St. Patrick’s Day – A day to indulge in your favorite beer (or beers), corned beef hash or McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes.

Whereas most items at The Golden Arches can be purchased all year long, the Shamrock Shake is only available during the month of March, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

So what exactly is the Shamrock Shake? It’s a light green shake with a mint-meets-vanilla taste. These seasonal shakes are a seriously hot commodity among milkshake connoisseurs. And since not all McDonald’s locations offer them, die-hard fans might themselves cruising around town to find one that does.

But taste aside, how does the Shamrock Shake stack up?

Here is the nutritional information for one 16-ounce shake.

Fast-food giant McDonald’s has been up against a wall in recent years as consumers have demanded healthier food options, not just from them but food producers in general. New salads, grilled chicken options and even fruit as side dishes have graced more of the chain’s menus. Now in New Zealand, Weight Watchers-approved menu items will be available. “The partnership is a reflection of the work we have put into changing the face of our business and menu,” says Mark Hawthorne, McDonald’s New Zealand Managing Director.

It’s the only McDonald’s market in the world to offer these menu items with Weight Watchers’, a world leader amongst diet brands, seal of approval. Three meal combinations are available for a total of 6.5 Weight Watchers POINTS. Weight Watchers Points are a proprietary calculation based on a food’s calories, fat and fiber; the lower the value, the “healthier” it is for you. These combos are as follows, keep in mind these are from the New Zealand menu:

• Filet-O-Fish, Garden Side Salad and medium diet drink or Pump mini
• 6 Pack Chicken McNuggets (includes nugget sauce or ketchup), Garden Side Salad and medium diet drink or Pump mini
• Sweet Chilli Seared Chicken Wrap, medium diet drink or Pump mini
  

The fast-food designers are at it again. And The Golden Arches are at the top of the list with their newest creation, the Big Mac Snack Wrap, a burrito-style version of a Big Mac.

As if the Angus Burger bombs, KFC’s Double Down Chicken Sandwich, and Hardee’s Fried Bologna Biscuit Sandwich weren’t enough to empower anyone to lose all hope in fast-food restaurants, McDonald’s adds insult to injury with this disastrous sandwich.

While the name “snack wrap” makes you think this is just a harmless little snack-sized sandwich that you might munch on as a small afternoon pick-me-up, think again. This is a burrito, folks. It’s name, “Big Mac Snack Wrap,” is just a sneaky marketing maneuver to get you to think that what you are eating is akin to a half of a turkey sandwich a few crackers and cheese. And even if you’re watching your carbs, don’t be fooled by this seemingly lower carb version of a nutritional nightmare: White flour is white flour and a Big Mac is a Big Mac.

Is it me or has the fast-food industry recently gone mad with their new and shameful creations of Angus burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and now fried bologna breakfast biscuits?

Wasn’t it just a few short months ago, KFC introduced their new grilled chicken menu and McDonald’s started placing ads in every parent magazine about how nutritious their small hamburger, apple slices and low-fat milk lunches are?

Maybe it’s a backlash to their healthier intentions, but Hardees has joined the low ranks of KFC and McDonald’s and just launched their new Oscar Mayer Fried Bologna Biscuit sandwich, which is being touted as a throwback comfort food of sorts. Apparently, Hardees like many other fast-food and chain restaurants is trying to appeal to the economically-downtrodden fast-food nation as we seek solace in cheap, processed, comfort foods like fried bologna and biscuits.

The commercials look absolutely amazing. A hot, thick burger on a braided bakery style fluffy white bun, topped with red onion, juicy tomato slices and crisp lettuce, they make my mouth water and remain in my brain longer than should be legal. Touted as an upscale offering, McDonald’s new Black Angus 1/3 pound burgers seem too good to be true. Let’s take a look at the nutrition content of the three different choices.

• Angus Deluxe opens up the bidding with 750 calories, 350 from fat, 39 grams of total fat, 135 grams of cholesterol, and 1700 mg of sodium.
• The Angus Mushroom and Swiss counters back with 770 calories, 360 from fat, 40 grams of fat, 135 grams of cholesterol and 1170 mg of sodium.
• In a last ditch effort, the Angus Bacon and Cheese closes it out with 790 calories, 40 from fat, 145 grams of cholesterol and an astounding 2070 mg of sodium.