KFC Double Down: New Sandwich Replaces Bun With Chicken [VIDEO]

Watch this story: KFC’s New Sandwich Replaces Bun With Chicken

First came boneless wings. Now KFC wants you to chow down on a sandwich that uses (what else?) chicken for the bun.

The KFC Double Down, which launches Monday, is essentially a sandwich with two chicken filets taking the place of bread slices. In between are two pieces of bacon, melted slices of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheese and a zesty sauce.

How much will it cost? About $5 and 540 calories (460 for the grilled version), putting it on caloric par with fast-food standards like the McDonald’s Big Mac or a large order of french fries at Burger King.

But calories aren’t everything. Nutritionists caution that consumers also should pay attention to the sandwich’s salt and fat.

The Double Down has 1,380 milligrams of sodium (1,430 milligrams grilled). That’s close to the American Heart Association’s recommendation that adults eat less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.

“This is not a healthy choice,” said Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health.

While Willett said eliminating the white bread is a good thing to do, “what really sets this product apart is the incredible amount of sodium in one sandwich.”

Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said the 32 grams of fat is about half the total fat most Americans should be getting in an entire day. She also was concerned about the saturated fat content.

KFC’s timing with the Double Down — which will be available through mid-May — may seem odd when many fast-food restaurants are promoting healthier menu items to please an increasingly health conscious public.

KFC’s parent company, Yum Brands Inc., has committed to placing calorie counts on menu boards at corporate-owned restaurants nationwide by Jan. 1, 2011. A recently passed federal law eventually will require all chain restaurants to do so.

 But the company said the chicken-as-bun concept tested so well in selected markets last year they decided to introduce it nationwide for a limited time. KFC spokesman Rick Maynard noted that “more indulgent” sandwiches like the Double Down share menu space with lower-calorie options.

“That’s one of the things that make our restaurants popular,” he said. “We have something for everyone.” First came boneless wings. Now KFC wants you to chow down on a sandwich that uses (what else?) chicken for the bun.

The KFC Double Down, which launches Monday, is essentially a sandwich with two chicken filets taking the place of bread slices. In between are two pieces of bacon, melted slices of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheese and a zesty sauce.

How much will it cost? About $5 and 540 calories (460 for the grilled version), putting it on caloric par with fast-food standards like the McDonald’s Big Mac or a large order of french fries at Burger King.

But calories aren’t everything. Nutritionists caution that consumers also should pay attention to the sandwich’s salt and fat.

The Double Down has 1,380 milligrams of sodium (1,430 milligrams grilled). That’s close to the American Heart Association’s recommendation that adults eat less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.

“This is not a healthy choice,” said Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health.

While Willett said eliminating the white bread is a good thing to do, “what really sets this product apart is the incredible amount of sodium in one sandwich.”

Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said the 32 grams of fat is about half the total fat most Americans should be getting in an entire day. She also was concerned about the saturated fat content.

KFC’s timing with the Double Down — which will be available through mid-May — may seem odd when many fast-food restaurants are promoting healthier menu items to please an increasingly health conscious public.

KFC’s parent company, Yum Brands Inc., has committed to placing calorie counts on menu boards at corporate-owned restaurants nationwide by Jan. 1, 2011. A recently passed federal law eventually will require all chain restaurants to do so.

But the company said the chicken-as-bun concept tested so well in selected markets last year they decided to introduce it nationwide for a limited time. KFC spokesman Rick Maynard noted that “more indulgent” sandwiches like the Double Down share menu space with lower-calorie options.

“That’s one of the things that make our restaurants popular,” he said. “We have something for everyone.”

Chocolate Inhaler: All the taste with none of the calories

The revolutionary gadget means chocolate lovers can indulge their guilty pleasure without putting on weight.

The gadget lets users breathe in chocolate to curb cravings and satisfy their sweet tooth.

Invented by Harvard professor David Edwards, Le Whif comes in four different flavours: raspberry, mint, mango and plain.

He worked with his students at Harvard University to develop the product and said he was inspired by thinking beyond normal ways of eating food and into the future.

He said: “Over the centuries we’ve been eating smaller and smaller quantities at shorter and shorter intervals.

“It seemed to us that eating was tending toward breathing, so, with a mix of culinary art and aerosol science, we’ve helped move eating habits to their logical conclusion.

“We call it whiffing.”

The chocolate-flavoured powder is housed in a small plastic cylinder which users breathe in from.

Makers say the particles of the powder are too large to enter the lungs or do any damage.

They believed the chocolate inhaler is just the first step in a gastronomic revolution.

Tom Hadfield, part of the Le Whif team, said: “When you inhale food, you don’t want the particles going into your lungs.

“However, these are too big to do that, and we have developed a special mouthpiece to help.

“It fills your mouth with almost pure chocolate – it tastes really good.

“It’s zero calorie, so could also be used as a diet tool.

“But chocolate is only the beginning – we’re going to be unveiling more different types of food in the future.

“Two Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx is even working with us to develop meals, such as a mint-flavoured inhaler to go alongside his lamb dishes.

“Eventually we could be having three course meals this way.”

Read more: Scientists create chocoholic dream: all the taste with none of the calories

There’s a new slice in town: Deep-fried pizza [Video]

 

As a well-seasoned food writer, I’ve learned that some culinary challenges aren’t worth the indigestion they can cause.

But there are others that grip the imagination and demand immediate investigation, like my latest hot tip: A Wilson takeout shop called Pizza Snobz is serving deep-fried pizza!

At first, there’s total silence as we focus on this experience. Then, my pizza pal observes, ”It doesn’t taste as greasy as I expected. And I’m totally full, even though my slice was smaller than yours.” She never has lost her eye for equal pizza.

But how does it taste? We decide it’s like downing mozzarella sticks that have been flattened and drizzled with tomato dipping sauce.

Read more and watch the video of the process:  There’s a new slice in town: Deep-fried pizza