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Not the same old drive-thru

The meat is raised naturally; the packaging is recycled; the ovens use renewable power. New green fast-food chains are serving up burgers and fries to feel good about.

The GRA also endorses products offered for sale to restaurants. "A manufacturer came to us with a compostable packaging product made from renewable resources. But we pointed out it was still made from virgin products. They called back a few days later saying they had changed the manufacturing process to include recycled products so they could get the endorsement," Oshman explains.

Pizza Fusion happily promotes its green efforts. The chain's motto is "Saving the Planet One Pizza at a Time." Restaurants are insulated with recycled blue jeans. Pizza deliveries are made in hybrid vehicles. Customers get discounts for returning pizza boxes for recycling. Other food containers are made from cornstarch and are compostable. A "smart" system kills lights when a restroom is vacant, and the restaurant's power consumption is offset by purchasing renewable energy certificates.

"Each day we learn more and more ways to be sustainable, and we implement them as we go along," says Lazar, adding it's almost a daily contest at the office. "Sometimes we forget to tell people that the pizza is great," he says with a grin. A medium pie at Pizza Fusion runs about $13, a dollar or two more than at a conventional un-green pizzeria in the New York area.

All of these businesses have expansion plans. Some, like Burgerville, aren't ambitious beyond their areas, while others, like Pizza Fusion and Pret a Manger, are more aggressive. All are counting on increased demand for what they offer and growing public appreciation for their environmental and health ethics. But even if the corporate heart is in the right place, the most loyal customers will drift away unless, in the words of Deb Sellers, "the real flavour sings."

And the big chains are taking notice. McDonald's has engaged healthy living guru Dean Ornish as one of its featured "wellness experts," and asks poultry suppliers to knock off using antibiotics to promote growth in chickens. The chain recycles and purchases products made from recycled material, and its energy conservation efforts won a USA 2007 Energy Star Partner of the Year award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Burger King gives customers opportunities to - stay calorie conscious -with items like the Whopper Jr. sandwich and the Tendergrill Chicken Garden salad (which would account for one-third of your daily fat intake - so it's good to be conscious of that). BK also offers "regional favourites" like the Texas Triple Whopper and bagel and sourdough breakfast sandwiches.

Taco Bell now operates a trans-fat-free environment. Its management is even concerned about the book value of your car. Noting that a clean interior can add thousands to resale value, and that 60 percent of Americans eat in their cars, it has designed car-friendly products like the Crunchwrap Supreme, which won QSR Magazine's "Best Meal for on the Move." Whether that's a sign of progress is debatable.

When my kids and I depart Chipotle at about 2, after the Manhattan lunch crush, the line outside is slightly longer than when we entered. The ultimate tribute comes from my 14-year-old daughter, who insists she can't wait to come back next week "with just my friends." And my son laments that there's no Chipotle in the upstate New York town where he attends college. That means the food must be good; these guys are the experts.

I'm the mom though. I still get the last word. But if this is the kind of fast food they decide to opt for, I'd feel pretty good about that.

Mary Desmond Pinkowish is a health writer with a fast-food fetish.

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