Last week, Burger King announced that it was introducing healthier fast-food items for kids, including flame-broiled Chicken Tenders and raw apples cut to resemble french fries. A 2.4-ounce serving of these "apple fries" will have 35 calories -- compared to a small serving of regular french fries, which has 230 calories.
We had a few cartons of the "apple fries" in the studio this morning for our hosts to sample. WATCH VIDEO
I snuck one myself, and here's the result of my taste test:
It tasted like an apple. Because it was an apple.
Is Burger King to be lauded for offering a healthier alternative to french fries for kids? Sure. Are kids going to be clamoring for apple slices over french fries? I doubt it, but I assume Burger King has done the research to know there's some demand for this.
Are kids going to throw a tantrum if their parents force them to have apples cut to look like fries instead of actual french fries? Probably.
I like apples fine, but here's the thing about french fries: they're hot and delicious. And when I'm (and my 12-year-old former self is) at a fast food restaurant, hot and delicious is what I'm looking for.
So what's the upshot of this? I don't really know. But the next time I'm at Burger King, I'm going to get fries. French fries.
Oh, and how do they keep the apples from turning brown? Burger King says it washes the apples in water with lemon, and that does the trick.