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August 9, 2004 CONTACTS: Joan Eve Quinn (914) 378-2436 or Alberto Rojas (914) 378-2434

CONSUMER REPORTS TELLS WHICH FAST FOODS ARE MOST NUTRITIOUS AND TASTIEST

—A Salad Can Have More Calories and Fat than a Whopper—

YONKERS, NY—To help diners-on-the-go choose the most nutritious and tastiest fast foods, the Consumer Reports (CR) September issue presents “Fast Food: Adding Health to the Menu.”

Here are some surprising findings:

• Wendy’s Mandarin Chicken Salad, with 630 calories and 35 grams of fat, has more fat than a Burger King Chicken Whopper, which has 570 calories and 25 grams of fat.

• Au Bon Pain Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad has more calories (790) and more fat (56 grams) than two Taco Bell Ranchero Chicken Soft Tacos, with 540 calories and 30 grams of fat.

• Choices from the old-line fast-food restaurants tend to have fewer calories and less fat than the newer, slightly upscale fast-food chains such as Baja Fresh, Cosi, and Panera Bread.

To provide these independent, unbiased findings, CR experts compared the nutritional profiles of 36 chicken sandwiches and salads from 16 chains, and sent two sensory experts to the restaurants to taste the same items at different locations. For the best mix of nutrition and taste in a fast-food chicken sandwich, CR recommends Baja Fresh, Quiznos Sub, and McDonalds. Best overall in the salads category: Subway and Baja Fresh.

CR found big differences in nutrition in both categories: From 360 to 950 calories for a chicken sandwich, and 310 to 800 calories for an entrée salad with chicken. CR also found big differences in taste, from fair to excellent: The two Chipotle choices were especially tasty, while two of the three items from

Blimpie are only fair. Consumers are more likely to get high-quality, good tasting food at one of the newer, fancier fast-food restaurants, but the tradeoff is that the fancier dishes tend to be bigger and have more calories and fat. Many fast-food restaurants are offering or testing low-carb foods, but these may not be low-cal. Carl’s Jr. Low-Carb Breakfast Bowl, with eggs, sausage, bacon, ham and cheese—containing 900 calories and 73 grams of fat—is the highest-calorie carb-counter’s choice we’ve seen.

In the Ratings, CR lists the taste-tested foods in order of increasing calories, along with portion size, price, fat, carbs, sodium and fiber content, and a ranking for taste. CR recommends how to choose: • Count calories • Order grilled food rather than breaded or fried • Avoid or limit toppings • Avoid mayo and high-calorie dressings • Control portions