Green Beans from KFC
In my opinion, there are not nearly enough vegetable side dishes served at fast food restaurants. I suppose the demand is not there. People want fried and flavor-packed food, and the simple subtle tastes of things like green beans and corn are just too boring. KFC is one place that offers a decent selection of veggie sides. Among the best, at least in my region of the country, are the fancy cut green beans. They taste great, and have a hearty wholesome quality. A healthy choice with only 50 calories.
There’s not too much to say about them, but I wanted to give my readers some type of background on the product if possible. Such as whether they were frozen, canned, or made fresh. I knew they were unlikely to be fresh, but I wanted to be certain. I called two different stores, and found the regular employees could not, or would not tell me. When trying the 3rd location, closest to my home, and the source of the beans in these photos, I requested the “Store Manager”. I was greeted by a friendly enough person, but unfortunately she was not familiar with the product she was serving, even insisting the green beans had no red peppers in them, despite the obvious facts.
No red peppers. — She said.
I eat at your store all the time. They always have red peppers. — I said.
No red peppers. We could never have those in our regular menu items. Too many problems with people’s allergies. — She replied with absolute certainty.
I’m looking at red peppers right now. I’m picking them out and holding them. They are nice sized chunks. — I told her.
There are No Red Peppers in the green beans. There are none when they come from the can, and we don’t add any. We add some spices, but it’s just a small packet of powder. — She says.
I guess these chunks of red pepper are dried, and part of the seasoning packet you add. — I remarked.
There are no red peppers of any kind. — She said.
I’m telling you, there are red peppers. And I’m not trying to hassle you. It’s a GOOD thing. They add flavor. For that matter, there are little chunks of Onion in there too, and the green beans are delicious. — I added.
There are No Onions. — She said.
Ha! At that point, I decided we had talked enough about the green beans.
She was a nice lady, and I’m not here to make her day confusing. As for the green beans, at least she did confirm they come from a can, albeit a very large restaurant sized can. There’s nothing wrong with that. I also confirmed the following from the green bean’s ingredient list on KFC’s website. Dehydrated Vegetables (Onion, Red Bell Pepper). It also lists an alternative ingredient list that does NOT contain the dehydrated vegetables, with a note explaining that it depends on current “regional suppliers”. This indicates there are some locations where the green beans will not contain the red peppers or onions. Maybe the manager of the store I spoke to had just transferred in from somewhere else in the country, and had not looked at the green beans at her new store? I don’t know, but I can tell you ALL the stores in my area, including hers, have been serving the same recipe for a couple years.
The Green Beans from KFC are delicious, assuming you get the version with the onions and red peppers. My research outside of KFC tells me they are Blue Lake Fancy Cut Green Beans in super sized cans like these examples at Sam’s Club. Don’t ask any more questions, just skip the greasy fries next time and try a vegetable. Or as my Mother would have said — Be quiet, sit still, and eat your green beans.
Price: $1.39 — Website: KFC.com
Fast Food Critic Score: A-
Click here for rating system details.
Nutrition Facts - KFC, Green Beans, Individual Side Order.
Calories - 50
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 1.5 grams
Carbs - 7 grams
Saturated Fat - 0 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 5 milligrams
Sodium - 570 milligrams
Before you had your conversation, did you hear someone say, “This guy wants to talk to the manager. Who wants to be the manager today?”
It doesn’t speak well for KFC’s training.
In my ice cream stores, we always had a 3-ring binder that allowed any employee to see and disclose EVERY ingredient. You would be amazed as to how many different things some people can be allergic to. When someone asked about what particular type of yellow dye was in the “green” mint ice cream we could tell them.
Too simple, I guess.
Don,
I’ve had a very difficult time getting information from KFC, or parent company Yum! Brands. From local store level, all the way up to the corporate office, I feel like I’m chasing the Holy Grail or something. I have spent the past 10 days trying to get some very simple, basic questions answered.
What’s ironic is that I like KFC, I’ve recently reviewed 2 of their products favorably, and even ran a contest to promote their new Chipotle recipe.
FFC, I thought you would know by now… KFC keeps their herbs and spices SECRET.
The manager was obviously familiar with the “the curse of the Colonel” that will befall any disloyal company employee.
Now repeat after me… THERE ARE NO RED PEPPERS!
Hey, I was going to put a comment in that second photo, with a big arrow pointing to them…. “These are Red Peppers”…. but I decided not to.
They do look yummy. You can easily tell by the color that they are the canned variety, my favorite. I even prefer them to fresh. It’s a shame there’s over a half gram of sodium in such a small serving, though.