Food fight: Burger King franchisees sue chain

Burger King franchisees sued the hamburger company this week over its $1 double cheeseburger promotion, saying they're losing money on the deal and the company can't set maximum menu prices.

The National Franchise Association, a group that represents more than 80 percent of Burger King's U.S. franchise owners, said the $1 promotion forces restaurant owners to sell the quarter-pound burger with at least a 10-cent loss.

While costs vary by location, the $1 double cheeseburger typically costs franchisees at least $1.10, said Dan Fitzpatrick, a Burger King franchisee from South Bend, Ind. who is a spokesman for the association. That includes about 55 cents for the cost of the meat, bun, cheese and toppings. The remainder typically covers expenses such as rent, royalties and worker wages.

"New math, or old math, the math just doesn't work," Fitzpatrick said.

After testing the $1 deal in markets across the country, the discounted burger went on sale nationwide last month even though franchise owners, who operate 90 percent of the company's 12,000 locations, twice rejected the product because of its expense.

"The current management team has disregarded rights that Burger King franchisees have always had," Pennsylvania franchise owner Steve Lewis said in a statement.

Denise Wilson, a spokeswoman for the nation's No. 2 hamburger chain, said the Miami restaurant company believes the litigation is "without merit," particularly after an earlier appeals court ruling this year showing the company had a right to require franchise owners to participate in its value menu promotions.

Restaurants, especially fast-food chains, have been slashing menu prices because of the poor economy. Executives hope the deeply discounted deals will bring in diners who are spending less when they eat out, or opting to stay home altogether.

When the $1 double cheeseburger was announced this fall, analyst said it could increase restaurant visits by as much as 20 percent. But despite that boost, a Deutsche Bank analyst said as much as half of the gain recorded from increased traffic could be lost because customers were spending less when they ordered food.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Southern Florida.

Burger King shares fell 18 cents, or 1 percent, to close at $17.12 Thursday.

5 Germy Habits You Should Probably Try to Break

1. Not washing your hands after using the restroom. Have you ever heard the line that "urine is sterile" so there's no need to wash up. Um, sorry, you need to wash your hands. Sterile urine aside, there's still the business of wiping, flushing, and touching door handles--all of which could lead to cross contamination that can make you sick.

2. Eating food samples at grocery stores. For the same reason you wouldn't lick a stranger's hand, it's best not to dive into the freebie bowl of chips at the supermarket. Ask yourself: "Would I open up a bag of chips and share it, communally, with 50 people on the street right now?" Probably not.

3. Coughing into your hand. Maybe it's just me, but everywhere I'm looking these days people are coughing into their hands--instead of the inside of their elbow. If you tend to do this, try to retrain yourself to cover your cough with your arm and not your hands--it's polite and it also helps protect others with weaker immune systems from catching any bug you've got.

4. Rubbing your eyes--ever. After a fairly icky eye infection years ago, a doctor told me this: Think of your eyes as sacred and untouchable, and retrain yourself not to touch them with your fingers (no rubbing or messing with your eye makeup until you've washed them first). The second you touch a dirty hand to your eye, you're introducing all kinds of harmful bacteria and viruses, which can lead to annoying and even serious infections.

5. Letting your dog lick your hands then not washing them. Guys, I'm a dog lover, but when my golden retriever licks my hands, I go wash them. Yes, it gets tedious to do this (because she's always giving me kisses), but it needs to be done. I will remind you that dogs and cats get into unsavory things (I'll just be blunt: mine likes cat poop).

Read on 5 Germy Habits You Should Probably Try to Break

Filet-O-Fish

The answer to the eternal mystery of what makes up a Filet-O-Fish sandwich turns out to involve an ugly creature from the sunless depths of the Pacific, whose bounty, it seems, is not limitless.

The world’s insatiable appetite for fish, with its disastrous effects on populations of favorites like red snapper, monkfish and tuna, has driven commercial fleets to deeper waters in search of creatures unlikely to star on the Food Network.

One of the most popular is the hoki, or whiptail, a bug-eyed specimen found far down in the waters around New Zealand and transformed into a major export. McDonald’s alone at one time used roughly 15 million pounds of it each year.

The hoki may be exceedingly unattractive, but when its flesh reaches the consumer it’s just fish — cut into filets and sticks or rolled into sushi — moist, slightly sweet and very tasty. Better yet, the hoki fishery was thought to be sustainable, providing New Zealand with a reliable major export for years to come.

But arguments over managing this resource are flaring not only between commercial interests and conservationists, but also among the environmental agencies most directly involved in monitoring and regulating the catch.

A lot of money is at stake, as well as questions about the effectiveness of global guidelines meant to limit the effects of industrial fishing.

Without formally acknowledging that hoki are being overfished, New Zealand has slashed the allowable catch in steps, from about 275,000 tons in 2000 and 2001 to about 100,000 tons in 2007 and 2008 — a decline of nearly two-thirds.

