Burger King introduced new lower-fat french fries.
The burger restaurant chain's new product, "Satisfries," which competes with McDonalds, has 30 percent less fat and 20 percent fewer calories than its classic fries.The fries also have 40 percent less fat and 30 percent few calories than McDonald's fries, and sell for 20 to 30 cents more than regular fries except in kids meals where prices will stay the same USA Today reported.
"Small changes create a big impact,"
Alex Macedo, president of Burger King North America told USA Today. "This will grow, just like diet soda grew over time."
The new fries will be sold in addition to the classic fries and will be crinkle cut like old-fashioned fries. According to USA Today, A small serving of "satisfries" have 270 calories and 11 grams of fat, while its classic fries have 340 calories and 15 grams of fat.
Burger King used the same potatoes, same oil, and same process to produce its healthier fries. The only difference is a re-configuring of a few ingredients so the thinner batter does not absorb as much oil USA Today reported. The company is not revealing what ingredients it changed around.
Keri Gains, a registered dietitian hired by Burger King told USA Today "satisfries" are a nice median between vegetables and fries with more fat.
"It's not realistic to ask people to replace french fries with carrots or celery sticks," she said. "This is like meeting people halfway."
Mitzi Dulan, author of an upcoming book, "The Pinterest Diet: How to Pin Your Way Thin" told USA Today customers may get the wrong idea about the product.
"You don't want people to fool themselves and actually increase the serving size because they think it's healthier," she said. "French fries are an easy way to get a lot of calories and a lot of fat."
