Now the Weight Conscious Can Have it Their Way

In an attempt to decrease obesity, fast food restaurants have reevaluated their menus and added healthier additions to their otherwise deep fried products. Burger King recently released a new version of french fries. The healthy alternative, “Satisfries” are cooked in a different oil that soaks up less grease. This new addition to the menu contains 20 percent fewer calories than the fast food chain’s regular fries.

“Every quarter they [corporate department] try and offer something new on our side menu,” Fenton Silver Parkway Burger King Store Manager Laurie Covieo said. “They chose the Satisfries as a way to offer a low calorie and low fat option for those seeking a healthy alternative. At our location they have been popular making up 15-20 percent of the side items we sell.”

Burger King may have been the first to come out with a new alternative to french fries, but its competitor, McDonalds, is included in the healthy food movement with new menu options. McDonalds offers salads and fruit as a side instead of french fries, however they cost extra. According to the Huffington Post, starting early next year these options will be offered with no extra fee. Wendy’s has been pushing a freshness campaign as well with a slogan of “you know when it’s real” and many different salad options.

“We offer parfaits and oatmeal which are very popular,” Fenton Owen Road McDonalds Department Manager Kylie Kortastinski said. “We also have salads, smoothies, milk, apple juice and apple dippers. We recently started giving both apple dippers and fries in our Happy Meals so we sell an equal amount of those.”

Despite fast food chains’ efforts, some students feel that new additions won’t make a difference in the obesity in America, as people can continue to order the greasy food they always have.

“It’s not the fact that people don’t have the opportunity to eat healthy,” senior Beecher Warren said. “It’s that they don’t want to. People will still want the unhealthy food, no matter how many other healthy options they have.”

While some do not see the movement being a success, others are happy with the new options provided because the food still has the same taste and reasonable prices.

“This is a step in a right direction toward a healthier future,” sophomore Jack Schneider said. “They need to add healthier options, but still have the same taste and they need to be the same cost as the unhealthy food. If they have healthier options, I would order it.”