Health Care Law Includes Menu Reform

The health care reform legislation that President Obama signed into law today also includes a new requirement for the country's restaurant chains.

Restaurants chains with 20 or more locations will be required to post nutritional data for their menu items. The requirement is modeled on similar regulations already in place in New York City and California.

The NRA (National Restaurant Association) is praising the requirements:

“The passage of this provision is a win for consumers and restaurateurs,” said Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association President and CEO. “We know the importance of providing consumers with the information they want and need, no matter in which part of the country they are dining. This legislation will replace a growing patchwork of varying state and local regulations with one consistent national standard that helps consumers make choices that are best for themselves and their families.”

The regulation will also apply to posting nutritional information on the outside of vending machines. The American Beverage Association has announced that their members were going to start doing this anyway.

WSJ Health Blog

Wendy's Bacon & Blue Burger

Wendy's new Bacon & Blue Burger has blue cheese crumbles and smoked bacon, with sautéed onions and steakhouse sauce.

"We've heard loud and clear that our customers love the new Applewood smoked bacon," says Ken Calwell, chief marketing officer for Wendy's. "This great bacon and real blue cheese crumbles takes the Bacon and Blue hamburger to a whole new level and offers gourmet taste for a value price."

The Bacon & Blue is available for a limited time and priced at $4.29.

The burger has 680 calories and 40 grams of fat. It proudly serves up 75% of your daily Saturated Fat intake (15 grams). Here are the complete nutritional facts:

I don't normally do this, but while I was checking to see if I could add this burger to our HFCS-free Fast Food list, I couldn't help but notice the rather extensive list of ingredients, so I decided to include them ALL right here. Seems like a lot... even for a 'fancy' burger! By the way, 3 elements of the burger have High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), the bun, the Creamy Steakhouse Spread and the ketchup; the mayonnaise just has regular corn syrup. Okay, here's all the parts of the burger and their respective ingredients...

Premium Bun
Enriched Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, niacin, iron, folic acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Soy and/or Canola Oil, Wheat Gluten, Contains 2% or less of the following: Salt, Dough Conditioners (contains one or more of the following: sodium stearoyl lactylate, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, mono and diglycerides, DATEM, calcium peroxide, calcium sulfate, L-cysteine, enzymes), Yeast Nutrients (contains one or more of the following: ammonium sulfate, tricalcium phosphate, ammonium chloride), Modified Food Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Wheat Starch, Maltodextrin, Gum Arabic, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Propionate (preservative). Topped with Yellow Corn Meal. CONTAINS: WHEAT.

Hamburger Patty
Ground Beef. Seasoned with Salt.

Tomatoes, 1-2 slices
Tomatoes.

Lettuce
Lettuce.

Applewood Smoked Bacon, 4 Strips
Pork Cured With: Water, Salt, Sugar, Sodium Phosphates, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite.

Creamy Steakhouse Spread
Soybean Oil, Water, Blue Cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Egg Yolk, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Spices, Garlic (dehydrated), Onion (dehydrated), Shallots (dehydrated), Mustard Seed, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate (preservatives), Glucono Delta Lactone, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Calcium Disodium EDTA (to protect flavor). CONTAINS: EGG, MILK

Seasoned Sauteed Onions
Sauteed Yellow Onions (yellow onion, sea salt, maltodextrin, evaporated cane juice, potassium chloride, fractionated coconut oil, caramel color, spices, natural flavor, extra virgin olive oil, citric acid, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), Onion Seasoning (maltodextrin, salt, autolyzed yeast extract, natural flavors, spice, garlic powder, onion powder, artificial flavors, less than 2% of each of the following: silicon dioxide and sunflower oil [processing aids]).

Real Blue Cheese Crumbles
Blue Cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, mold, natamycin), Powdered Cellulose (to prevent caking). CONTAINS: MILK

Mayonnaise
Water, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup, Egg Yolk, Modified Corn Starch, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Spice, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (preservatives), Natural Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA (to protect taste), Yellow 5 and 6. CONTAINS: EGG.

Dill Pickles (4)
Cucumbers, Water, Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Alum, Natural Flavors, Polysorbate 80, Yellow 5, Blue 1.

Ketchup
Tomato Concentrate (made from red ripe tomatoes), Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Salt, Spice, Onion Powder, Natural Flavoring.

Mustard
Water, Distilled Vinegar, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric (color), Paprika, Spice.

Onion (4 rings)
Onions.

