Ed's Easy Diner

If you have a craving for a burger then forget McDonald's and go for the more authentic Ed's Easy Diner which has some pleasantly surprising options if you're counting your calories and they are from the main menu not a special healthy options section.

You just have to do some preparation work beforehand using the oh so useful full nutritional information fact sheets available on their website HERE

I feel that I must mention how good Ed's nutritional information page is as it has a a explanation of how they layout the nutritional information, guidelines on the average recommended calorie intake for men, women and children as well as a link to more detailed information on the guidelines. They also have the following information which is taken directly form their page:

• No products used by Ed’s contain polyunsaturated fats (trans-fats) more than a naturally occurring trace amount

• Ed's chefs add no salt to any item during preparation or cooking, and we have reduced the salt levels in all items specifically made for Ed’s to the extent that we have signed the Department of Health’s Responsibility Deal for Salt

All in all I think that this company goes above and beyond the call of duty in this department and I hope that more companies will follow their lead.

So without further a do lets get started with the main menu some highlights are:

• The Classic: 404 calories. 

• Classic Hot Dog: 385 calories.

• Chilli Dog: 440 calories.

• Classic Chicken: 485 calories.

• Original Fried Chicken: 406 calories

• Cajun Vegetable Burger: 463 calories.

• Sweet Potato & Bean Burger: 498 calories.

• Ed's Chilli Bowl: 426 calories

• Sweet Potato Fries: 287 calories.

• Chicken Caesar Salad: 467 calories.

• Side Salad: 130 calories.

Unfortunately the desserts are off limits as they all have high calorie content, but after you've had some of the above treats this shouldn't be too much of an issue. While this may seem like a limited choice it's diverse and the food is really good, which is the main reason for having this type of food.

So an example meal of The Classic Hot Dog, Sweet Potato Fries and a Side Salad works out at 802 calories, although I must admit that I usually have the burger and the side salad only so that saves on a few calories and takes it down to 672 calories.