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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The dollar menu is becoming more and more common during the recession, but is it worth it to your pocketbook and your health?

To find out, I conducted an experiment. For a full week, my diet consisted of only items off dollar menus at fast food restaurants.

Dollar menu items can typically be same-brand burgers, just smaller. So, in many cases, the "value" comes in a smaller portion size.

I ate at various restaurants, including McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic, Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and Del Taco.

I averaged 3000-4000 calories per day and about 155g fat per day, both well above the recommended limit. I was supervised by Dr. Anthony Vecchiarelli with Pine Ridge Family Medicine in Colorado Springs.

A fast food diet normally consists of high calorie, high fat and high cholesterol foods. After a week, I had gained about five pounds, but a laser body scan through Dexa Diagnostics showed an increase of 2 percentage points in body fat.

However, dollar menu and fast food will not have the extreme results if eaten in moderation. A normal, healthy person can eat fast food without serious side effects, as long as it is not all the time.

Overall, you may feel like you are getting a better value, but the value can include smaller portion sizes and a high fat diet. 

Many restaurants did have some healthier alternatives on the dollar menu. 

For complete nutritional information, visit the restaurants' respective Web sites.

Matthew Kruger is a meterologist at FOX21 News who also likes to search out unusual stories and other oddities.