Travel Week Part IV: Best Bets in Fast Food

You're driving home from a meeting that was an hour outside of town, and you're starving! You glance over and see something on the floor of the passenger seat. Reaching down, you find a granola bar with the expiration date: May, 2008. You think about it, but then, like a light house on the shore, you spot the Golden Arches. Thank god!!!! Oh, but wait. You think how you've been doing so well eating healthy, and you really don't want to ruin it. Resorting back to your original plan, you slowly peel back the top of the granola wrapper, hesitantly move it into your mouth, and take a bite! OHHHHHHH - UGH! GOOD GOD!!! GROSS! HELP!!! WATER!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!
Moral of the story: you should have just gone to McDonald's.
There are some choices out there that won't make or break your healthy eating habits, and if you get in a crunch, you're going to be just fine. When eating fast food, the best things you can do are 1. control your portion sizes, 2. skip the fried options, and 3. get veggies anyway you can. Here are the best options at 4 popular fast food locations:

ARBY'S

- top all sandwiches with all vegetable options: lettuce, tomato, and onion

Regular Roast Beef Sandwich: 350 Calories 13g Fat 23g Protein  

Chicken Fillet Sandwich - Roast: 400 Calories 16g Fat 24g Protein

Arby's Melt: 320 Calories 11g Fat 18g Protein

Chopped Farmhouse Salad - Turkey and Ham: 250 Calories 14g Fat 23g Protein

McDONALD'S

- top all sandwiches with all vegetable options: lettuce, tomato, and onion

Hamburger - Plain:  250 Calories 9g Fat 12g Protein

Grilled Chicken Sandwich: 420 Calories 10g Fat 32g Protein

Grilled Snack Wrap: 260-330 Calories 9-10g Fat 18g Protein

Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken: 320 Calories 9g Fat 30g Protein

Creamy Southwest Dressing: 100 Calories 6g Fat

Low-fat Balsamic Vinaigrette: 40 Calories 3g Fat

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait: 160 Calories 2g Fat 4g Protein

TACO BELL

From Fresco Menu:

Grilled Steak Soft Taco: 160 Calories 4.5g Fat 9g Protein

Chicken/Steak Supreme Burrito: 340 Calories 8g Fat 17g Protein

Bean Burrito: 340 Calories 8g Fat 12g Protein

From Regular Menu:

Soft Chicken Taco 190 Calories 6g Fat 13g Protein

Soft Beef Taco 210 Calories 9g Fat 10g Protein

WENDY'S

- top all sandwich options will all vegetable options: lettuce, tomato, and onion

Jr. Hamburger: 220 Calories 7g Fat 18g Protein (note: you can have 2 Jr. burgers for less calories than a single)
Small Chili: 220 Calories 7g Fat 18g Protein

Ultimate Chicken Grill: 370 Calories 7g Fat 34g Protein

Grilled Chicken Go-Wrap: 230 Calories 10g Fat 20g Protein

Garden Salad with Light Ranch: 160 Calories 7g Fat 4g Protein


If you know you're going to eat fast food, look up the best options ahead of time. That way, if you get in a crunch, you now what to choose!!