031227 Hardee's Touts “Low-Carb” Burger

St. Louis, MO - Hardee's and Carl's Jr. fast-food chains consider it thinking outside the bun -- capitalizing on America's low-carbohydrate craze, here comes the industry's first bunless, lettuce-wrapped burger with just a handful of carbs.

CKE Restaurants Inc. -- the chains' St. Louis-based corporate parent -- has unveiled the new menu item as Americans gobble up ways to lop off carbs, in everything from beer to ketchup. Not coincidentally, the rollout precedes the traditional New Year's binge of post-holiday dieting.

But dietitians are weighing in, warning that whether it's the Hardee's low-carb Thickburger, with a third of a pound of beef, or its Carl's Jr. low-carb, half-pound Six Dollar Burger cousin, consumers should chew on this: it's still high in fat and calories.

"We know healthwise a certain amount of fat is essential, but consuming a greater%age of your calories from fat is not a healthy approach," said Connie Diekman, chief of university nutrition at St. Louis' Washington University. "Just culling out some calories and putting in more fat isn't going to get you there. In terms of healthy eating, this is not a healthy direction."

The low-carb burger, she said, "is a great gimmick but not a great change in eating behavior."

Her advice: consider having a third-pound burger with a whole grain bun, which would provide vitamins, minerals, vital chemicals, energy from carbs "and a nice meal."

"Balance is the word that comes to mind," she said.

Ditto, says CKE spokeswoman Caroline Leakan.

"In many respects, our food is an indulgence," she said, suggesting the low-carb burgers have their place in a lifestyle that also includes regular exercise and a generally balanced diet. "For some, a low-carb plan is just what they need to kick-start their diet. We're offering them a choice."

For the record, she says, the low-carb Thickburger has about 420 calories, 32 grams of fat and 5 grams of carbs, compared with its original's 850 calories and 57 fat grams. The low-carb Six Dollar Burger has 490 calories, 37 grams of fat and 6 grams of carbs. The regular? About 960 calories, 62 fat grams and 61 carbohydrate grams.

Low-carb, high-protein diets have enjoyed a resurgence, with books such as "Atkins for Life" reversing decades of dietary advice and saying the way to lose weight is to cut out carbs in favor of more protein, including red meat.

Over the past year, several small studies have shown -- to many experts' surprise -- that the Atkins approach does work, at least in the short run. Dieters lose more than those on a standard American Heart Association plan without driving up cholesterol levels, as many feared would happen, and many doctors say they're encouraged that any significant weight loss means less risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

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