American Cheese Slice
Cultured Milk, Water, Cream, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid (preservative), Artificial Color, Enzymes, Soy Lecithin. CONTAINS: MILK, SOY.

Taco Bell Adds New Color... Black

Taking food coloring usage up a notch, Taco Bell has introduced their 89¢ Black Jack Taco.

Red was the color of choice with the Volcano line introduction... now it's all the colors, to create black.

A black taco shell and some pepper jack sauce and it is the classic crispy taco redux.

At 89¢, it is an addition to Taco Bell's 79¢-89¢-99¢ Why Pay More! Value Menu.

It has 210 calories and 17 grams of fat (.5 grams Trans Fat). Fast Food Facts complete nutritional info:

Jack's Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito

Jack in the Box has introduced a new breakfast menu item: the Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito.

It is scrambled eggs, crumbled Chorizo sausage, hash brown sticks and Cheddar cheese sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla and served with a side of salsa.

“Chorizo has been a popular breakfast choice for years, but it’s hard to find on the menus of our major competitors,” said Teka O’Rourke, director of menu marketing and promotions for Jack in the Box Inc. “With Latin flavors gaining in popularity and breakfast such an important daypart for our business, we thought this was the perfect time to add more south-of-the-border flavor to our menu. As with our full menu, our new Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito is available all day, every day.”

The Chorizo Sausage Burrito is priced at $2.99.

And it would be hard to imagine a healthier way to start your day! This baby weighs in with almost 700 calories, 35 grams of fat and 138% of your recommended daily value of Cholesterol! Not to mention 3 healthy grams of Trans Fat! </end sarcasm> Here's the complete nutritional info:

Domino's Chocolate Lava Cake, free offer

Domino's has introduced a new dessert item: Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake.

It is oven-baked chocolate cake, crunch on the outside, with warm chocolate fudge on the inside.

An order of 2 Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes is priced at $3.99.

But right now you can get a free Cake when you purchase an order of Domino's BreadBowl Pasta at regular price through September 13.

Also, if you birthday happens to be in August, you can get a free Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake. Just stop by a Domino's location with proof of your birthday.

Here's Domino's BreadBowl Pasta alongside the new dessert:

The Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake has 357 calories and 17 grams of fat. Here's the complete nutritional information:

Free Mocha Mondays at McDonald's McCafe

As McDonald's continues to try and take away customers from Starbucks with their McCafe concept, they've now introduced Free Mocha Mondays.

On Mondays from July 13 through August 3, 2009 (that's 7/13, 7/20, 7/27, and 8/3) between 7am and 7pm you can get a free sample (7 oz. cold or 8 oz hot) Mocha.

The McCafe Mocha is "the sweetheart of the coffe drinks:  freshly ground espresso beans coupled with steamed milk (whole or nonfat), indulgent chocolate syrup, and capped with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle."

Since we're on the topic and haven't done so yet, here's a look at the complete nutritional data for a few McCafe drinks:

As you can see the Medium Caramel Latte packs 280 calories and 8 grams of fat:

The Medium Iced Mocha has 310 calories and 13 grams of fat:

And the McCafe calorie champ (and granted, it is a large) is the large Mocha, coming in at 400 calories, 14 grams of fat (and even a half gram of Trans Fat) and 49 grams of sugar:

By way of comparison, here are some of Starbuck's highest calorie drinks.

Free Fish Taco at Long John Silver's 7/14

On Tuesday, July 14, every Long John Silver’s location will be promoting their new Baja Fish Tacos by giving away free Baja Fish Tacos from restaurant open until 2:30 PM. Limit one per customer; available to dine-in, carry out and drive-thru customers.

Long John Silver's new Baja Fish Taco is LJS's core batter-dipped Alaskan Whitefish with crumblies, lettuce and Baja sauce. (Love the crumblies! Excellent idea to include those!)

I love the tag line their using on the Long John Silver's web site for their new fish taco: "Sounds weird, tastes delicious!"

If you can't wait to try the fish taco for free on July 14, Long John Silver's new Baja Fish Tacos are available now for 99¢.

The Baja Fish Taco has 350 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 5 grams saturated fat. Here's the complete nutritional information:

"Fish tacos, a long-time favorite recipe in coastal areas, are rapidly becoming a passion for the rest of the country," said Ben Butler, president of Long John Silver's. "We're proud to be the first quick service restaurant to spread this latest food craze across the nation and meet the needs of contemporary taste buds. We've seen some of the most skeptical customers turn into fanatics after taking just one bite of our Baja Fish Tacos."

