Is McDonald's a Healthy Place to Eat?

If you grew up saying "two-all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-seed-bun," (thank you, DDB Needham) you may still think of McDonald's as the primal source for hot junk food. But the ubiquitous Golden Arches have gotten considerably slimmer over the years. No longer are the fries cooked in beef tallow (purists say they don't taste as good either), apple pies are baked, salads are on the menu everywhere, and at certain McDonald's we've even seen carrot sticks and celery. In fact, some new menu items are almost, well...nutritious.

If taste is no object

McDonald's "breakthrough" product from 1991, the McLean Deluxe, was a marketing disaster. McDonald's apparently learned its lesson and is restricting vegetables to salads. The calorie- and fat-conscious consumer could do worse than Micky D's salads. They are all benign, low in fat and calories, if a bit on the bland side. Steer clear of honey mustard, ranch, and Caesar dressings, which each contain more fat than a small order of french fries. Fat-free vinaigrette is the waist-watcher's best call

Better than you thought

The plain old McDonald's hamburger is relatively low in fat (nine grams) and only has 255 calories. A little small for a big appetite? Have

two-you get the same amount of calories as a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and about one-third less fat.

You knew it was bad for you

Okay, the Big Mac does have a certain consumer appeal, especially with 300-pound offensive linemen. But why stop there? McDonald's is

starting an aggressive national marketing campaign for the Big Mac's chubby brother, the Big N' Tasty. One Big N' Tasty with Cheese sports an eye-popping 590 calories (over half from fat), a big dose of salt, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol (equal to half an egg).

But not this bad

The Spanish Omelet Bagel is a whale of a way to start your day. It packs 690 calories, 38 grams of fat (14 of which are saturated), 1,570 milligrams

of sodium (equivalent to four Super Size orders of french fries) and 275 milligrams of cholesterol (a whole day's supply). Though it's called a breakfast item, this stomach brick should get you through lunch, too.

Better than you thought

The plain old McDonald's hamburger is relatively low in fat (nine grams) and only has 255 calories. A little small for a big appetite? Have

two-you get the same amount of calories as a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and about one-third less fat.

You knew it was bad for you

Okay, the Big Mac does have a certain consumer appeal, especially with 300-pound offensive linemen. But why stop there? McDonald's is starting an aggressive national marketing campaign for the Big Mac's chubby brother, the Big N' Tasty. One Big N' Tasty with Cheese sports an eye-popping 590 calories (over half from fat), a big dose of salt, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol (equal to half an egg).

But not this bad

The Spanish Omelet Bagel is a whale of a way to start your day. It packs 690 calories, 38 grams of fat (14 of which are saturated), 1,570 milligrams of sodium (equivalent to four Super Size orders of french fries) and 275 milligrams of cholesterol (a whole day's supply). Though it's called a breakfast item, this stomach brick should get you through lunch, too.