Cape Town - Fast food giant Burger King descends on Cape Town early next year, adding another alternative to established burger joints in the city.
And the long-standing competition between the world’s largest fast-food chain, McDonald’s, and the second largest, Burger King, will heat up in Cape Town as they contend with old favourite Wimpy.
The menu for the local Burger King franchises is still being finalised and, while it is expected to be similar to those of other countries, it will cater to the South African market, according to Alisha Sadler-Almeida, financial planner for the local Burger King franchise distributor.
The three restaurants’ menus may seem alike, but how do they stack up when it comes to kilojoules and fat content?
IOL sister publication Weekend Argus broke down the nutritional facts to help you decide where to get your next fast-food fix:
Start your day with Wimpy, which leads the way with the healthiest breakfast options.
The franchise’s hearty honey oats contain 931 kilojoules, 8.7g of fibre, 6.3g of fat and 7.9g of protein. The bacon and onion brekkie bun is also a good choice, at 959 kilojoules, 10g of protein and just 5.6g of of fat.
Burger King’s Egg Muffin narrowly beats McDonald’s Egg McMuffin with slightly fewer kilojoules and fat. However, the Egg McMuffin packs more protein, with 17g versus the Egg Muffin’s 14.7g.
But ifyou’re craving a simple burger, then Burger King is king.
Its single-patty hamburger, topped with pickles, tomato sauce and mustard, and served on a sesame seed bun, has 1 254 kilojoules and 12.3g of fat. Watch out for the Whopper though, which lives up to its name with a whopping 2 778 kilojoules and 36.7g of fat. The McDonald’s cheeseburger is also a decent choice, at 1 326 kilojoules and 14g of fat, but the Big Mac will make you bulge with its 2 076 kilojoules.
Wimpy is the worst choice to satisfy your beef craving. Its “healthiest” burger weighs in at 1 760 kilojoules and 19.4g of fat.
For a cold milkshake on a hot day, choose Burger King. Its regular chocolate shake has the fewest kilojoules, 1 442, and the fewest grams of fat, 4.3.
Wimpy’s regular chocolate milkshake contains 2 591 kilojoules and a massive 33.9g of fat. The McDonald’s medium chocolate milkshake has 1 800 kilojoules and 12.2g of fat.
Overall, Wimpy has a larger and more varied menu, with several healthy choices such as salads, wraps and veg sides.
McDonald’s has two salads on the South African menu, but they aren’t sold at all locations.
It remains to be seen if Burger King’s healthier fare, such as its Garden Fresh Salads, will be sold at the Cape Town franchises. - Weekend Argus