Read more on NYtimes.com - From Deep Pacific, Ugly and Tasty, With a Catch

8 Ways to Eat Out for Less

You can dine out on just about any budget if you're willing to use a few frugal strategies, says Rachael Ray, host of 30 Minute Meals and Tasty Travels on the Food Network. "I live in New York City, and while we have plenty of high-end, expensive restaurants, there are more than enough great and reasonably priced places. In fact, there are thousands of them," she says. '"You don't have to be rich to live a rich life, and that is very true even when you're eating out." Here are a few tips from Ray and other culinary experts on finding the best deals:

Go early. Early-bird specials make a lot of sense for retirees, who can take advantage of not working during the day and go out for breakfast or lunch. "I love to go out to breakfast. I think it's a great part of the day," says chef Spike Mendelsohn, a former contestant on Bravo's Top Chef reality show who now owns Good Stuff Eatery, a "comfort food" restaurant in Washington. And that's not just because he works at night. Breakfast items typically cost a fraction of dinner meals. Plus, many restaurants serve the same or similar entrees during both lunch and dinner, but they charge less earlier in the day.

Forgo the extras. It can be painful to pay $1.50 or more for a glass of soda or iced tea when you know you could buy an entire 2-liter bottle for the same price. Instead, drink water with your meal, and have a cold glass of lemonade at home on your front porch while watching the sun set. The same goes for wine, beer, and dessert. For the price of dessert at many restaurants, you can buy an entire half-gallon of ice cream or have a fun evening baking and frosting your own cake.

Just desserts. Instead of skimping on extras, you could dine at home and then soak up the ambience of a nice restaurant while having dessert and coffee. Or just get an appetizer before or after filling up at home. "Obviously, you will get more bang for your buck when you are shopping and preparing meals at home for yourself," says Ray. She adds that some recipes can feed a family for about $10. "Make sure that when you are shopping, you compare unit prices—not retail prices—to make sure you are getting the best deal on ingredients."

Ask for discounts. A common senior discount is 10 percent off the price of a meal (for diners above a certain age). Some restaurants may offer a free beverage with the purchase of a meal or a special senior menu with smaller portions and lower prices. "There are always great deals at family-owned places," says Mendelsohn. "You can research places on the Web and find these great deals and great tasting menus." But seldom will you find such discounts promoted on a menu. Often, asking is the only way to get a break on your bill.

Double take. If you plan to share a large entree with a friend or significant other, watch out for extra charges. Also, consider taking half of a large meal home to eat for lunch the next day. If you often order too much, look for restaurants that offer a special menu of several courses for a fixed price.

Food festivals. Many cities host food festivals that feature samples of exotic delights from top chefs at affordable prices. During Washington's restaurant week this year, for example, participating establishments offered three-course meals for just $20.09 for lunch and $35.09 for dinner. "When we were in Austin for the South by Southwest music festival, we ate at Polvo's on South First Street," says Ray. "Everything at Polvo's is reasonably priced—especially the fajitas, which are heaping in size and delicious—and in the center of the restaurant, there's a free salsa bar with tons of great pickled vegetables. My friends loved the beef fajitas, which are marinated in beer."

Talk about town. Before visiting an unfamiliar city, ask a few residents or friends who have visited where they eat—and don't be shy about mentioning your price range. Online community message boards or restaurant review websites can also give you the inside track. "Whatever city you are in, it's always great to ask the locals where they go to eat," says Chef Stephanie Izard, who won Bravo's Top Chef cooking competition in season four and plans to open a new restaurant, The Drunken Goat, in Chicago in the fall. Once you're in town, ask the concierge or other hotel employees about their favorite hot spots. "If you are having breakfast in a hotel, ask the waiter for great local restaurants," says John Kinsella, president of the American Culinary Federation.

The Best (and Worst) Fast-Food French Fries

Worrying about calories seems silly after you've consented to a French fry grease-fest, but sometimes you can't help it. During one such conflicted experience, I wondered if some fast-food fries were less hard on the body than others. Looking at the nutritional facts of some common French fry purveyors, I found that you can, indeed, save some serious calories if you know which fries to buy.

I looked at these seven:
-Arby's Curly Fries
-Burger King's French Fries
-Carl's Jr.'s Natural-Cut Fries
-Dairy Queen's French Fries
-Jack in the Box's Natural Cut Fries
-McDonald's French Fries
-Wendy's French Fries

Notes: The numbers below are estimated reports by each restaurant's official website at the time of this article.

Calorie-wise:

The Best
Dairy Queen wins with 2.69 calories/gram
Jack in the Box is close behind with 2.71 calories/gram

The Worst
McDonald's it is, with 3.25 calories/gram

Those stats may sound like just a few calories' difference, but that's a 21% difference, which adds up since a large serving tends to be around 190 grams.


But there are other stats to look at...

Here's the zero trans fat team:
Burger King
Carl's Jr.
Dairy Queen
McDonald's
Wendy's

This one is the trans fattiest:
Jack in the Box


How about saturated fat?

