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From salads in a cup to grilled chicken options, fast food chains have tried to offer healthier items that just didn’t catch on. Join us as we explore some of the most memorable attempts at healthy fast food meals that ended up disappointing customers. Despite good intentions and unique concepts, these menu items ultimately flopped and faded from the spotlight.
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00:00Kentucky grilled chicken. Kentucky grilled chicken. I like the sound of that. I may have spoken too soon.
00:05Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the healthiest options created by fast food franchises
00:12that failed to pull in customers.
00:14Did you know these were called Satisfries? What do you think of that name? It's a bad name.
00:21Number 10. Go Active Happy Meal, McDonald's.
00:25Now I go the extra step with my new Step-O-Meter. It comes in the new Go Active Adult
00:29Happy Meal, along with a bottle of water and one of four premium salads from McDonald's.
00:33In the early 2000s, the fast food giant decided to tackle rising obesity rates themselves.
00:39This led to the release of the Go Active Happy Meal, which was advertised towards adults rather than kids.
00:45Each item came with a salad, water, a book of exercises to try, and a pedometer.
00:51It was to be the first step in a several-year-long plan to encourage healthier habits in their customer
00:57base, while also allowing them to still enjoy their favorite restaurant.
01:01Now I go the extra step with my new Step-O-Meter. It comes in the new Go Active Adult
01:05Happy Meal, along with a bottle of water and one of four premium salads, only at McDonald's.
01:09It was originally meant to be a limited-time offer, but it eventually made its way to the main menu
01:14after being released.
01:16However, once it was competing with the rest of their regular unhealthy meals, it seemingly faded into the background before
01:22vanishing for good.
01:23Like delicious Angus burgers, chicken McNuggets and fries to share, plus drinks all round. So grab dinner at McDonald's and
01:30give Mum the night off.
01:31Number 9. Borderlight's Menu, Taco Bell
01:34They're so full of good stuff. How'd you do it?
01:39Taco Bell introduces Borderlight Tacos. Four new tacos with all the taste and half the bat. Try them and you'll
01:45be a believer too.
01:46Although the food itself may not have been a flop, its branding certainly was.
01:51In the 1990s, Taco Bell released their Borderlights menu. It came with all the classic items fans knew and loved,
01:59but with 50% less fat than the originals.
02:01This meant that people could enjoy a delicious meal guilt-free.
02:05What are you waiting for?
02:06That looks great. Go forward.
02:09Bell is Monday, May 8th, from 1 to 4 p.m. for the Borderlights Celebration. Try any great-tasting Borderlight
02:14Taco or Burrito-free.
02:15The new offerings were accompanied by a multi-million dollar ad campaign, with the hopes that the line would help
02:21generate an additional $5 billion for the company.
02:24Less than a year later, however, it failed to take off.
02:28A light-tasting outside, so you taste more of what's inside.
02:32Ooh, what a difference!
02:33Besides the financial setback, the restaurant also saw backlash for the name and advertisements, which were seen as offensive by
02:41both sides of the immigration debate.
02:43By 1996, Borderlights disappeared entirely.
02:46We added more beef. More cheese. Tons more crunch.
02:52In fact, the big border taco's so big, we had to beef up our trunk.
02:58Number 8. Skinny Slice Pizza Hut
03:01So to refresh it, it adds some lower-calorie options.
03:05Restaurants in two markets, Toledo and West Palm, began serving skinny-sliced pies this week.
03:10On paper, a diet pizza is a genius idea.
03:13Unfortunately, when it came to the execution of their short-lived skinny slice, Pizza Hut couldn't quite stick the landing.
03:21Each slice contained 30% less calories than a standard one.
03:26However, it didn't take long for some to notice that it was essentially just a regular thin-crust pizza, which
03:33the chain already offered with a thin and crispy.
03:35Our all-new thin and crispy crust is loaded to the edge with amazing toppings of your choice.
03:40And the delicious hand-tossed pizza has a lighter, airier crust.
03:44Despite the name, the skinny slice was only sold as a whole pie.
03:48The publisher of PMQ magazine pointed out that people were likely to eat more than they normally would,
03:54all while being under the impression they were making a healthy choice.
03:58This item came and went without too much fanfare, and it's clear to see why.
04:02First of all, they're marketing it as diet pizza, right?
04:06I mean, I don't know, is it diet for us?
04:08But diet pizza?
04:09Come on, who's fooling who here?
04:11Number 7. Market Fresh Wraps, Arby's.
04:15Arby's new Market Fresh Wraps.
04:17Their magic virtues, refreshing taste, and no grease stains on the bag.
