Boston Market

Check out Boston Market's website here. See if maybe they're hiding something...

J-LAM SAYS:

I love Boston Market. I really do. I mean, let's be honest: as a Terrific-or-Turd aficianado, you know I've eaten some things that probably have to bribe someone just to be considered food. I'm probably not as picky as I should be, considering a family history of being fat and bald. And maybe I should make a more concerted effort to eat "real food" as a more significant percentage of my daily intake.

But, I'm also a busy guy. I've got a family depending on me bringing home the bacon, so I'm stuck in the rat race. (Sorry about the mixed metaphor and inappropriate food reference.) Therefore, as a red-blooded American in need of at least 1200 calories per meal, at a rate of no less than 100 calories per second spent consuming them, fast food is pretty much my only option.

Now, when I walk into a Boston Market, I'm greeted with (in my humble opinion,) the best of both worlds! Here, spread before me (behind a wisely-placed sneeze shield) is a veritable smorgasbord of steaming-hot side dishes to tack onto a main course of hot and juicy rotisserie chicken.

THAT'S REAL FOOD!

AND IT'S ALREADY READY ALREADY!

THAT'S REAL, FAST FOOD!

So, I'm impressed from the start. I chose the cheapest meal, the 3-piece dark, which comes with two thighs and a drumstick and two heaping sides, plus a piece of cornbread. I ordered up the sweet corn with garlic butter and the creamed spinach.

Wipe off your mouth! You're drooling!

I know I was. And it was on my plate, ready to eat in under three minutes.

Awesome.

So where's the dark side? What is Boston Market hiding? How can so much goodness really be good?

Well, here's my thought: unsuspecting diners may be choosing Boston Market as opposed to Burger King or McDonalds because they assume that the "real food" they are going to consume MUST be healthier than the burgers and fries they'll get elsewhere.

Problem is, they're not. My meal, small in comparison to many of the full meals available, weighed in at (yikes) 1120 calories, (double yikes) 61 grams of fat and (holy yikesarama!) 2275 milligrams of sodium! And that's not counting the 290 calories, 11.5 grams of fat and 390 milligrams of sodium I racked up splitting a fudge brownie with B-Com for dessert! I discussed this matter in great depth with him while we ate, and he seemed intrigued. He even thanked me for bringing it to his attention, which is the only reason I decided to go into such depth on the matter in the blog.

So, bottom line: I love Boston Market. The flavor and speed make it a guaranteed TERRIFIC regardless of just about any other factors. Just don't think you're automatically eating healthy because you need fork to shove it down your pie hole.

TERRIFIC!

B-Com Says:

I'm willing to bet that J-Lam's post is going to be all about bashing the nutritional value of Boston Market's offerings. He spent a solid 20 minutes while I was trying to eat, going on and on and on about how this place is trying to "trick" us into thinking we're eating healthy, and how they must be hiding something.

And I'm giving him my best blank stare, but it's not working, he just keeps spewing his thoughts (and more than a few kernels of corn, too) while I listen. Finally, I thought to myself, "preach on, J-Lam" and started considering what I would write in the blog about his rediculous tirade. But hey, he's a fun lunch partner.

Look. Do I sit down at Boston Market thinking I'm automatically eating healthy? No.

Is it possible to eat healthy here? Yes.

They have a gorgeous side of steamed vegetables staring at me. I went stuffing and gravy.

I can't believe they left the skin on this half-chicken I bought! I dip it in the gravy and chow down.

Who the hell put this butter on my corn bread?!?!?! Yup, me.

My point is, Boston Market isn't doing anything shady. Far from it. They're serving up a full meal, fast, hot, tasty and delicious. (Did I really mean to write both tasty and delicious? Yes, I believe I did.) I am actually very impressed that no matter what type of diet you're on, if any at all, there are meal components that fit that lifestyle. And nothing feels forced, like the God-forsaken "Atkins Whopper" that you could order at BK back when everyone was doing Atkins. (Yeah, you guessed it -- they took away the bun, piled up the rest inside a bowl and stuck a fork in the top. No, I don't feel like a dork carrying THAT back to my seat!)

Boston Market is a little pricey for fast food -- about $10 per person, with room to add more if we wanted bigger meals -- but they definitely hit the mark on every other level, so that makes it worth the price.

TERRIFIC!