10 up-and-coming healthy fast food chains that should scare McDonald's

Legacy mega-brands like McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King have dominated the fast food industry for decades.But within the last few years, many American consumers have shown a growing interest in healthier fast food that incorporates more low-calorie ingredients and fresh produce while remainingconvenient and affordable.In late 2016, top food executives from PepsiCo and Campbell Soup Companytold Fortune that cleaner food isnot just a trend, but a movement. And that shiftisspilling over into the fast food market too, forcinglegacy chains totry to keep up. In the last four years, Taco Bell has pledged to cut artificial ingredients and use cage-free eggs, and has introduced a lower-calorie menu. McDonald's has worked with dietitians, removed antibiotics from its chicken, and added more salads to its menu.But new healthy fast food chains are also seizing the opportunity to compete with legacy brands, creating low-caloriemenus for similarprices. These new chains are regional (for now), but they'regrowing in popularity. Check them out below.SEE ALSO:See inside this vertical farm where 65,000 pounds of lettuce grow each year in shipping containersLeon ' a European fast food chain that's coming to the USThe London-based fast-food chain Leon offers wraps, salads, sandwiches, and bowls made from fresh ingredients.Launched in 2004, Leonnow has almost 50 restaurants in the United Kindom and Netherlands.After a $31 million funding boost in 2017, the companyannouncedit will expand to the US market.Leon foundersJohn Vincent, Henry Dimbleby, and Allegra McEvedy have said that their long-term goal is to become more valuable than McDonald's.Salad and Go ' A drive-thru salad chainSalad and Go sells 48-ounce saladsforaround $6, as well assoups, smoothies, and breakfast items for around $4.The brandis trying to rival more established drive-thruchains by making the ordering experience fast and convenient,cofounderRoushan Christofellis told Business Insider.Sincelaunching inthe fall of 2016, Salad and Go nowhas six locations in Arizona, with plans to open eight more by 2018 and to expand elsewhere in the US by 2020.LYFE Kitchen ' A healthy chain backed by Oprah's former personal chefFounded in 2011 in Palo Alto, California, LYFE has 20locations in sixstates (California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Tennessee, and Texas).While the chain doesn't explicitly brand itself as healthy, everything on the menu containsless than 600 calories and 1,000 mg of sodium, and the dishes are free ofhigh-fructose corn syrup, butter, cream, trans fats, MSG, andpreservatives. Most items cost less than $10.As noted by First We Feast, LYFE is backed by Art Smith,Oprahs former personal chef, who has also appeared on "Top Chef."See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Click here to read full news..