It’s always big news when the Quick Serve (aka Fast Food) world makes a big, bold move toward more whole grains, and this week the Whole Grains Council salutes Arby’s for its new Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad sandwiches. The sandwich comes in two forms (as shown here): in a wrap, offering 23 grams of whole grains per serving, and on bread containing 18 grams of whole grain per serving. Both of these make significant contributions to the 48 grams or more of whole grain we all need daily.

So go try one – for free! For the next week (May 13-19), you can get the sandwich free at Arby’s, by using a coupon on their Facebook page. Yes, you have to buy a 22 oz. soft drink (for about $1.50) but that’s still a pretty good incentive.  (Try talking your local Arby’s into selling you a bottle of water or some milk instead – or just pay the $1.50 and skip the soda.)

There’s that Whole Grain Stamp, right on the coupon!
 

Arby’s is encouraging chicken-salad lovers to compare their sandwich with Subway’s Orchard Chicken Salad, and vote for your favorite on Facebook.  Remember folks, the Subway sandwich is not available on whole grain bread! (An added plus: Arby’s will donate $1 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign for every vote cast – no matter which sandwich you vote for!)

Whole Grain Stamp Once Again at McDonald’s

Also this week, McDonald’s rolled out a reformulated bun for its grilled chicken sandwiches, offering 8g of whole grains per serving. Once again – as on their oatmeal – McDonald’s is using the Whole Grain Stamp. We like that the Stamp is big and colorful on the outside of the box – and then repeated inside, where it will smile at you all the time you’re eating your sandwich. 700,000 people work at McDonald’s and are now familiar with the Whole Grain Stamp – before we even count the customers who will begin to notice the Stamp everywhere they shop, once they’ve seen it at McDonald’s.

We also like what Julia Braun, McDonald’s nutrition manager of product innovation and development said at the rollout in New York: “I feel like when you focus on getting in the food groups that we don’t get enough of, like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, you crowd out all of the bad stuff naturally.”

That’s certainly a philosophy after Oldways’ heart. We’ve always believed in emphasizing all the good things to eat, rather than being part of the endless litany of don’t eat this, don’t eat that.  We’re hoping that McDonald’s, on the heels of this move and of their successful oatmeal introduction last January, will continue to introduce more whole grain products.

Oldways and the Whole Grains Council still champion cooking at home whenever possible for the healthiest options, but if you find yourself out and about at mealtime, vote with your fork and support restaurants’ efforts to offer more whole grains. If whole grain products sell well, they’ll stay on the menu. (Cindy)