04:21Although they're known for their curly fries and beef, that hasn't stopped them from breaking into the healthy fast food
04:27game.
04:27Arby's Market Fresh line boasts a series of wraps and sandwiches filled with all-natural ingredients.
04:34They appear to be perfect for dieters, but unfortunately, that isn't the case.
04:39Each contains between 530 and 650 calories, which sounds fine until you realize that their classic roast beef sandwich only
04:48has 360.
04:50Customers have also reported that the wraps themselves are dry and overpriced.
04:55The fresh market sandwiches aren't much better, with the turkey, bacon, and ranch sandwich clocking in at 800 calories and
05:022,200 milligrams of sodium.
05:04Arby's new Market Fresh Turkey Ranch and Bacon, with honey, wheat, bread, pepper, bacon, and a creamy ranch sauce.
05:11Give in to your grown-up tastes.
05:14While the wraps are a valiant attempt at a lighter option, they fall flat compared to their competitors.
05:19Looks like Sue's thinking about Arby's Market Fresh Turkey Ranch and Bacon and Ultimate BLT wraps.
05:26They're so good, it'll have you saying, I'm thinking Arby's.
05:30Number 6. Breeze. Dairy Queen.
05:33It's the new Breeze frozen yogurt treat.
05:36Creamy, smooth, vanilla frozen yogurt blended with your favorite fruit.
05:40Pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, or my favorite, cherry.
05:45This is a perfect example of trends not always dictating what items will be popular or not.
05:51The late 20th century saw a frozen yogurt craze, with several stores dedicated to the item appearing throughout the United
05:58States.
05:59Dairy Queen decided to try their hand at the dessert as well, which led to the Breeze being added.
06:04It was intended to be a lighter version of the calorie-dense Blizzard.
06:08Fruit, chocolate, cookies, or candy.
06:10Blizzard flavor treat.
06:12Breeze frozen yogurt treat.
06:13Now just 99 cents each.
06:15However, they were immediately met with a lackluster response from customers.
06:20It was so unpopular that the restaurant couldn't sell it fast enough,
06:24leading to some of the supply going bad without ever being utilized.
06:28By the turn of the century, the Breeze was removed from the menu.
06:31The Breeze.
06:33All kinds of cones.
06:34Sundays galore.
06:35However you like your yogurt, you're going to love it at Dairy Queen.
06:39We give you taste.
06:41We give you value.
06:42We treat you right.
06:44Number 5.
06:45Grilled Chicken, KFC
06:46So good, they'll think you grilled it.
06:49Kentucky Grilled Chicken, freshly prepared and slow-grilled to juicy perfection.
06:53In 2009, they strayed from their traditional brand and released a grilled chicken option.
06:58At 180 calories apiece, it seemed like the perfect diet option.
07:03Unfortunately, they misjudged how popular it would be.
07:07After a year, sales plummeted and many had to be thrown away due to them not aging well under the
07:12heat lamps.
07:13Make it marinated for juiciness.
07:15Slow-grilled and seasoned with its own secret blend of herbs and spices.
07:19Make it so good it deserves a place alongside original recipe.
07:22Additionally, despite being advertised as a healthy option, some pieces still contained 440 milligrams of sodium,
07:31which is more than a quarter of the recommended daily amount for some populations.
07:35KFC isn't the only restaurant to have run into this issue, with Popeyes' blackened chicken sandwich containing 1,900 milligrams
07:42of sodium.
07:43Without the breading, this juicy filet is served classic or spicy on a toasted Rios bun.
07:48Try it for just $4.99.
07:50While their intentions were pure, they couldn't follow through all the way or maintain their previous momentum.
07:56I don't like my chickens live, okay?
07:58I like them dead, deep fried.
07:59You ever heard of Popeyes?
08:14You know an item failed when it's referred to as the McFlopper.
08:18Yet, when the McLean Deluxe was first announced in 1991, it was intended to be a revolutionary item in the
08:24restaurant's lineup.
08:25Thanks to the addition of carrageenan, a compound found in red seaweed, into the burger, it only had 10 grams
08:32of fat.
08:43This was considerably less than the 26 grams found in the Big Mac.
08:48However, while their new ingredient lowered the fat content, it also all but removed the flavor.
08:54Those who did try the sandwich found it to be incredibly dry, and soon the McLean Deluxe was being panned
09:01by customers and big-name entertainers alike.
09:04Despite the low sales, it survived for five years before being pulled in 1996.
09:09McLean Deluxe, forget the fat, remember the taste at McDonald's today.
09:13Sorry, green.
09:14Green, green, I gotta write that down.
09:17Number three, Garden Sensation Salad, Wendy's.