Carl's Jr.'s Bourbon and Coke

Hopefully and fooled you with the title and made you think Carl's is the first fast food joint to start serving liquor... that's probably what they're going for, too!

But there's no alcohol here, it's just their Kentucky Bourbon Burger (and a Coke).

The Kentucky Bourbon Burger is a Charbroiled Black Angus Beef Patty, 2 strips of bacon, Pepperjack cheese, garlic-pepper onion straws, lettuce, tomato slices and Kentucky Bourbon Glaze (zero proof).

You can even get a dollar off with this coupon.

So you might not get a buzz, but as a bonus you'll get 100% of your daily value of Saturated Fat and Sodium, and 970 calories!  Come to think of it, you might get a buzz after all!

UPDATE: Here's an advance look at the TV spot that will start airing next week for the Kentucky Bourbon Burger (a surgeon talks about his need for a bourbon before surgery, of course it is revealed that he's talking about this new burger):

0 Proof (0.0% Alc./Vol.)... I love it!

Carl's Jr.'s Steak Sandwich ($1 off)

Carl's has a coupon for $1 off their Charbroiled Steak Sandwich.

This long sandwich is "100% sirloin steak" (aka, 'oblong hamburger patty'), onion rings, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on a toasted steak roll.

It also generously includes 700 calories, 330 of them from fat, and 38 grams of fat. Here's the rest of the nutritional information from Fast Food Facts:

Carl's Jr.'s marketing slogan for this sandwich is: "It's how guys do fancy."

“In this economy, it’s understandable that guys would want to watch what they spend,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl’s Jr. “So, we’re giving them the opportunity to do just that with the new Charbroiled Steak Sandwich. It isn’t cheap, low-quality, value-menu fare like most of our competitors are pimping right now, but it does represent a great value for a big piece of steak compared to what guys would pay almost anywhere else. Even in these tough times, people still want quality food and great taste, but they also want to feel like they are getting a good value for their money. And, for a little over four-and-a-half bucks, the new Charbroiled Steak Sandwich from Carl’s Jr. delivers value in a big way.”

The TV ad for the Charbroiled Steak Sandwich are supposed to be funny... how about ridiculous and disturbing...

Here's the short version.

Wendy's Gourmet Mushroom Swissburger

Wendy's has introduced their new Gourmet Mushroom Swissburger for a limited time.

It is 1/4 lb. of beef topped with Swiss cheese, sauteed Portabella mushroom blend, hickory smoked bacon, pepercorn sauce, lettuce, and tomato.

And if you're signed up for WendyMail you've received a $1 off coupon for one.

But hey, don't let the mushrooms fool you!! This baby isn't about being a healthy burger.

166% of your daily value of fat, 136% of your daily value of sodium, 205% of your daily value of saturated fat, AND a whopping 4 grams of Trans Fat! It has 1810 calories, 970 from fat and 108 fat grams.

Boy, did we get that wrong! As you can see in the comments below, I was quickly called out for ersatz nutritional data on this burger. I did get my data directly from Wendy's, but am still uncertain about what happened. Some of the figures are 3 times what is now on Wendy's site. One, the Cholesterol, is actually more than what I listed before. I'm inclined to believe that Wendy's corrected their site shortly after I posted the data, but I can't be sure. Mistakes do happen. Thanks to you alert readers for catching the error.

Here's all the corrected nutritional data (as reported by Wendy's):

By the way, the 1.5 grams of Trans Fat is still rather disappointing when everyone else seems to be eliminating Trans Fat altogether.

Carl's Jr.'s Big Country Breakfast Burrito

Carl's Jr. has introduced their Big Country Breakfast Burrito.

Appropriate for their "Breakfast As Big As Our Burrgers" campaign, this new breakfast item offers a complete country breakfast wrapped in a burrito.

The Big Country Breakfast Burrito has eggs, crumbled bacon and sausage, diced ham, shredded cheddar cheese, has rounds and "a generous ladle of sausage gravy," in a flour tortilla.

Wow. That's a big breakfast burrito alright. She weighs in at 2/3 of a pound, has 770 calories (420 from fat), 47 grams of fat and 165% of the daily value of Cholesterol (495 mg)!  Here's the rest of the nutritional info:

The Big Country Breakfast Burrito costs $2.69, or $4.49 for a combo which includes has rounds and coffee.

