ICYMI: fast food giants have tried to prove their offerings can be both indulgent and healthy. However, the history of “healthy fast food” is filled with mixed results. While made with good intentions, these 10 healthy fast food items didn’t stick around.
10. McDonald’s McSalad Shakers
Imagine salads in tall cups that fit right in a car’s cup holder. Those where the McSalad Shakers from McDonald’s, released in 2000. It sounded perfect: customers could pour in dressing, shake the salad, and eat on the go. However, in practice, people just didn’t love shaking their own salads, and so sales quickly slumped.
9. Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza
Although never marketed as a “diet food,” Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza felt like a lighter indulgence compared to other deep-fried items. It featured two tortillas layered with beans, sauce, beef, cheese, and tomatoes. Mexican Pizza was cut in 2020 due to packaging waste. It did make a comeback in 2022 but it still wasn’t popular enough to earn a permanent spot on the menu.
8. Taco Bell’s Shredded Chicken Burrito
For many years, Taco Bell’s Shredded Chicken Burrito was a quiet favorite. It had tender chicken, avocado ranch, seasoned rice, and melted cheddar. It was lighter than most burritos but still comforting. But in 2020, it was discontinued due to a major menu streamlining, showing that even affordable, healthier items can vanish if they don’t fit the chain’s efficiency plan.
7. Wendy’s Frescata Sandwiches
In 2006, Wendy’s introduced Frescata sandwiches in an attempt to compete with Subway. They were marketed as a more wholesome alternative to burgers, served on artisan-style bread with lean meats and fresh toppings. They tasted closer to deli but they took long to prepare. This clashed with Wendy’s fast-paced service model, so within the year, Frescata sandwiches were out.
6. Wendy’s Fresh Stuffed Pitas
Before the Frescata experiment, Wendy’s already tested a lighter path in the late ’90s with Fresh Stuffed Pitas. Chicken Caesar or Greek came wrapped in warm pita bread, filled with carrots, lettuce, and feta. They were fresh and healthy indeed. But by 2000, they quietly disappeared, likely due to shifting menus and higher prep costs.
5. Taco Bell’s Fiesta Taco Salad
Some Taco Bell fans would agree that the Fiesta Taco Salad was amazing. In a crispy tortilla bowl, you get to enjoy a combination of lettuce, beans, beef, sour cream, and cheese. While it felt a slightly healthier option, critics said that it was one of the worst things on the menu, calorie-wise (due to the edible shell). The chain also cut it in 2017 during a major menu simplification.
4. Dairy Queen’s Breeze
It’s crazy how people love yogurt today, but back in the ’90s, they weren’t buying it. The proof? Dairy Queen’s Breeze that failed. Breeze was a frozen yogurt alternative to the Blizzard, and it was lighter and seemingly healthier. During that time, sales were poor and yogurt sat unsold, spoiling before it moved. It shows that even healthier items need strong demand (and handling infrastructure) to succeed.
3. McDonald’s Mighty Wings
In 2013, McDonald’s tested Mighty Wings, thinking that bone-in chicken would appeal to health-conscious customers as a leaner protein than burgers. Everyone was excited…at first. But at nearly $1 per wing, the wings felt expensive. To clear stock, the chain slashed the prices to 60 cents each, but sales never recovered.
2. Burger King’s Satisfries
In 2013, Burger King launched Satisfries, which were crinkle-cut fries with 40% less fat and 30% fewer calories than regular fries. They looked and tasted the same, and at first, this healthy option sparked curiosity. However, customers weren’t convinced to switch, especially when regular fries were cheaper and more familiar.
1. McDonald’s McLean Deluxe
Since the 1990s, McDonald’s has been courting health-conscious diners, and they did it with McLean Deluxe. The burger was made with 91% lean beef, and was advertised to have 10 grams of fat compared to 26 in a Big Mac. Customers weren’t impressed, though. Many thought it lacked flavor, and sales didn’t match expectations. By 1996, McLean Deluxe left the menus.