Call it the McDonald’s Diet.
No longer will health-conscious fast-food lovers have to order two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun, scrape off all the supposedly fattening junk, and toss the bun. McDonald’s will now do the scraping for you.
Sounds delicious.
Yes, you can walk up to the counter now and say, “I’d like just two all-beef patties – with a knife and fork.”
It’s part of the lean mean mission of the fast-food chain, and it’s called Real Life Choices, a selection of new diet menu options that focus on the three biggest obstacles to a killer bod: carbs, calories and fat.
Although the new McGimmick features no new items – diet or otherwise – the menu shows customers how to “incorporate McDonald’s food” in to their weight-loss regimens “without feeling guilty.”
Breakfast selections for calorie counters include an Egg McMuffin without butter or margarine, or a snack-size Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait.
For lunch, fat-watchers have such choices as the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing, washed down with a 12-ounce orange juice.
And for dinner, Atkins fans can scarf low-carb dishes like a Big and Tasty Sandwich with cheese – but no ketchup, tomato, onions or bun.
“People don’t go to McDonald’s looking for diet foods. They want flavor and a satisfying meal,” said nutritionist Pam Smith, who developed the program in partnership with McDonald’s. “This allows them to order from our existing menu while staying within the parameters of their diets.”
And, while few have yet sampled the new health-conscious menu, many wasted no time weighing in on the move.
“I’ve already lost weight eating McDonald’s salads and chicken sandwiches,” Charles Rodriguez, a dieter from the Bronx. “This new stuff they have can only help more.”
But not everybody is on board with the bunless burgers.
“This program will probably help people lose weight,” said John Banzhaf, a public-interest advocate and professor at George Washington University Law School. “But McDonald’s is also being very clever here. They’re saving money by selling less food. They should be discounting these items.”
NO BUNS ABOUT IT
Results from a taste test of Mickey D’s new diet-friendly selections:
BREAKFAST:
-Double order of Scrambled Eggs (less than 5 grams of carbs): Yumm-y. Two Mickey D’s thumbs up!
-Egg McMuffin with no cheese or butter (less than 8 grams of fat): With Canadian bacon in tact, still a terrific wake-up treat.
-Steak Sandwich with double meat and onions, no bagel or hash browns (less than 5 grams of carbs): Tastes like a salty and dry – yet grease-laden – sponge. Our new Golden Arches enemy!
LUNCH & DINNER:
-Big Mac without special sauce, lettuce, onions or sesame-seed bun (less than 7 grams of carbs): Dry and bland as its recycled-paper container. Away with it, Hamburglar!
-Cheeseburger without the bun, on a bed of lettuce (less than 7 grams of carbs): Far superior beef here. Our complements to Mayor McCheese.
-Chicken McGrille Sandwich with BBQ sauce subbing for mayo (fewer than 400 calories): Alternate condiment enhances cajun flavor.