Do You DQ?

If you're wondering what DQ in the title of this post refers to, it is the marketing short-hand for that venerable  franchise that became famous by selling soft-serve ice cream. If you guessed Dairy Queen, then you get the prize. To be sure, I don't have a problem with "DQ" or their products. However, this latest post of mine is on the order of a rant, because last night during a commercial break for the NLCS baseball playoff game between the Phillies and the Giants or was it the NFL game between the Colts and the Redskins, it really does not matter which, because either way they are reaching a large viewing audience with these games. I don't begrudge them for doing that, but what I do have an issue with is the offering that they are promoting in these slots. You see, the great minds in the corporate ivory tower at DQ's HQ (catchy, eh?) decided some time ago that in order for them to grow the franchise they needed to get into the hot foods fast-food business also and to compete with the likes of  KFC, McDonald's, Wendy's, etc. to get a piece of that bottomless-pit  market. I don't blame them for that either, it's just this latest menu item they came up with and are now promoting. The entree is three or four breaded and fried chicken strips with a side of fries, and the kicker here that set me off on this tirade is what they pitch like it's a crowning flourish is...are you ready? TahhDaa... Texas Toast!!! Wow. Really?? Texas Toast? Man, that just makes me want to run out at the first chance I get and snag one of those babies. Chicken strips and an order of fries? Great, who doesn't like that. I know I do, and when it comes to good fried chicken, I crave the stuff. Then they couldn't find anything else to put with it to complete the package, so they had to heap on another helping of carbs to follow those fries. That is my problem with it. All they had to do is add a side of coleslaw to it. That's something that's good and good for you. Come on already! It's made with cabbage, a great green leafy vegetable that's loaded with nutrition, a natural fat burner food, and one that many fast food chains that offer fried foods include with their meals. Maybe that's just too obvious a selection, so they decided to pander to the penchant of American consumers to opt for carbohydrate laden meals. Again, that's just what we need, another "food" offering that contributes to the obesity pandemic in this country. If you are reading this, it's probably because you are concerned about a burgeoning weight problem of your own, and hopefully you have the good sense to stay away from such an unwise selection of this sort when you are making your food choices. That is where it starts, you know, with our daily choices of what we are going to put in our mouths to sustain ourselves. That's what we all need to get control of, and I don't think I have to tell you that this is clearly not a choice that you will not pay the price for in added girth. I hope this illustration leaves you the wiser, and that you will opt for your long term benefit, because remember, everything counts and, alas, adds up in unwanted pounds if we make the unwise choice.

I rate this latest menu offering from Dairy Queen a Double Dumb Food Choice because it doubles down on the carbs with the bread and fries and to be avoided by anyone serious about getting their weight under control.
Do You DQ?
See Tip #2