A wise person once told us to view food as fuel for the body and the soul. It has a simple purpose, and that purpose is very important. When we eat enough to provide energy for our body, we physically feel satisfied. When we eat food that is enjoyable and with people we care about, our soul is satisfied. There is a food that many consider to fit into both categories: French Fries.
Burger King announced today that after ten years of research, they have invented a product they call “SatisFries.” These are “healthier” versions of their standard French Fries, with the following (claimed) differences:
+ crinkle cut instead of straight cut
+ new batter absorbs less oil than the old batter
+ 40% less Fat and 30% less Calories
+ cost $0.20 – $0.30 more per package than normal french fries
So how does this tie into the larger vision? People already eat fast food to physically feel satisfied. However, if the marketing can also make them believe they are consuming a product that is trying to make them healthier and/or is more healthy than what they were eating yesterday or last year, there is a chance their soul will also feel satisfied. A typical consumer isn’t going to Burger King for a health kick, but doesn’t want the negative side effects either of eating their food. It remains to be seen if there is a real health difference here with eating SatisFries versus any other French Fry from Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, etc., and how many people will actually choose the new one over the old one.
Our mission at the Freckled Fellow is to provide pieces of positivity, one freckle – or piece of yummy food – at a time. When we see corporate giants make strategic moves to make their food healthier, we believe that is a worthy cause. For better or for worse, regardless of our opinion of the individual entity, their industry, or the reasons behind why this move is happening, getting healthier is a positive thing. Let’s not kid ourselves: there are motivations here for driving sales. However, that doesn’t mean that the science is wrong. The questions we want to see answered are:
+ Do people that eat French Fries regularly start feeling better (or even losing weight) as a direct result of switching to SatisFries?
+ What other fast-food chains will follow suit here?
+ Do parents more easily justify their kids eating French Fries now that there are “healthier” versions available?
Vending machines were long filled with unhealthy snacks, and in the past decade have made huge leaps towards stocking better options. If the food industry is willing to make significant R&D investments in bettering their product, we’re all for it. We also feel it’s important to point out the 600 LB gorilla in the room: just because an extremely unhealthy product gets healthier does NOT mean it’s now healthy – it’s just more healthy then it was yesterday. If you want a healthy snack, eat a piece of fruit or vegetable – not a French Fry or SatisFry. Your soul will be satisfied that you did.
What do you think of the new Burger King SatisFries? Leave a comment in the section below!
The Freckled Fellow 