09:21Chicken BLT salad with hickory smoked bacon and honey mustard dressing.
09:26And our new Taco Supremo salad with salsa and sour cream.
09:30Wendy's, four new Garden Sensations.
09:32You gotta taste them to believe them.
09:34When it comes to healthy menu options, some appear to be no-brainers.
09:38That was the case for Wendy's, which released a line of unique salads in 2002.
09:43With options ranging from apple pecan chicken to a BLT cob, it seemed there was something for everyone.
09:50However, the execution proved that fresh ingredients and fun flavors didn't equate to instant high sales.
09:57Two guys, talking about salads.
10:00It's kind of, uh, you know, grow up, man.
10:04Wendy's four Garden Sensations are so fresh and delicious that people who never ate salads are eating salads.
10:10Some found the price to be too high, especially from a restaurant that normally offered affordable options.
10:16Others broke down the calories of the salads by item, which revealed that each had hundreds of calories when all
10:22the toppings were added.
10:23Some reached over 700, which negated the point of a lighter option.
10:29Although it was an excellent idea, it fell through when executed.
10:34Sensational!
10:34Come try Wendy's three new Garden Sensations salads and do what tastes right.
10:38Number 2. Satisfries, Burger King
10:41Creating a healthy main dish is something that many fast food chains have attempted.
10:46Sides are more rare.
10:47And after Burger King released their less-than-stellar Satisfries, it's clear to see why.
10:53In 2013, the eatery launched the crinkle-cut option to be sold alongside their classic straight-cut fries.
11:00It's time to get Satisfried.
11:0240% less fat, 30% less calories.
11:05Only at Burger King.
11:06The former had a significantly lower fat and calorie count, mostly due to oil not being able to slip through
11:12the batter.
11:13While this boosted their health benefits, it also significantly impacted their overall flavor.
11:19They were also more expensive.
11:21Had they tasted good, then customers may not have minded the upcharge.
11:25Instead, they opted for the classic version.
11:28The rollout was a certified flop, and the Satisfries were retired less than a year later in 2014.
11:34Not quite an apple in a Happy Meal, but a healthier alternative to the old version, which are still available.
11:40The new fries cost about 20 to 30 cents more at most locations.
11:44Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:49Fruit and Walnut Salad, McDonald's.
11:52Despite being packed with delicious and healthy items, it was discontinued in 2013.
11:57Crisped apples, juicy seedless grapes, plus cool creamy yogurt, and crunchy candied walnuts on the side.
12:03Tastes so fresh, so sweet, so real.
12:05You mean, like me?
12:06Turkey Burgers, Carl's Jr.
12:09Under 500 calories couldn't make up for the lackluster taste, making them a short-lived addition.
12:14To help you remember Miss Turkey, we put her in a bikini.
12:19And to help you remember Miss Turkey's bikini, we had it designed with little, tiny pictures of our charbroiled turkey
12:26burger.
12:28And that's just the way it is.
12:30Friscata Sandwich, Wendy's.
12:32This artisanal offering barely lasted a year, thanks to high competition from Subway.
12:38Exciting ingredients on freshly baked artisan bread.
12:41Not until we come up with a name.
12:43How about Friscata?
12:44Dig in.
12:45Wendy's new Friscata Sandwiches.
12:58Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's album current, EDM Transformed.
13:04Check out the full track and album below.
13:20Number one, McSalad Shakers.
13:24McDonald's.
13:25Now's the time to head to McDonald's for crisp, cool McSalad Shakers.
13:29Just pour on your favorite dressing, shake, and get dressing on every bite.
13:33Even when it's nutritious, a gimmick can only go so far.
13:37In 2000, McDonald's created the McSalad Shakers, which were essentially salads in a cup that customers added dressing to and
13:45shook.
13:45It was an interactive way for people to create a healthy meal and seemed perfect for all ages.
13:51They came in three options, chicken caesar, garden, and chef.
13:56McDonald's fresh tossed salads, loaded with fresh vegetables from loads of taste.
14:00Now with three new dressings.
14:02They weren't exactly groundbreaking, but the variety of dressings offered meant that they could be customized differently to create new
14:08flavor combinations.
14:09They didn't sell well at the time, which led to them being removed in 2003 in favor of salad in
14:16a bowl.
14:17Ironically enough, being discontinued made them more popular, with some fans still begging for their return 20 years later.
14:24McDonald's new McSalad Shakers.
14:26Crisp salads you shake in a cup, so you get dressing from the first bite to the last.
14:31Who else could make salads fun?
14:33Did somebody say McDonald's?
14:34Have you ever tried any of these items?
14:36Let us know in the comments below.
14:43We'll see you next time.
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