Can fast food and healthful dining go together? nutrition experts typically recommend limiting fast food, citing its lack of vegetables and link to a growing waistline. But surprise! Armed with the right information and careful attention to nutrition facts, you can choose a meal rich in nutrients and moderate in calories. We’ve compiled some of the best and worst fast food choices, so next time you’ve got back-to-back appointments and no time to cook, you can make a trip to the drive-thru with confidence. Don’t make fast food an everyday habit, however, because the sodium is nearly always sky high and the choices in your own kitchen are surely better.
KFC
Skip this: Chicken Pot Pie
790 calories, 37 g saturated fat (2 – 3 whole day’s worth of this unhealthful fat), 1970 mg sodium
Enjoy this: Grilled Chicken Breast
220 calories, 2 g saturated fat, 730 mg sodium
Round out your meal with two veggies sides.
Mashed potatoes
90 calories, 0.5 g saturated fat, 320 mg sodium
Green beans
25 calories, 0 fat, 260 mg sodium
McDonald’s
Skip this: Big Breakfast with Hotcakes
1090 calories, 19 g saturated fat, 2150 mg sodium.
Hotcake syrup adds 180 calories and 20 mg sodium
Enjoy this: Egg White Delight McMuffin
250 calories, 3 g saturated fat, 770 mg sodium
Round out your meal with dairy and fruit.
Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait
150 calories, 1 g saturated fat, 70 mg sodium
Subway
Skip this: 6” Spicy Italian Sub
480 calories, 9 g saturated fat, 1490 mg sodium
Enjoy this: 6” Oven Roasted Chicken
310 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat, 560 mg sodium, and ask for extra veggies on your sandwich.
Round out your meal with a cup of soup.
Minestrone
90 calories, 0 saturated fat, 740 mg sodium
Taco Bell
Skip this: Smothered Burrito – Beef
700 calories, 13 g saturated fat, 2260 mg sodium
Enjoy this: Fresco Burrito Supreme® – Chicken
330 calories, 2.5 g saturated fat, 1090 mg sodium
Round out your meal with a side order of beans.
Black beans
80 calories, 0 saturated fat, 200 mg sodium
Wendy’s
Skip this: Baconator®
970 calories, 23 g saturated fat, 1890 mg sodium
Enjoy this: Jr. Hamburger
250 calories, 4 g saturated fat, 600 mg sodium
Round out your meal with a side salad and fruit.
Garden Side Salad
20 calories, 0 fat, 30 mg sodium
Light Classic Ranch Salad Dressing
50 calories, 1 g saturated fat, 160 mg sodium
Apple Slices
40 calories, 0 fat, 0 sodium
Even the most health-conscious folks sometimes find themselves scrambling for a quick meal. How can you avoid the all-too-common calorie and saturated fat landmines?
PORTION CONTROL
Stay away from large portions, says Jo “Dr. Jo” Lichten, PhD, RD, author of “Eat Out Healthy.” Even people who think they aren’t influenced by the amount of food in front of them, really are. If you have more food than you need, “throw away some of those fries on the way to the table–easier than testing your willpower,” she adds.
WATCH DIPS & GOOS
Next, says Lichten, “avoid ooze.” All those sauces and cheese-y things add up. Mayonnaise adds 100 calories per tablespoon. Even ketchup at only 20 calories per tablespoon rings up a hefty amount of calories if you dip every french fry.
OVEN LOVIN’
Choose baked and broiled instead of fried foods to save additional fats and calories.
PLAN AHEAD
Your best bet for safely navigating a fast food menu is to check out the nutrition information before ordering–even better is to check it out before heading to the restaurant. Once you’ve learned the best options in each of your favorite fast food places, note them in your smartphone or on an index card so you’ll always know what to order.
