What You Should Know Before Eating A&W's Cheese Curds
If someone asked you about A&W, chances are you'd probably think of a root beer brand. While that's not incorrect, A&W is also a fast food restaurant. Born from a simple root beer stand in Lodi, California in 1919, and named after company owners Roy Allen and Frank Wright (via A&W Restaurants), the chain now has 522 U.S. locations across 39 states (via ScrapeHero). Branded as "All American Food," the company serves up burgers, fries, root beer (obviously!) — and cheese curds.
Cheese curds, for those who may not be aware, are small nuggets of curdled milk with a famous cheesy taste. Whether served "raw" or fried, cheese curds make a "squeaky" sound when eaten. They are popular in the U.S. Midwest and Canada, and served at a few fast food places such as Culver's.
Cheese curds might seem like a surprising, but nonetheless welcome addition to A&W's menu of house-made root beer and burgers. But no matter if you're a fan of A&W's little balls of cheddar or in the mood to try some right now, you'll probably want to know what exactly is in those bite-sized hunks of cheese.
A&W's cheese curds can have up to 1,400 calories
While fried cheese might not be the first thing you think of when someone mentions nutritious food, one could justify getting a large order of curds by saying that it's not as unhealthy as a burger and fries. But, according to A&W's Nutrition Guide, a single large order of its cheese curds measures in at 1,400 calories, 40 grams of fat, and an astounding 2,440 grams of sodium. Quite an impressive amount for something so small.
For comparison, the chain's Double Bacon Cheeseburger clocks in at 647 calories, 41 grams of fat, and 1,923 grams of sodium (via CalorieKing). An order of fries would count up to 390 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 550 grams of sodium (via Fast Food Nutrition). Putting them together comes to 1,037 calories, 59 grams of fat, and 2,473 grams of sodium — still with less calories and a similar amount of sodium as the cheese curds.
This isn't to say that A&W's cheese curds are bad. If you like them, however, perhaps it's best to eat them in moderation.