This the TV ad supporting the Big Country Breakfast Burrito, it's called "Not Much"

Homestyle Chicken and Churro's From Jack, too

Okay, this is the third Jack in the Box post for today (and they would have been another if I didn't cover two topics in this one!), but that's just the way news happens... and, frankly, we haven't gotten any fast food news from Jack in the Box for quite awhile.

First, Jack in the Box is integrating their Homestyle Chicken Fillet into two new menu items, the Homestyle Ranch Chicken Club and the Breakfast Homestyle Chicken Biscuit.

The Homestyle Ranch Chicken Club puts the homestyle chicken fillet on a bun with bacon, 'swiss-style' cheese, lettuce and tomato, with ranch sauce. It has 760 calories and 38 grams of fat (complete nutritional information is below). It is priced at $4.29.

The Breakfast Homestyle Chicken Biscuit, is the chicken fillet on a warm buttermilk biscuit. No nutritional data yet. It costs $2.99. Both are served all day.

"Crispy chicken items are very appealing to consumers," said Teka O'Rourke, director of menu marketing and promotions for Jack in the Box Inc. "We've had great success with our Jack's Spicy Chicken sandwich and think the home-made flavor of our new Homestyle Chicken will also be a hit with guests."

Secondly, Jack is introducing a new dessert to "reflect a growing trend...toward smaller desserts."

The Mini Churros are bite-sized pastries with a cinnamon sugar filling.

The come in a 5-count and 10-count size. 5 Mini Churros are $1.00, ten cost $1.89.

"Bite-sized treats, like our new Mini Churros, have been increasing in
popularity," said Teka O'Rourke, director of menu marketing and
promotions for Jack in the Box Inc. "They're ideal for guests who want
just a little something sweet after a meal or as a snack."

Jack Brings Back Teriyaki Bowls

Jack has brought back their Teriyaki Bowl. It was first introduced in 1993, but was taken off the menu in 2003. Now it's back.

"We've had plenty of products come and go over the years, but few made an impression like the Teriyaki Bowl," said Teka O'Rourke, director of menu marketing and promotions. "We've had lots of requests to bring it back, so we did, and it tastes just as great as the original."

The Teriyaki Bowls at Jack in the Box have steamed white rice, broccoli florets and carrots with a choice of either chicken or steak topped with teriyaki sauce. It is served in a sealed bowl and is priced at $4.29 for chicken and $4.79 for steak.

Both these Bowls are relatively low in fat, if that's what you're trying to avoid. And no Trans Fat! They do have quite a bit of sodium and sugars, but that is the nature of a Teriyaki dish. The Chicken version has 580 calories and 5 grams of fat, the Steak version has 650 calories and 10 grams of fat. Complete nutritional information is below.

Taco Bell: Triple Steak Burrito & Frutista

While Taco Bell is experiencing increased business during the current economic downturn due to their "Why Pay More" value menu, they've also introduced the most expensive menu item they've ever had, the Triple Steak Burrito priced at $3.99.

The Triple Steak Burrito is big.  It weighs in at 339 grams.  By comparison, the 7-layer Burrito weighs 283 grams.  The Triple Steak is also loaded with protein:  37 grams.  Of course, you get 25 grams of fat (230 calories from fat) with the Triple Steak Burrito, and 660 total calories.  (complete nutritional information below)

They've also introduced a fruit-flavored frozen beverage called the "Frutista Freeze."  The Frutista, priced under $2, is a high profit margin product for Taco Bell (as are most beverages).  It is basically a flavored-water slush.  It contains no fruit juice (only fruit flavors).Taco Bell/YUM! Brands Chief Marketing Officer, David Ovens, has called the Frutista Freeze "the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Long John Silver's Intros Freshside Grille

Long John Silver's, the fast food seafood chain, introduced a new menu concept today that they are calling "Freshside Grille." The new menu options are being promoted as healthy, premium seafood entrees.

The 3 new Freshside Grille entrees are (as pictured, top to bottom) Grilled Tilapia in garlic herb sauce, Shrimp Scampi in garlic butter sauce, and Grilled Pacific Salmon in a sauce of red bell peppers, black pepper, garlic and olive oil. Each entree is served on seasoned rice with a breadstick.

Long John Silver's and their nutritionist-for-hire are quick to point out that each of the Freshside Grille entrees have 10 or less grams of fat and no trans fats. But this is only true for the entrees, not the sides shown with them (rice, corn, veggies and breadstick)... the sides add more fat and do have some trans fat.

