The notoriously unhealthy chain made the list because the standards weren't all that strict. Restaurants simply had to offer nutritional information about their food, provide non-smoking seating and have at least a minimal number of healthy options on their menu. Huckabee correctly pointed out to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that not all fast food is bad for you, recommending options such as salads or grilled chicken sandwiches.
Arkansas may need to refine its standards as to what constitutes a healthy restaurant, but this list and similar initiatives face a more fundamental obstacle.
A few years ago, soon after Subway began their health-focused ads featuring Jared, a competing establishment came up with a pitch, "You won't lose weight on our sandwiches."
The underlying point was that healthy and tasty are mutually exclusive and, when diners go out to eat, they want the latter. That mentality is a major challenge for Huckabee or other officials because, as long as it persists, a list like this will only help consumers know where they don't want to eat.
