed, but the majority of nutritionists say that Chipotle is most likely the healthiest fast food restaurant that one could eat at [3]. The drawback is that they incorporate unhealthy items such as burritos, white rice, carnitas, queso, and chips into their mainly healthy base. We also must remember that Chipotle “healthy” is compared to restaurants such as McDonalds and Burger King, which are in a different ballpark altogether from standard “healthy.”
Chick fil-A has also been using a similar marketing strategy to advertise their chicken as healthy and different from the basic McDonald's chicken nugget. What is so appealing about Chick fil-A and how do others feel about it? BTHS students Cheryl Jeffrey and Priyanka Desai weighed in with their opinions on this topic. Desai mentioned that “it doesn’t get zestier than zesty buffalo sauce” and “Chick Fil-A is a bonding experience. It is beautiful. It is a lifestyle.” Similarly, Jeffrey said that “Not only is the fried chicken good, but their grilled chicken is also really good. It makes you feel better about yourself that it is kind of healthy.” Both commented on the frosted lemonade and how it is “the perfect combination of sweet, sour and icy.”
“It doesn’t get zestier than zesty buffalo sauce.”
Although we may all agree Chick fil-A’s zesty buffalo sauce is addicting, what do experts have to say about this? Surprisingly, Chick fil-A grilled chicken nuggets are an astonishingly low 270 calories, compared to McDonalds McNuggets’ 440 calories. Experts mention that people should not be eating Chick fil-A daily, otherwise dubbed the “Chick fil-A diet” [4]. In addition, certain items on the menu such as the frosted lemonade and the various sauces could add on to the fats that people attempt to avoid by eating at Chick fil-A.
Overall, although healthy fast food may not always be completely free of fats and unhealthy elements, it is alright to eat anything in moderation. As with everything, it is crucial to stay educated on this topic and the ways that the food industry is constantly evolving to keep pace with its consumers. Keep this article in the back of your mind the next time you go to a fast food place, but don’t let it stop you from getting that zesty buffalo sauce!
Sources
- Bjarnadottir, A. (2019, May 3). 10 Fast-Food Restaurants That Serve Healthy Foods. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-healthy-fast-food-restaurants.
- Bentovich, Sonya. “Psyched Out by McDonald's: The Psychological Phenomena Behind McDonald's Latest Commitment to Health.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/healthwashing_b_4136848.
- Scotti, Ariel. “Is Chipotle Healthy? A Nutritionist Weighs In.” PureWow, PureWow, 17 Jan. 2020, www.purewow.com/food/is-chipotle-healthy.
- Welch, Ashley. “The Truth behind the ‘Chick-Fil-A Diet.’” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 2 Feb. 2016, www.cbsnews.com/news/nutritionists-take-on-the-chick-fil-a-diet/.