Q: Are there any healthy fast food choices?

A: Whether you are watching calories, salt intake or fat, fast food restaurants are not the best place to eat a healthy meal. But there are some healthy fast food choices, and fast food restaurants are adding new, healthier menu choices every day. In general, my advice is to avoid fast food restaurants but if needs must here are some ways to make healthier fast food choices.

 

Instead of chips, whenever possible, choose a lower calorie side dish, such as a salad. Many fast food chains have added some very tasty salads to their menus.  But beware! Salads, in general, are healthy. But those added options like cheese and bacon bits and creamy salad dressings can undo all your good healthy fast food intentions. In fact, condiments and sauces, in general, add unhealthy fast food calories, so if you must have them, get them on the side and use them sparingly. This includes such items as cheese sauce, tartar sauce and gravy.  Eliminate the sour cream on the baked potato, the mayonnaise on the sandwich. Go for the veggies – extra lettuce, cucumber and tomato, onions and pickles.

 

Whole wheat is better than white bread and, generally speaking, a wrap will have fewer calories than a sandwich. Chicken nuggets are one of the most unhealthy fast food choices you can make, along with breakfast sandwiches, fried meats, fries and onion rings.

 

Another source of empty and unhealthy fast food calories is the drink. A large cola contains 310 calories!  A glass of water with a lemon wedge or two can be a refreshing option.

 

Finally, keep in mind that less is always better than more. Buy the smaller sizes, even if it means buying off the children’s menu. No super sizing! If you are fortunate enough to have someone you can share your food with, even better, since most fast food and other restaurant meals contain twice as much food (and therefore, twice as many calories) as should be consumed for a meal.

 

Although it’s always best to drive or walk past fast food restaurants if there is no other option with a little planning and a little thought, you can make healthy fast food choices regardless of where you are eating.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 1:50 am and is filed under Ask Marilyn, Nutrition and Healthy Eating. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.