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CNN Live At Daybreak

Fresh Mex Joints

Aired October 01, 2003 - 05:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Fresh Mex joints, fresh Mex joints -- say that three times fast -- are becoming a popular fast food alternative. But, according to a consumer group, as you add more ingredients, you're piling on more calories and that's not a good thing.
CNN's Christy Feig reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to put guacamole on?

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So-called fresh Mex restaurants like Baha Fresh & Chipotle, are springing up across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Burritos are really big.

FEIG: But for those who count calories and fat grams, those large portions come at a heavy price.

MICHAEL JACOBSON, CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: We found many burritos, nachos, quesadillas and platters with more than 1,000 calories, a whole day's worth of saturated fat, a whole day's worth of sodium.

FEIG: The CSPI says nachos they checked at the Baha Fresh restaurants had about 2,000 calories and almost 40 grams of saturated fat.

JACOBSON: To have two days worth of saturated fat in one meal is about as bad as you can get.

FEIG: They want Chipotle and others to reveal calories and nutritional information. Chipotle says its customers know what they're getting.

STEVE ELLS, FOUNDER & CEO, CHIPOTLE: It's pretty obvious that if you eat, you know, a lot of beef, a lot of sour cream, a lot of cheese and put that all together, that that's a lot of calories and a lot of fat.

FEIG: CSPI says the tortilla alone at Chipotle has 340 calories. But that won't stop these burrito fans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Compared to what I normally eat, this is probably the healthiest thing I eat all week. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they're big, so I try to get two meals out of it.

FEIG: CSPI says some fresh Mex restaurants offer alternatives that you don't normally find in fast food. Otherwise, people who are trying to watch what they eat should get the big burritos cut in half.

In Washington, I'm Christy Feig.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: CSPI credits Baha Fresh for having healthy alternatives on their menu and nutritional information available for customers. Baha Fresh says it will continue to offer a lite menu.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired October 1, 2003 - 05:23   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Fresh Mex joints, fresh Mex joints -- say that three times fast -- are becoming a popular fast food alternative. But, according to a consumer group, as you add more ingredients, you're piling on more calories and that's not a good thing.
CNN's Christy Feig reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to put guacamole on?

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So-called fresh Mex restaurants like Baha Fresh & Chipotle, are springing up across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Burritos are really big.

FEIG: But for those who count calories and fat grams, those large portions come at a heavy price.

MICHAEL JACOBSON, CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: We found many burritos, nachos, quesadillas and platters with more than 1,000 calories, a whole day's worth of saturated fat, a whole day's worth of sodium.

FEIG: The CSPI says nachos they checked at the Baha Fresh restaurants had about 2,000 calories and almost 40 grams of saturated fat.

JACOBSON: To have two days worth of saturated fat in one meal is about as bad as you can get.

FEIG: They want Chipotle and others to reveal calories and nutritional information. Chipotle says its customers know what they're getting.

STEVE ELLS, FOUNDER & CEO, CHIPOTLE: It's pretty obvious that if you eat, you know, a lot of beef, a lot of sour cream, a lot of cheese and put that all together, that that's a lot of calories and a lot of fat.

FEIG: CSPI says the tortilla alone at Chipotle has 340 calories. But that won't stop these burrito fans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Compared to what I normally eat, this is probably the healthiest thing I eat all week. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they're big, so I try to get two meals out of it.

FEIG: CSPI says some fresh Mex restaurants offer alternatives that you don't normally find in fast food. Otherwise, people who are trying to watch what they eat should get the big burritos cut in half.

In Washington, I'm Christy Feig.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: CSPI credits Baha Fresh for having healthy alternatives on their menu and nutritional information available for customers. Baha Fresh says it will continue to offer a lite menu.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com