http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/Living/Atkins_fast_food_040121-1.html

     Do the Math
     Low-Carb Fast Foods May Not Be the Healthiest Choice

     Jan. 21 - More than 30 years ago, the Atkins diet revolutionized the
$42 billion diet industry, and now it has arrived at a restaurant near you.

     Fast-food chains like Subway and casual dining restaurants such as TGI
Fridays are serving up Atkins-approved meals. For the restaurants, the
popularity of the meals could translate into big bucks, while also allowing
loyal Atkins followers to stick to their diets.

     And, in spite of recent controversy, Atkins advocates say that
counting the right carbohydrates is crucial to staying on the diet:

     "Dr. Atkins was adamant in life about people controlling carbohydrates
to make better choices, to recognize that not all carbs affect the body the
same and to control the intake of the simple carbs, the refined flours and
sugars," said Dr. Stuart Trager, the chairman of the Atkins Physicians
Council, an advisory group of medical doctors that advises Atkins
Nutritionals Inc., among others.

     But do these fast food options really live up to low-carb promise?

     Calorie Watch

     If you are counting calories, watching cholesterol, or following other
popular low-carb diets, like The South Beach Diet, these low-carb meals are
not your best bet, said Good Housekeeping Editor-in-Chief Ellen Levine.

     "Sometimes you get more than you think you are going to get," said
Levine, pointing out that many of the meals are very high in fat. "You have
to watch out for the 'C' word - calories."

     Working with another laboratory, the Good Housekeeping Institute
bought six meals from chains that sell low-carb meals. The lab analyzed each
for calories, fat, and carbohydrates. The results were mixed, with some
items varying from the nutritional information advertised by the
restaurants.

     As Levine points out, the calorie content of the meals was variable
and may depend on the whim of the person preparing your meal.

     "People make it - not robots," she said. "You don't have that kind of
control."

     Here are the lab findings:

T.G.I. Friday's
From T.G.I. Friday's, the first Atkins-endorsed meal is a sizzling piece of
chicken with broccoli over onions and peppers with melted American and
Mexican cheeses. It sounds healthy, but it still ratchets up to almost 700
calories, 40 grams of fat and 15 grams of carbohydrates.

The second meal from T.G.I. Friday's is a sizzling New York strip steak with
blue cheese and a side of broccoli. It contains 684 calories, 36 grams of
fat and 15 grams of carbohydrates.

Here are full results:

 T.G.I. Friday's Sizzling Chicken with Broccoli over Onions & Peppers with
Melted American and Mexican Cheeses

Weight: Friday's not available; our lab found 19.5 oz
Calories: Friday's not available; our lab found 696
Total Fat: Friday's not available; our lab found 40 grams
Total Carbohydrate: Friday's not available; our lab found 15 grams
Net Carbs: Friday's says 17 grams; our lab, unknown

 T.G.I. Friday's Sizzling New York Strip Steak with Bleu Cheese and a Side
of Broccoli

Weight: Friday's not available; our lab found 16.5 oz
Calories: Friday's not available; our lab found 684
Total Fat: Friday's not available; our lab found 36 grams
Total Carbohydrate: Friday's, not available; our lab found 15 grams
Net Carbs: Friday's says 6 grams; our lab, unknown

T.G.I. Friday's issued the following statement on the lab's findings on its
Atkins-endorsed meals.

"Under the Atkins Nutritional Approach, the focus is on net carbohydrates,
which is the result of total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber and sugar
alcohol. These ingredients, although they qualify as carbohydrates, do not
affect blood sugar."

Subway
Subway, which also sells Atkins-endorsed sandwiches, says its Chicken Bacon
Ranch Wrap with Swiss Cheese has 19 total carbohydrate grams, but the Good
Housekeeping test found it had 27 grams of total carbohydrates. Levine
points out that different amounts of ingredients can result in different
carb and fat counts. She points out that in one of Subway's meals, the
serving was actually "a smaller portion than we expected."

 Subway Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap with Swiss Cheese: Wrap contains white
meat, chicken, bacon, red onion, green pepper, olives, shredded Swiss
cheese, ranch dressing)

Weight: Subway says 7.5 ounces; Lab found 8 ounces.
Calories: Subway says 480 calories; Lab found 484 calories
Total Fat: Subway says 27 grams; Lab found 21 grams
Total Carbohydrate: Subway says 19 grams; lab found 27 grams (difference is
equivalent of 2 teaspoons of sugar)

 Subway: Turkey and Bacon Melt Wrap with Monterey-cheddar Cheese

Wrap contains turkey breast, bacon, red onions, green peppers, olives,
shredded Monterey-cheddar blend cheese and chipotle Southwest sauce.
Weight: Subway says 7 ounces; lab found 6 ounces
Calories: Subway says 430 calories; lab found 372 calories
Total Fat: Subway says 25 grams; lab found 17 grams
Total Carbohydrate: Subway says 22 grams; lab found 25 grams
Net Carbs: Subway says 10 grams; lab estimates 13 grams

When asked about the lab results, Subway issued the following statement:
"The test results provided by your lab did not include dietary fiber, making
it impossible to determine the net carb value," Subway said. "This is the
number [net carbs] that appears in our advertising and the one that is of
the greatest concern to consumers following an Atkins type approach. The
results from your limited sample test also indicated that the Chicken Bacon
Ranch Wrap was overweight compared to our standard formula. Unfortunately,
the lab report did not indicate the quantity or weights of the individual
ingredients of the wraps tested. This is significant as a variation to the
formula will alter the item's total and net carb counts."

Ruby Tuesday?s

Ruby Tuesday's has come up with some meals that are not Atkins-endorsed, but
are rather part of the restaurant chain's campaign of "Smart Eating."

The lab tried the Peppercorn Mushroom Sirloin steak, which consists of 10
ounces of top sirloin with sauteed mushrooms in Alfredo sauce, plus creamed
spinach and barbecue pork rinds as side dishes. The meal totaled 947
calories, and 57 grams of fat.

The second meal from Ruby Tuesday's was a Cajun Chicken Salad, with ranch
dressing, grilled Cajun chicken, tomatoes, cheese and toasted almonds,
bacon, blue cheese crumbles and vinaigrette dressing. The salad totaled 636
calories, with 46 grams of fat and 16 grams of carbohydrates.

Here are full results:

 Ruby Tuesday's Peppercorn Mushroom Sirloin:

Weight: Ruby's, not available; our lab says 18 oz
Calories: Ruby's, not available our lab says 947 calories
Total Fat: Ruby's, not available; our lab says 57 grams
Total Carbohydrate: Ruby's, not available; our lab says 19 grams

 Ruby Tuesday's Cajun Chicken Salad (with ranch dressing, grilled Cajun
chicken, tomatoes, cheese and toasted almonds, bacon, bleu cheese crumbles
and vinaigrette dressing)

Weight: Ruby's not available; our lab says 14.5 oz
Calories: Ruby's not available; our lab says 636
Total Fat: Ruby's not available; our lab says 46 grams
Total Carbohydrate: Ruby's not available; our lab says 16 grams
In a statement, Ruby Tuesday's did not dispute the findings.

"Lab findings on the nutritional composition of the entrees that Good
Housekeeping tested are comparable to findings from Ruby Tuesday's own
internal tests," the statement said. "As with any testing process, some
results may vary based on the specific portion size and the methodology of
the test."