When choosing a healthier fast food option, a lot of people might go to Subway. Even their slogan, "Eat Fresh," claims fresh ingredients and bread. One of the healthier options includes lean meats, such as chicken. However, healthier might not be the case at Subway.
According to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report, a a DNA study conducted by Ontario's Trent University
tested six grilled chicken sandwiches from restaurants including McDonalds, A&W, Wendy's, and Subway. All of the sandwiches from each restaurant proved to be about 100 percent chicken, except for Subway, which tested to be around only 50 percent. This is pretty shocking, since that is very little chicken in a chicken sandwich. Adding seasoning or other products would lessen the number, but this still raised questions. What exactly is in the rest of the sandwich?
Most of the non-meat DNA in Subway's chicken was proved to be soy by the researcher. But Subway fired back saying the report was "false and misleading." They also presented their own research, claiming that soy was present in 1 percent or less and the rest of their chicken was in fact, chicken. Still, their response could be a bit biased.
This all seems a little sketchy. What else could restaurants be hiding? This is not the first restaurant to have issues with "mystery meat."
Taco Bell Faced Similar Issues
A case resulted in Taco Bell being sued for their meat containing an astonishing 35 percent ground beef, the other ingredients consisting of preservatives, additives, and more unidentified items. Although Taco Bell claimed to have about 88 percent ground beef in the taco fillings, a restaurant could claim to have all beef, yet have only 70 percent meat. (In the DNA testing, a small percentage of seasonings and/or marinades is expected to be found).
Luckily, Subway claimed to add an all-natural menu with no artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives within the next year. This will definitely make Subway a more nutritious fast food choice. In fact, other major chains such as Taco Bell and Pizza Hut have been slowly getting rid of artificial colors and preservatives from their menus over the past couple of years. This is definitely good news. It seems as though fast food restaurants are finally taking a step in the right direction.
Moderation Not Deprivation
Although the menus may improve over time and make fast food a healthier choice, it really is all about moderation and eating a balanced diet. Avoiding fast food may be really difficult, but there are healthier choices you can pick at every fast food restaurant. For example, choosing grilled over fried chicken, asking for no mayonnaise, or asking to put the dressing on the side. Little modifications such as those can make the meal a little more healthy and nutritious.