VICE SQUAD
Don't be fooled by Fresco Burrito Supreme
August 5, 2008
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Suzanne Carere
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
PRODUCT: Taco Bell Fresco Burrito Supreme – Chicken
PRICE: $3.99
MANUFACTURER: Yum Restaurants International, tacobell.ca
TOTAL CALORIES: 350 calories each
THE POSITION: The new Fresco Menu offers eight tasty and filling items, each with less than nine grams of fat.
Nutritional breakdown: 9 g of fat (2 saturated, 0 g trans), 52 g carbohydrate (3 g sugar, 4 g fibre), 15 g protein, 1,390 mg sodium
Analysis: Two things you must know: Low fat does not mean low in calories and this symbol "*" is always worth looking into.
In this case, the fact that it only contains nine grams of fat is overpowered by the fact that it's still 350 calories. It's also very high in sodium. If you look at their nutrition guide, you'll discover that the Fresco Menu doesn't offer that much of a savings. The range of calories in the Fresco menu is 140 to 350 vs. the comparable regular items at 160 to 420 calories.
The reason for this minimal reduction can be found in the "*". According to the fine print on their nutrition guide, "Fresco Style" means to substitute Fiesta Salsa for cheese and sauce in any Taco Bell item. In my opinion, these are not new items created for optimal health. They're old items with a different sauce.
That said, cutting smaller amounts of calories in items you eat often can lead to big savings over the course of a year. Switching out a creamy dressing for vinaigrette or spreading mustard on your sandwich instead of butter can save you thousands of calories. If you're eating often at Taco Bell, however, it would be a much better calorie savings to reduce your frequency than to switch to Fresco.
Take it or leave it: Do not choose items based solely on how they're marketed. Choose them based on total nutrient and caloric value.
Suzanne Carere is associate professor at George Brown College, and nutrition and wellness manager at HealthWithCare. healthwithcare.ca.
Toronto Star