Dunkin’ Donuts
Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t want you to know that each of its medium-size fruit-and-yogurt smoothies packs at least 60 grams of sugar–more than four times the sugar in a chocolate-frosted cake doughnut. The fruit purees used in the smoothies are mixed with liberal doses of sugar and/or high-fructose corn syrup…
Applebee’s
Applebee’s doesn’t want you to know that many of its “low-fat” items have more than 500 calories. (In fact, its low-fat chicken quesadillas have 742 calories and 90 grams of carbohydrates per order.)
IHOP
IHOP doesn’t want you to know that its Omelette Feast has 1,335 calories and 35 grams of saturated fat. (By the time you finish eating this behemoth breakfast, you’ll have consumed 150 percent of your daily fat requirement and 300 percent of your suggested cholesterol intake.) Said IHOP’s director of communications, “We do not maintain nutritional data on our menu items, so I am unable to assist you.”
Papa John’s
Papa John’s doesn’t want you to know that unlike rival chains such as Domino’s, it has made little effort to introduce healthier options. A Papa John’s representative admitted, “At this time, we have no additional regular menu items that are targeted toward eating lighter.”
Burger King
Burger King doesn’t want you to know that its French toast sticks (which deliver more than 4 grams of fat per stick) share a deep fryer with the pork sausage, pork fritters, Chicken Tenders, chicken fries, Big Fish patties, hash browns, onion rings, and Cheesy Tots–and that all of those items contain harmful trans fats. But there is hope: After the company was sued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest for moving too slowly to remove trans fats from its menu, Burger King promised to phase them out by the end of 2008.
Panera Bread
Panera Bread doesn’t want you to know that the synthetic food colorings in its pastries have been linked to irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbance in children. And British researchers found that artificial food colorings and preservatives in the diets of 3-year-olds caused an increase in hyperactive behavior. (The same ingredients appear in fast-food items such as mayonnaise, M&M Blizzards, and McDonald’s shakes.) To its credit, Chipotle uses no artificial colorings or flavorings.T.G.I. Friday’s
T.G.I. Friday’s doesn’t want you to know how little nutritional info it provides. A Friday’s PR rep told us that the chain makes the data available for only its “low-fat” dishes–those coming in under 500 calories and 10 grams of fat. There are just three such dishes on the entire Friday’s menu.
Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins doesn’t want you to know that, unlike Jamba Juice’s all-fruit smoothies, the top four ingredients in its Blue Raspberry Fruit Blast are Sierra Mist soda, water, sugar, and corn syrup.
Sit-down chain restaurants
Sit-down chain restaurants don’t want you to know that their food is actually considerably worse for you than the often-maligned fast-food fare. In fact, our menu analysis of 24 national chains revealed that the average entree at a sit-down restaurant contains 867 calories, compared with 522 calories in the average fast-food entree. And that’s before appetizers, sides, or desserts–selections that can easily double your total calorie intake.
thanks to msn