Healthy eating at a fast food restaurant sounds like an impossibility to many. With the focus on changing our diets to include healthier food choices, people are straying from fast food restaurants and staying home. Time-consuming schedules still keep the appeal of dining out quickly, and the good news is that many fast food restaurants now offer healthy options.
Arby’s
Arby’s offers a Light Menu with three offerings. The “Light Grilled Chicken’ contains 5 grams of fat, which isn’t too bad. There is also the “Light Roast Chicken Deluxe” or “Light Roast Turkey Deluxe.” Instead of any fries, instead order their side or garden salad. The side salad contains no fat and the garden salad contains one gram of fat because of the croutons. Arby’s offers a no-fat Buttermilk Ranch dressing. Their Low-Calorie Italian and Honey French contain one gram of fat.
Burger King offers a few healthy items. The BK Chicken Broiler contains 8 grams of fat if you ask for no mayonnaise. Burger King also offers a garden salad on their dollar menu that is fat-free if you forgo the salad dressing and croutons.
Dairy Queen’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich contains 10 grams of fat. It’s not a bad choice if you skip the mayonnaise. The Grilled Chicken Salad is the only acceptable salad from their menu. Served with low-fat Italian dressing, the salad contains 9 grams of fat.
At Dunkin Donuts, you need to avoid the high in fat donuts and muffins. Instead, purchase a bagel and ignore the temptation of the cream cheese. Bagels at Dunkin Donuts range from 2.5 grams of fat (Plain, Everything, and Garlic) to 4.5 grams (Onion, Wheat, and Sesame.) Ask for skim milk in your coffee instead of the fattier half-and-half that Dunkin Donuts loves to use.
Jack In the Box
The Chicken Teriyaki bowl at Jack in the Box contains a mere 3 grams of fat. If your location offers it, it is a healthy option. Otherwise, stick to the side salad with one of their low-fat dressing offerings. Then you are keeping the fat count to less than 5 grams.
KFC
The Tender Roast Sandwich served without the sauce at KFC contains 5 grams of fat. For a side, corn on the cob or mean greens are the best low fat options with fat counts of less than 3 grams.
McDonalds
McDonalds offers a low-fat apple bran muffin that contains 3 grams of fat. This is the only acceptable breakfast item. Their Chicken McGrill served without mayonnaise contains 7 grams of fat. The Chef Salad contains 8 grams of fat, while the Garden Salad contains 6 grams of fat. The fat count in these salads comes from the dressing and croutons, by eliminating these options; you can cut the fat count down. Try a Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait. This yummy treat contains a total fat count of 5 grams; you can cut a fat gram if you skip the granola.
Little at Pizza Hut is low in fat, but a slice of their Veggie Lover’s Pizza (Thin ‘n Crispy crust) contains 7 grams of fat. This is a far more acceptable option to those on a low-fat diet.
Quiznos
The small Turkey Lite and Honey Bourbon Chicken at Quiznos contain 6 grams of fat. Load them up with veggies and hold any sauces. The Side Garden Salad is a good choice providing you watch the dressing. The other salads may look tempting, but on average, they contain over 20 grams of fat without the dressing, so avoid them! Even the small Veggie Lite contains 5 grams of fat without any dressing. In general, Quiznos has been rather deceptive on providing nutritional information on their sandwiches. They are not a reliable place when looking to cut fat.
Subway
When eating at Subway, stick to these sandwiches. The Honey Mustard Turkey contains 3.5 grams of fat. The Ham contains 4.5 grams of fat, as do the Roast Beef or Turkey Breast & Ham. The Roasted Chicken Breast contains 6 grams of fat. The Subway Club contains 5 grams of fat. The Turkey Breast contains 3.5 grams of fat. All of Subway’s salads contain less than 5 grams of fat. Load your sandwiches up with veggies and avoid the mayonnaise or olive oil blend dressings.
The Soft Chicken Taco and plain nachos are the only items on Taco Bell’s menu with a fat count of less than 10. The Soft Chicken Taco contains beneficial nutrients, so this is the best option if you are eating at Taco Bell.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich contains 7 grams of fat if you hold the mayonnaise. Alternately, the Caesar Side Salad, Side Salad, Deluxe Garden Salad, and Grilled Chicken Salad contain less than 7 grams of fat. Stick with the low-fat French dressing and these salads are good alternatives. A small order of chili contains 7 grams of fat and the Sour Cream & Chive Baked Potato contains 5 grams of fat. A plain baked potato is fat free.
It is difficult to eat healthy at fast food restaurants, but by choosing these menu options, you will not have to worry about spoiling your diet.
