WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUPER-SIZE THAT OATMEAL?

Jared may have been the catalyst for the “Eat Fresh” movement, but with more and more fast food chains offering healthier menu options, Subway has plenty of competition. 

Among consumer options are McDonalds fruit and yogurt parfait, fruit and maple oatmeal, multiple salad options and grilled chicken sandwiches.  In addition, Burger King offers apple “fries” as part of the children’s menu, having parents opt for a healthier substitute to traditional french fries.  And don’t forget Taco Bell.  Their “Drive Thru Diet” concept offers up 7 tasty items under 9 grams of fat, allowing their customers to really “think outside the bun”. 

It’s no wonder so many chains are providing healthier menu options to their patrons, with obesity concerns among children and adults coupled with the rising cost of healthcare due to obesity related illness, chains have figured out that consumers want healthier food choices in the same convenient drive-thru fashion.  The latest figures from Marketdata, Inc., which analyses ten major segments of the U.S. diet industry, projected an annual total at $68.7 billion spent on weight-loss products and services in 2010. 

I’m sure that American fast food pioneers, the McDonald brothers, had no idea their “Speedee Service System”, which was established in 1948 at the first McDonalds location in San Bernardino, would be used as a portal for 11 different salad option, grilled chicken sandwiches and fruit and maple oatmeal.  Gone are the days of cheeseburgers and nuggets alone, consumers can now choose something on the lighter side while tightening their budgets without loosening their belts.

Tags: healthy menu, Subway, weight loss