A statement from Long John Silver's "noted nutrition scientist, author and expert on seafood nutrition," Dr. Joyce Nettleton says, "Fish and shellfish are an important source of protein and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to have health benefits for the heart, eyes, brain, immune system, and for pregnant and nursing women and their babies. Long John Silver's has taken an important step in offering low-fat, non-fried seafood choices with the new Freshside Grille menu."

Fast Food News has the complete nutrition information for Long John Silver's Freshside Grille entrees and sides below, but be certain to take note that the nutrition information for the entrees is not the nutrition information for the meals you see photographed above. It is only for the entrees, not the additional side items.

Long John Silver's is proud to point out that the Gilled Tilapia entree has only 110 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, but if you dine on the Grilled Tilapia as it is shown in the photo, with the rice it is served on, the Vegetable Medley, Corn, and Breadstick you will be consuming 760 calories, 22.5 grams of fat and 2.5 grams of Trans Fat. That's a big difference.

The bed of rice under the entrees come with the entree, but is not included in the nutrition data for the entree. The Vegetable Medley, Corn and Breadstick, along with the Rice add 650 calories, 180 calories from fat, 20 grams of fat, 2.5 grams Trans Fat and 1495 mg of Sodium.

Long John Silver's hasn't updated their main website (www.ljsilvers.com) for a long, long time, but now, to introduce their Freshside Grille concept, they've launched a new web presence at www.freshsidegrille.com.

New Freshside Grille Commercial:

There's also a behind-the-scenes, making-of, video showing the people in the commercial getting hit by the big splash.

---

Freshside Grille, complete nurtional information:

With rice and sides (as shown): 760 calories, 200 calories from fat, 22.5 grams fat, 2.5 grams Trans Fat, 1735 mg Sodium.


With rice and sides (as shown): 760 calories, 220 calories from fat, 24.5 grams fat, 2.5 grams Trans Fat, 2055 mg Sodium.


With rice and sides (as shown): 800 calories, 225 calories from fat, 25 grams fat, 2.5 grams Trans Fat, 1935 mg Sodium.

Wendy's Flavor Dipped Chicken Sandwiches

Wendy's is currently promoting their limited-time-only Flavor Dipped Chicken Sandwiches.

There are two versions, BBQ and Buffalo.

The chicken breasts at the center of these sandwiches are fully dipped in one of the two flavors.

The Spicy Buffalo Sauce dipped chicken filet comes with lettuce, tomato and blue cheese sauce (on a bun, of course, as shown in the photo).

The BBQ sauce dipped version comes with onions and pickles.

The BBQ version has 450 calories and 12 grams of fat. The Buffalo version has 530 calories and twice the fat (24 grams).

Here's the complete nutritional information for both sandwiches:

Jimmy John's New Ultimate Porker

Jimmy John's has unveiled their first new sandwich in 4 years.

Jimmy John's #17 is The Ultimate Porker.

The Ultimate Porker has applewood smoked ham and bacon with lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

"We don't rely on gimmicks, promotions and new menu additions to fool people into coming in and buying our sandwiches," says Jimmy John Liautaud, founder of Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches. "We rely on the simplicity and quality of our food and the speed of delivery to keep our customers coming back for more--and they do. The Ultimate Porker is simply another option for people like me who like the taste of ham and bacon together and want it served freaky fresh and freaky fast."

The Ultimate Porker has 843 calories and 41 grams of fat. Complete nutritional information:

UPDATE: You can submit your brilliant slogan for the new Ultimate Porker at Jimmy John's SoFastYoullFreak.com site for a chance to win an election day catered party from Jimmy John's. "The top ten Ulitmate Porker campaign slogans submitted between now and Friday October 24th will be posted for a vote-off during the week of October 27th. The slogan that gets the most votes wins a fully-catered Jimmy John's election day party."

Fast Food Facts: 'Nutrition Facts' Search Upgrade

Just a little FYI: I've upgraded the appearance of nutrition search results on Fast Food Facts (Fast Food News' parent site).

The fast food nutrition data search results now appear as the 'Nutrition Facts' panels you're accustomed to seeing on the food you buy in the grocery store. Hopefully this will make it easier to go right to the nutrition data you need. Like this one for Burger King's Whopper with Cheese, without Mayonnaise:

The '%DV,' or % Daily Value figures are based on a 2,000 calorie diet (just like the ones on food you buy in the store).

