The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN)
Wendy’s is another chain that’s not going to win any awards, looking at the nutritional information. Heck, the single burger breaks the study’s 500 calorie requirement on its own. To eat healthy at Wendy’s one would need to either eat all sides or just stick to salads. That’s not why people go to a burger place. Over the last 12 months the stock dropped about 15% and has subsequently recovered, meaning there’s been no profit for investors who held for a year. However, there’s still a fourth quarter EBITDA increase of 19% and a 3.2% dividend to take in, I suppose. But, like Darden above, I’d avoid it.
Outback Steakhouse
I love Outback. Not to eat, but for the goofy ticker. Bloomin’! Ha! The chain just made it’s initial public offering in August and has done well in the markets by gaining 40% since its debut. I wouldn’t have believed it but, if you avoid the steaks, there are some healthy choices at Outback; the fish and and grilled chicken look especially good. So this gets them a gold star for healthy eating, at least as far as menu choices go. The stock has, as I mentioned, done well so far and a P/E of 30+ shows that I’m not the only one who thinks it’ll go higher. I’d rate that one a buy.
Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)
Brinkers owns both Chili’s and Maggiano’s Little Italy. Chili’s is mentioned in the Hudson report, so let’s take a peek at it. Chili’s offers a ‘Guiltless Grill’ menu, but a lot of the items on it wouldn’t qualify by the terms of the study. Still, choosing properly, it can be done. The restaurant’s salads make the cut and so does the shrimp combos. Meanwhile, the firm’s stock has had a happy year, climbing from $27.45 to $33.69, and the dividend is 2.37%, so it’s got both good performance and a decent attempt at healthy menu options going for it. I’ll give it a qualified buy based on the menu, because while it has healthy options, when it’s bad it’s terrible.
I’m not actually advising you to use anything here as a guide for eating healthy or weight loss. See a doctor, that’s not my job. But I did want to take the time to show you how just being aware of various trends and reports can help you better evaluate the companies into which you consider putting your money. Read the original report (warning: PDF) from the Hudson Institute and make up your own mind. I know it enlightened me a bit.
Good luck!
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More columns from Nate Wooley:
- World Wide Wireless and Worried Telecoms
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The article What Lower Calories Can Do For Your Wealth originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Nate Wooley.
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