When you find yourself having to eat out on a regular basis, it’s helpful to know where to turn for that healthy snack or meal. If the McDonald’s drive-thru is all you have available, there are still plenty of ways to stick to your healthy lifestyle. By choosing the right foods! Don’t be too quick to cross off cheeseburgers, Cobb salads, or even the Egg McMuffin off your list; surprisingly enough, all of these foods have considerably low calories and fat grams compared to many gourmet sandwiches and salads at competing fast food venues.
The next time you hear, ‘would you like fries with that?’ you can confidently say no by ordering a few health-conscious offerings availble on that McDonald’s menu board:
For breakfast on the run, the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin isn’t as bad as it may look at 290 calories and 11 g of fat, you’ll be able to get through the morning without worrying too much about calorie control. If you prefer something lighter, go ahead and order the scrambled eggs; at 180 calories and 11 g of fat, you get plenty of protein to kickstart your day.
Enjoy the California Cobb Salad with grilled chicken at McDonald’s, and you’ll be taking in just 260 calories and 11 g of fat. Add a fat-free dressing and each serving amounts to about 40 to 60 calories per packet. The Cobb salad is a nice mix of lettuce, boiled eggs carrots and tomatoes; grilled chicken will give you plenty of protein, and you can rest assured that you got a nice serving of greens for the meal.
When you’ve got to have that beef patty with cheese, go ahead and enjoy a classic McDonald’s Cheeseburger. With just 310 calories and 12 g of fat. You can balance out the rest of your day by eating a salad, yogurts, and light snacks! While you don’t want this to be a daily habits, it’s helpful to know that it won’t tip the scales anytime soon.
Order yourself, The Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken, and you’ll enjoy the best of both worlds with just 240 calories and 9 g of fat. The Bacon Ranch Salad is one of McDonald’s most popular salads, and can also be ordered without grilled chicken if you prefer to become a very low-cal salad at just 130 calories. Try it with Newman’s own Low-Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing for variation to add 90 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, or with the Creamy Southwest Dressing adding 100 calories and 6 g of fat.
For that mid afternoon pick me up pick up a small POWERade Mountain Blast for a sweet treat of 100 calories. These drinks include electrolytes and natural sugars to give you some steady energy, and are an easy way to get you through to the next meal.
When that sweet tooth just won’t subside, your best bets are the Fruit’n’Yogurt Parfait with granola or the McDonald’s Apple Dippers with Low-Fat Caramel. McDonald’s Fruit’n’Yogurt Parfait is just 160 calories and 2 g of fat per serving, while at order of Apple Dippers with Caramel Dip amounts to just 100 calories and 2.5 g of fat.
Healthy eating is still a possibility when you’re on the run and find yourself pulling in at the McDonald’s drive-thru Planning ahead is your best bet for sticking to it your healthy eating goals, and you’ll even get to enjoy some fresh items you once thought were off-limits!