The Best
Dairy Queen (0.018g saturated fat/gram of fries)

The Worst
Arby's (0.037g saturated fat/gram of fries)


Also remember that a good deal in dollars, doesn't translate to your diet, and a "large fries" means something different to everyone:

Large Fries Serving Sizes
McDonald's: 154g
Carl's Jr.: 184g
Wendy's: 184g
Dairy Queen: 186g
Arby's: 190g
Burger King: 194g
Jack in the Box: 236g


Sources: Yahoo! Food

Fat Kids Found To Have Arteries of 45-Year-Olds

NEW ORLEANS – Obese children as young as 10 had the arteries of 45-year-olds and other heart abnormalities that greatly raise their risk of heart disease, say doctors who used ultrasound tests to take a peek inside.

"As the old saying goes, you're as old as your arteries are," said Dr. Geetha Raghuveer of Children's Hospital in Kansas City, who led one of the studies. "This is a wake-up call."

The studies were reported Tuesday at an American Heart Association conference.

About a third of American children are overweight and one-fifth are obese. Many parents think that "baby fat" will melt away as kids get older. But research increasingly shows that fat kids become fat adults, with higher risks for many health problems.

"Obesity is not benign in children and adolescents," said Dr. Robert Eckel, a former heart association president and cardiologist at the University of Colorado-Denver. It is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended cholesterol-lowering drugs for some kids, he noted.

Raghuveer wanted to see if early signs of damage could be documented. She and colleagues used painless ultrasound tests to measure the thickness of the wall of a major neck artery in 70 children, ages 10 to 16. Almost all had abnormal cholesterol and many were obese.

No one knows how thick a 10-year-old's artery should be, since they're not regularly checked for signs of heart disease, so researchers used tables for 45-year-olds, who often do get such exams.

The kids' "vascular age" was about 30 years older than their actual age, she found.

A separate study tied childhood obesity to abnormal enlargement of the left atrium, one of the chambers of the heart. Enlargement is a known risk factor for heart disease, stroke and heart rhythm problems.

Julian Ayer, a researcher at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney Australia, did ultrasound exams on 991 seemingly healthy children ages 5 to 15. He saw a clear link between rising weight and size of the left atrium.

A third study by Dr. Walter Abhayaratna of Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, also used ultrasound tests and found impairment in the heart's ability to relax between beats in children who were overweight or obese.

The study involved the first 150 children participating in a larger community-based study.

Earlier research he helped conduct found more rigid arteries in such children — a possible sign of plaque deposits starting to form.

"Even at this young age of 10, you can have children who have got arterial stiffness who are comparable to 30- and 40-year-olds," he said.

Dr. Michael Schloss, a New York University heart disease prevention specialist, said the evidence shows obesity is more than a cosmetic issue for children.

"If you've seen what's on the menu for most school lunches, these findings are no surprise," he said. "The time has come to seriously deal with the issue of childhood obesity and physical inactivity on a governmental and parental level."

Healthy Foods

Our society is in the midst of a health craze. No matter where you turn there is information about being healthier. One of the best ways to improve your health is to eat healthy foods. So often when people hear those two words they think of boring, tasteless foods that can only be purchased as a natural food co-op. But healthy foods are things that you already eat every day, some times just prepared differently.

Healthy foods and eating habits can be very pleasing to the palate and plate. The main thing to remember with healthy foods is that the closer the food is to its natural state the healthier it is for you. You can begin changing your eating habits to more healthy foods by cutting down on the number of prepared foods that you eat. Prepackaged foods are loaded with preservatives and artificial ingredients. Packaged foods are convenient, but healthy foods can be also, once you get in the habit of preparing them.

Healthy foods are very easy to prepare. It does not take any more time or money to eat healthy foods. Here is an example of a great meal that is easy to prepare, inexpensive and features healthy foods. Grill lean hamburger patties until well done. Place the patties on whole grain all natural hamburger buns. Serve the burgers with a large tossed salad and a side of steamed green beans. Follow this simple meal with an offering of fresh fruit for dessert. This meal can be on your table in less than half an hour and involves all healthy foods. Grilling or baking lean meats, fish or chicken is not time consuming. Tossing a salad of fresh greens and vegetables can be done while the meat is cooking. You round out the meals by using fresh or frozen vegetables. You can add variety to your meals by trying different healthy foods that you haven’t tasted before. The produce section of your local grocer is stocked with a wealth of healthy foods including exotic fruits and vegetables. Most produce sections have recipes and tips in how to prepare fruits and vegetables that you may not be familiar with. This is a great way to expose your children to a variety of healthy foods. Also available in the produce sections are many different fresh herbs that you can try to add different tastes to your meals.

Healthy foods can be used on a daily basis to prepare fast nutritious meals. You can also use healthy foods in more exotic recipes when you have the time. Healthy foods can also be prepared ahead of time and frozen for later use. When you prepare your own frozen foods, you know that they are not loaded with artificial additives and preservatives. Involving your children in the preparation of the healthy foods can create a time when each can share about their day. Eating healthy foods do not have to cost you time or money, and they are so much better for you.

Also read on myweightlossdietpills.com/healthy_foods.html