"jamba juice" news and stories

The In-N-Out Animal Style. Photo: kaba, Flickr.

It is the stuff of fast-food chain legend: a secret menu known only to those insiders brave enough to order outside the listed menu. Tales of "animal-style fries" and Starbucks' secret "short" size abound, but which of these are real and which will merely earn you a quizzical stare from the cashier?

Ditch the risk of disappointment and become a fast-food insider with Slashfood's list of some top-secret menu items at well-known restaurants near you.

German Potato Salad Photo: YumSugar

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

Nothing says summer like the starchy deliciousness of potato salad.

Muy delicioso! Grocery stores are pulling Mexican fare out of the specialty aisle and into the market proper.

Calling all vamps: YumSugar makes a toothsome red velvet sandwich to celebrate the new season of "True Blood."

Jamba Juice adds food to their menu; look for ready-made wraps and flatbread.

Which international cuisine do you make at home frequently?

Forget store-bought -- make basic croutons for your summer salads.

Berry Booze: Strawberry-infused vodka plus Limoncello and sparkling wine equals Pink Torpedoes.

Smoothies won't be the only thing on Jamba Juice's menu beginning Monday.

We knew that Jamba had dabbled with oatmeal and boasted a secret menu, but now the chain will begin selling a full lineup of wraps, sandwiches and salads at 222 California locations on June 15. A nationwide rollout of the "Grab and Go" line will follow later this year.

Just in time for weather hitting record low temperatures (at least in New York City), Jamba Juice announced their national rollout of their new Steel Cut Oatmeal with Fruit menu items this morning. Taking a full 40 minutes to prepare (but available to customers immediately), Jamba's oatmeal comes with a choice of three real fruit toppings: blueberry-blackberry, apple cinnamon or fresh bananas.

Adding to their already nutritious and wholesome menu, these small pints of oatmeal are sure to give Starbucks a run for their money with their rivaling whole-grain oatmeal with dried fruit. Getting a hold of a sample ourselves, I can honestly say I was impressed. The oats were plump and could instantly tell the difference between instant oatmeal made with boiling water and these oats, which are simmered over a period of time. The fruit topping was not too sweet and the brown sugar crumble simply put on smile on my face (who doesn't love crumble).

I recently posted a list of the 88 worst fast food items. That list was based on the amount of trans fats in various fast foods. Now Men's Health has weighed in and picked the 20 Worst Foods in America, and this list is based not only on fats but also calories, sodium, and carbs.

Obviously, when you're talking fast food, a lot of it is going to be bad for you, but I guess it's good to have a list of specific foods and categories. For example, they name the McDonald's Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips (5 pieces) witih Ranch Dressing as the Worst Fast Food Chicken Meal. The Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie gets the Worst Drink nod. It's 900 calories, with 10 grams of fat and 166 grams of sugar.

What foods on the list do you regularly eat?