Many teachers use Fast Food Facts in homework/webwork assignments for their students (mainly in Health and Math classes) and I hope they'll find it useful to have their students looking at the same Nutrition Facts panel they're used to seeing everywhere else when they do a class project.

And hopefully everyone else will find it easier to read, too. This should make it even more fun to do some of the favorite searches on Fast Food Facts, like:

• Burgers with the most Calories,
• Burgers with the most Fat grams,
• Sandwiches (excluding Burgers) with the most Calories,
• Chicken items with the most Calories,
• Salads with the most Calories,
• French Fries with the most Calories (or least Calories),
• Chicken with the most Cholesterol,
• Beverages with the most Sodium,
• Tacos and Wraps with the most Calories or,
• how about Fish Sandwiches with the most Protein, or maybe
• All Sandwiches (including Burgers) with the most Calories, and individually from, Arby's, Boston Market, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Chick-fil-a, Dairy Queen, Hardee's, Jack in the Box, KFC, Long John Silver's, McDonald's, Panera Bread Co., Sonic Drive-In, Steak 'N Shake, Subway, Wendy's, or Whataburger.

It's a lot of nutrition information that can be viewed in many different ways...and now it looks better and is easier to read!

Popeye's New 'Travelers' Snack Items

Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen is introducing an on-the-go snack menu called "Louisiana Travelers."

The menu currently features 2 permanent menu items:  Louisiana Nuggets and Louisiana Tenders.

"We know many of our guests lead busy, time-crunched lives, so it's important to offer them quality, delicious food that can be enjoyed in the car or on the road," says Dick Lynch, CMO, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. "Our Louisiana Travelers Nuggets and Tenders are perfect for anyone that needs a quick, easy snack or meal as a part of their busy day."

The nuggets are available in 6 or 9 piece sizes and as 'mild' or 'spicy.'

The Tenders come in 3 or 5 piece sizes in 'mild' only.

To go along with these 'to-go' items, Popeye's is now making their signature "Delta Sauce" available in a portable dipping package for the first time.

The introductory price of both these menu items is $1.99.

The 6 piece Louisana Nuggets have 220 calories and 12 grams of fat.  Complete nutritional information:

Little Thickburger Ads From Hardee's

Hardee's has an answer for that eternal question: "What would happen to a Thickburger if you threw it in a cold swimming pool?" (see the first video below)

Hardee's is promoting their Little Thickburgers. So five years after Hardee's introduced their 1/3 and 2/3 pound Thickburgers, they're introducing a 1/4 pound size for smaller appetites: the "Little Thickburger."

“Ever since we first introduced our signature line of Thickburgers in 2003, our research has consistently shown that people recognize and appreciate their superior taste and quality,” said Brad Haley, Hardee’s EVP of Marketing for Hardee’s restaurants. “The only complaint some people have ever had about our Thickburgers is that they were either too big or too expensive to order as much as they would like, particularly in this challenging economic environment. So, we created Little Thickburgers specifically for those people. Starting at just $1.99 and made with quarter pound, charbroiled, 100% Black Angus beef patties, Little Thickburgers may be smaller than the original Thickburgers, but they are definitely not small on taste.”

The Little Thickburgers start at $1.99.

The Little Thick Cheeseburger is 1/4 pound charbroiled Angus beef, American Cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and dill pickles on a sesame seed bun. It has 470 calories and 24 grams of fat, compared to the Original 1/3 pound Thickburger with cheese with 680 calories and 39 grams of fat, or the 2/3 pound Monster Thickburger with 1420 calories and 108 grams of fat. Complete nurtritional information for the new Little Thickburger with cheese:

Two of the ads for the new Little Thickburger campaign are below. They were created by Mendelsohn|Zien. They also brought you the (in)famous Paris Hilton Hardee's ad and the Fake Restaurant ads from earlier this year.

The 'Shrinkage' ad for the Little Thickburger:

The Badonkadonk / Badinkadink Little Thickburger version:

Sonic's Angus Bacon Cheeseburgers

Sonic Drive-In is offering 3 hamburgers made with 100% Angus beef.

The new Sonic Angus Bacon Cheeseburgers are available in Hickory, Jalapeño and Classic.

They're served on a ciabatta bun.

The Angus burgers are presently a 'limited time only' menu item.

The Classic Angus Bacon Cheeseburger has 760 calories and 52 grams of fat. Complete nutritional information:

I've already mentioned the Sonic Angus burger, regarding an unfortunate photo of a banner for it, but I didn't have the nutritional details until now.