Healthy Options at Fast Food Restaurants

We are always busy and on the go, but that shouldn’t be an excuse to poorly fuel our bodies. If you don’t have the time to cook every meal at home, pack food for the entire day, or go grocery shopping once a week, going through the drive through at your favorite fast food restaurant is a great way to get a quick meal. It’s not always easy to pick out the healthiest options at fast food restaurants, so I’m here to help you! 

A few things to remember: 

1.     Most fast food restaurants have their nutrition facts online. I recommend looking at this before ordering so you know the amount of calories, macronutrients, and sodium you are eating.

2.     Pick something that contains fruits or veggies and a decent amount of protein. 

3.     Most foods are cooked in additional oils and contain more fat. You may ask for it to be cooked without oil.

4.     Create your meal to have a protein (lean meat), carbohydrate (fruit, veggies, whole grain), and healthy fat source (avocado, olive oil, peanut butter). 

5.     Pay attention to the amount of sodium. Most fast food places have a lot of sodium, so if you eat out for a meal try to reduce the amount of sodium in the rest of your meals for the day. 

6.     A salad is not always the healthiest choice. Dressings and toppings can add a lot of calories. Ask for dressing on the side and pick one with a protein source and veggies.

7.     Order drinks with little to no calories. E.g. water, coffee, diet soda

My favorite fast food places to eat with healthy options are: Chick-Fil-A, Subway, Wendy’s, Chipotle, and Starbucks. 

Chick-Fil-A: https://www.chick-fil-a.com/nutrition-allergens

Breakfast

1.     Egg White Grill (300 kcal) 

2.     Greek Yogurt Parfait (270 kcal)

Lunch

1.     Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/ honey BBQ sauce (330 kcal)

(may add Grilled Nuggets (110 kcal) for more protein)

Superfood Salad (140 kcal) 

Diet Lemonade (50 kcal)

Subway: 

https://www.subway.com › Documents › Nutrition › US_Nutrition_Values

*there are many options here, below is my lunch favorite. Remember lean protein, veggies, carbohydrate source, & healthy fat source

            1. Spinach Wrap (290 kcal) or 6” Honey Oat Bread (190)

    Deli Turkey (4 slices/100 kcal) 

    Fat Free Honey Mustard (20 kcal) 

    Avocado (60 kcal) 

    American Cheese (40 kcal) 

    Lettuce (2 kcal) 

    Tomato (5 kcal)

Wendy’s: https://menu.wendys.com/en_US/categories/

1.     Grilled Chicken Sandwich (370 kcal) 

2.     Grilled Chicken Wrap (300 kcal) 

3.     Half Apple Pecan Chicken Salad (340 kcal) 

4.     Half Parmesan Caesar Chicken Salad (320 kcal) 

Sides

1.     Side of Apple Bites (35 kcal) 

2.     Side of Large Chili (250 kcal) 

Starbucks: https://www.starbucks.com/menu

1.     Black coffee (hot or iced) w/ almond milk & 2 Splenda (40 kcal) 

2.     Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon & Cage Free Egg White Sandwich (230 kcal) 

3.     Spinach, Feta, & Cage Free Egg White Wrap (280 kcal) 

4.     Cheese & Egg Protein Box (470 kcal) 

5.     Seasoned Turkey & Green Pepper Pico (390 kcal) 

Chipotle: https://order.chipotle.com/entree/bowl

1.     White Rice (210 kcal) 

Chicken (180 kcal) 

Black Beans (130 kcal) 

Fajita Veggies (20 kcal) 

Fresh Tomato Salsa (25 kcal)

Roasted Chili Corn Salsa (80 kcal) 

Lettuce (5 kcal) 

            Sour Cream (110 kcal)

AB