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Read the rest of this articleKFC doesn’t get the Food Revolution, debuts revolting Double Down
From Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution to First Lady Michelle Obama’s plan to fight childhood obesity, Americans are getting serious about food. School lunches, family meals, and the mantra of “Let’s Move” are talked about at PTA meetings and water coolers everywhere. That’s why KFC’s new bun-less fried chicken sandwich called the Double Down is more than puzzling.
KFC’s creation starts with a piece of boneless fried chicken and adds two kinds of cheese, bacon, a slather of something called “Colonel’s Sauce,” and is topped by another piece of fried chicken.
The regular version of the Double Down has 540 calories, 32g of fat, and 1380mg of sodium. Director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Kelly Brownell, called the item a “salt bomb” and “a better part of a day's sodium in one meal.”
But, wait! KFC also has a grilled version of the Double Down. It has 80 less calories, 50mg more of sodium, and 23g of fat. With stats like that, you might as well indulge and order the regular version of the sandwich.
However, it gets even worse if you order the regular Double Down combo meal. It includes a medium drink and potato wedges which push the total calories for the meal to 1,000, fat hits 45g, and has an astounding 2120mg of sodium.
According to the USDA, an average sedentary guy between the ages of 26 to 30 should eat 2,400 calories in a single day. In addition, the American Heart Association recommends that adults consume less than 1,500mg of sodium daily. Considering the new restrictions put in place on fast food restaurants via health care reform, it looks like KFC doesn’t really care about the nutritional content of their items.
The Double Down isn’t the worst offender when it comes to fast food but KFC could have done things differently. Adding a new healthy item alongside the sodium laden sandwich would have been a good start.
Instead, KFC argues that the Double Down sandwich is meant to diversify their menu as a whole. KFC spokesman Rick Maynard said that the addition is "one of the things that make our restaurants popular. We have something for everyone." Does that include new patients for cardiologists or fresh material for comedian Patton Oswalt?
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Food revolution? McDonalds stock is up 300% over the past 10 years and Americans are fatter than ever. There are vast distinctions to be made between what we know we should do and what Americans are actually doing. After Burger King introduced it's Enormous Omelet Sandwich in 2005, their breakfast sales increased by 20%. I believe this sandwich too will prove a boon to KFC's bottom line.
I'd like to know the rest of the nutritional information. How about grams of carbohydrate and protein? It looks like a mighty high protein,very low carb food item... perfect for my Atkins diet. I am eating 1800 calories a day so this could be a perfect meal for me.
now i don't have to order 2 sandwiches like i do at wendy's or burger king
"We have something for everyone"... Rick Maynard may not realize it, but this sandwich is perfect for athletes, particularly strength athletes. Average Joes, steer clear of this sandwich.
"According to the USDA, an average sedentary guy between the ages of 26 to 30 should eat 2,400 calories in a single day."
Thank you for writing that line specifically, because it plainly illustrates why every single person who whines about this sandwich is wrong.
This sandwich--though by no means "healthy" as such--is a perfectly acceptable choice for someone who isn't "sedentary". Should they eat it every day? No, of course not. But as the occasional alternative for someone who is active, it's absolutely a legit option. So, is the problem the sandwich? Or is the problem that Americans are a bunch of lazy shmoes that can't get off their rears?
In regards to that dietary recommendation specifically, no 26-30 year old males should be sedentary unless they're quadrapelgic. That demographic is in the prime of their lives and as such should be active and exercising. Therefore, using those specific dietary guidelines seems only to be a ploy to raise further alarm about something that, in truth, is completely viable for anyone who knows well enough to actually exercise.
Maybe the amount of calorie mentioned here is the minimum because calorific intake depends from person to person and some need more than 2400 calories per day. Printing the calorific values on the menu is a good idea but the fast food industry have to introduce more healthier items other than salads and some light sandwiches. And also whether the farmers or fast food industry wants to hear it or not the animals are doused with antibiotics. The farmers have to use it in order to prevent diseases and to boost weight as well. So the sizzling bacon on our plates is nothing but antibiotics and it's better to derive the nutritional values from home-made sandwiches and other recipes. Fast food industry talking about health is something unbelievable.