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McDonald’s new relationship with Weight Watchers in its 150 New Zealand stores is drawing heat from critics who question the nutritional value of many of the chain’s foods.

Under the agreement announced this week, McDonald’s uses the Weight Watchers logo to promote three meals it says each have only 6 ½ points under the diet program’s guidelines. These include a Sweet Chili Seared-Chicken Wrap Meal (with medium diet soda or water), Six-Pack Chicken McNugget Meal (with Garden Side Salad and diet soda or water) and a Filet-O-Fish Meal (with Garden Side Salad, diet soda or water).

On its New Zealand site, McDonald’s explains the partnership by saying it has been on a “journey of change” to increase choice on its menu and make some dishes more healthful. Weight Watchers has worked with the Applebee’s chain since 2003 to develop and serve program-approved meals.

Predictably, the partnership brought immediate howls from critics of  food served at McDonald’s and other quick-service restaurants. “It’s all about sales really,” according to Jane Martin, senior advisor to the Australian Obesity Policy Coalition and apparently a recent graduate of Marketing 101. “It implies the food is healthy … when often it is high in fat and salt. Chicken McNuggets are Chicken McNuggets whether its got Weight Watchers on it or not.”

Nutrition data doesn’t support such hysteria, however. A McNugget six-pack has 280 calories, 17 grams of fat and 600 grams of sodium, none of which are alarmingly high under daily recommendations. Yes, that side salad adds another 10 mg of sodium. Still, other critics expressed concerns that promoting the low-calorie Weight Watcher meals will entice consumers to sample other McDonald’s foods that may be higher is calories, fat or sodium.

McDonald’s says it currently has no plans to do similar Weight Watchers partnerships in other countries, but if it performs well in New Zealand, an expansion is likely to be considered.