Snack Attack: Healthy Edition El Pollo Loco Value Menu?
In order to validate fast food serving inexpensive healthy items for those on a budget I decided to start visiting these super convenient joints around town to check out what they have to offer. I went to El Pollo Loco to put try to put together a healthy lunch, created strictly from the value menu. The criteria was to come up with a filling meal for about five bucks that met the 2000 calorie a day nutritional diet (average calorie intake for adult male/female, average build and weight). What I came up with, was two grilled chicken legs at 90 calories each, a taco al carbon (chicken, onion & cilantro blend wrapped in a corn tortilla) at 160 calories. Then I got a loco salad which has lettuce, tortilla chips, cheese, and a cilantro dressing at 210 calories. To wash down my meal I got a large drink which ranges in calories 0-300. It was a filling meal but adds up to nine dollars. For a nine dollar meal I would expect larger proportions, or heartier items (not even a chicken breast which has loads of meat and is better for you). Each item was relatively small in size, and you would have to buy 4-6 items to fill yourself. To consider this a value meal I would’ve needed to pay about four dollars less.
We are going to try our luck at Kentucky Fried Chicken in hopes of finding a filling meal for a small price.
