Despite the new food choices and attempt to offer healthier options at fast food restaurants, research shows that fast food is no healthier than it was 14 years ago.
Menus from 1997-1998 and 2009-2010 from McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, KFC, Arby’s Jack in the Box, and Dairy Queen were analyzed to evaluate the nutritional quality. Researchers used the US Dept of Agriculture’s Healthy Eating Index to determine the nutrient contents. The Healthy Eating Index has a maximum of 100 points. Based on the menu, the scores only modestly increased from 45-48 in that time period. Additionally, scores for milk and sodium decreased and were unchanged for fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. On a positive note, scores improved slightly for meat, saturated fat and calories from fat and sugar.
From the American Journal of Preventive Medicine