To quote Seth Meyers and Amy Poheler’s hilarious segment on Saturday Night Live, Taco Bell’s newest ad campaign deserves a big fat “REALLY?”
While I fully support companies offering healthier fare– and even promoting it as healthier fare — I agree with Roni and Steph that this Taco Bell’s Drive-Thru “Diet” is a load of CRAP. Even calling it a “diet” just kills me!
First of all, promoting fast food as a way to successfully lose weight is ridiculous. (Did anyone else see Supersize Me?! Of course he wasn’t trying to lose weight but look at the destruction he caused his body!)
There is simply nothing healthy about eating fast food all the time, period. Maybe it’s fine once in a while, but encouraging anyone to consider eating it regularly is just insane.
Second, who can really stomach Taco Bell all the time? (I think the last time I had Taco Bell I was in college!! UGH, nasty stuff!)
Third, c’mon, Taco Bell … even Jared varied up his Subway subs and now look at him — he’s gained weight and the paparazzi have been all over him for it! Why? Because any exclusive “diet” like that is simply not sustainable in the long term. Poor guy …
That said, we know this woman Christine (seen above) didn’t lose 54 lbs. JUST eating Taco Bell. She even admits she cut back to 1250 calories (too low in my mind, but that’s neither here nor there) and made other “sensible” choices.
As in … maybe she stopped eating burgers and fries, started working out, cut back on sugar, stopped eating her feelings, who knows … but nowhere in the ad campaign does it say she lost it all eating Taco Bell … so it’s very misleading advertising until you read the fine print, which most people don’t.
I have no problem with food venues trying to encourage healthier eating, and maybe those seven “incredible options” really are amazing … but please, please, please don’t call it a “diet,” Taco Bell.
Call it a lighter menu if you will, but calling it a “Drive-Thru Diet” just showcases everything that is wrong with America today. All you’re doing is masking the problem that generously pads your own bottom line (i.e., Americans rely on cheap fast food and are suckers for a deal).
How about you? What do you think about this campaign?
Let There Be Light 
Speaking as a self-described expert (my blog is #32 in Google for the phrase “black taco“):
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!! 🙂
First, a big thanks to you for sharing this. I don’t watch enough TV to realize this was going on.
I just searched for the nutritional value of a Taco Bell bean burrito and found this:
The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin A.
The bad: This food is high in Sodium.
In other news, why does a chicken burrito cost 89 cents and a bean burrito cost 99 cents? Methinks there must be something very very askew with that chicken. [shudder] No thanks. I’ll pass!
LOL Shoutabyss.
wow 1250 calories of s–t. excellent.
I think someone a long time ago told me the same company that owns Taco Bell owns Alpo, so when they say “it’s a step above dog food” quite literally, it is 😉
I JUST saw this commercial and thought it was a joke…I could rant, but I’ll just say I agree with you and great post! 🙂
Thanks, Abby!
Have you ever had a large napkin or small straw from Taco Bell? Low calorie and they are to die for!
LOL Jared. I hear Diet Coke is amazing, too 🙂
“Really?” is RIGHT. Oh, my….I can just see people having a hay day with this one.
I think Americans look for any excuse we can get to eat fast food. My cousin has been studying in France for the past 4 months, and that was one of his first remarks since coming home for the holidays – they hardly eat ANY fried food in France…but here? It’s too bad, also, because TB is SO ridiculously cheap that I’m sure it makes it easier for people to rationalize eating there.
And I didn’t realize that about Alpo….just another reason to stay away from TB! Yuck!
I just heard my local radio DJ say how it’s a great idea. I wanted to hit her! Then she admitted she’d probably come back 54 lbs HEAVIER if she tried a TB diet 😉
Sounds like this is just feeding into society’s general incorrect knowledege about what “health” really is. And it’s Taco Bell’s attempt to make more money and join the other fast food “diet” ranks.
For me, it’s nice to know that in a pinch, I can find suitable choices, but it in no way means I’m going to drive over to Taco Bell (by choice) and purchase a meal.
Exactly, Jenngirl. It’s all nice and good, but it won’t make me ever think to stop there.
Our road-trip food of choice is always Subway. Or Panera 🙂