Fast Food Eating Guide
If you're not on a diet a few simple changes and some critical thinking can enable you to have an healthier fast food experience (and maybe prevent you from needing to go on a diet). It is also possible to occasionally eat at fast food places while on a diet.
Many fast food places have their nutritional information available in the restaurant. Sometimes you can find pamphlets on the wall or off to the side of the restaurant, other times they have them behind the counter and you need to ask. However, it's easier to just check online at places like Calorie King that have a good deal of nutritional information.
Some casual dining places, like Applebee's and Chili's have light menus that can be good to order from, however casual dining places are beyond the scope of this article.
General tips:
1. Chicken items are better than beef items - less calories and less fat.
2. Grilled items are better than fried items - again, less calories and less fat.
3. French Fries are not good for you - all the nutritional value has been cooked out.
4. Non-diet sodas - the worse thing you can consume from an empty calories standpoint since they're 100% sugar.
5. Fast food desserts should generally be avoided - much too high in fat and sugar.
6. Buffets should be avoided unless you have very high will power.
7. Be careful with salads - With the salad dressing and/or other ingredients (cheese, chili, beans, meat, etc) used on many salads you'd be better off eating a cheeseburger.
Specific Restaurant Tips:
Arby's:
Don't eat: The Market Fresh sandwiches, subs, fries, Sidekickers (jalapeño bites, cheese sticks, potato skins), and desserts. Also, if you're a salad eater don't get any of the ranch dressings (high fat).
Do eat: The Regular and Medium Roast Beef sandwiches, the Ham and Swiss, and the Arby's Melt are all pretty good, and the grilled chicken sandwiches are a step down from those but still good for fast food.
Burger King:
Don't eat: Pretty much everything.
Do eat: Should you find yourself trapped in a Burger King you can limit the damage by getting a fire-grilled burger (no doubles or triples) and/or a salad with no dressing if you're really desperate.
Chick-fil-A
Don't eat: Most of the salad dressings and some of the dipping sauces (Ranch, Polynesian, and Honey Roasted BBQ) as well as the deserts.
Do eat: The Chargrilled Chicken sandwich is about the healthiest things in fast food to eat (270 calories and only 3 fat grams), and the original Chick-fil-A sandwich is decent (410 calories though a bit high in fat).
KFC:
Don't eat: Most of the sandwiches, pot pies, bowls, wings, some sides (fries, potato wedges, macaroni, potato salad, cole slaw, biscuit - all high fat), and the desserts. Also, all the salad dressings except the fat free one.
Do eat: The Snackers aren't too bad, with the Honey BBQ one easily the best. Original Recipe chicken is ok, and it's very good if you eat it without the skin. For sides, green beans, rice, corn, and baked beans are all good. A meal of de-skinned Original Recipe chicken, rice and green beans would be the healthiest fast food meal I could think of.
McDonald's: (Jack in the Box, Wendy's and Whataburger are fairly similar to McDonald's and Burger King)
Don't eat: Pretty much everything.
Do eat: The Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich is pretty good, and some of the other chicken sandwiches aren't complete disasters. It may also be possible to get a healthier salad if you're careful.
Pizza Hut:
Don't eat: All the side items, Stuffed Crust pizzas, and more than 2, or at the very most 3, medium slices of pizza (thin crust being the best).
Do eat: A few slices of the Fit N' Delicious line of pizzas makes a good meal. Personal Pan pizzas, although not particular healthy, do make a decent meal by limited the serving size.
Subway:
Don't eat: Cookies, mayonnaise, and the Ranch Dressing should be avoided. The Meatball, Tuna, Seafood, Cold Cuts, and the Italian BMT subs are high in fat.
Do eat: Most of the subs other than listed above are pretty good.
Taco Bell:
Don't eat: The Nachos, Grilled Stuft Burritos, and Border Bowls should be probably be avoided (high fat). Also don't eat the salad as it has 45 grams of fat (even without the shell it has more fat than an Mexican Pizza).
Do eat: Most of the rest of Taco Bell's food is decent. The key is not to eat too many items. 2 small items (Chapluas, Gorditas, some Burritos, Tacos), or 1 larger item like a Mexican Pizza or a Crunch Wrap is a decent meal. You can also order most things "fresco style" which makes them lower in fat (and calories).
Taco Bueno:
Don't eat: Mucho Nachos - at over 1400 calories and with 149% of the daily recommended fat intake these nachos are an amazing achievement. But you probably shouldn't eat them. In addition, their salads, which are over 700 calories and get over 60% of their calories from fat get placed here. Since I couldn't find information for the platters, it's likely those are better off avoided as well.
Do eat: Chicken Soft Taco - at 184 calories and 8 grams of fat, 2 or 3 of these make a decent meal (at least by fast food standards). Unfortunately, they seemed to have discounted the Fajita tacos. Tostadas and the Tostada Soup are also decent things to eat.
Conclusion
It is possible to eat fast food on a diet (sparingly) or to work fast food into a normal healthy lifestyle. Choices at these places can make a big difference however. For example, if once a week you eat:
A Big Mac, Large Fries, and a Large Coke (1440 calories) from Mc Donald's
Instead of a Chick-Fil-A Classic Sandwich, a Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich, and a Diet Soda (680 calories) from Chick-Fil-A
You'll eat an extra 39,520 calories a year. For a "normal" sized person this would bean extra 11 pounds added to their weight if it wasn't exercised off.
Technorati tags: Diet Fast Food Eating Guide Healthy Eating Guide Healthy Lifestyle
Many fast food places have their nutritional information available in the restaurant. Sometimes you can find pamphlets on the wall or off to the side of the restaurant, other times they have them behind the counter and you need to ask. However, it's easier to just check online at places like Calorie King that have a good deal of nutritional information.
Some casual dining places, like Applebee's and Chili's have light menus that can be good to order from, however casual dining places are beyond the scope of this article.
General tips:
1. Chicken items are better than beef items - less calories and less fat.
2. Grilled items are better than fried items - again, less calories and less fat.
3. French Fries are not good for you - all the nutritional value has been cooked out.
4. Non-diet sodas - the worse thing you can consume from an empty calories standpoint since they're 100% sugar.
5. Fast food desserts should generally be avoided - much too high in fat and sugar.
6. Buffets should be avoided unless you have very high will power.
7. Be careful with salads - With the salad dressing and/or other ingredients (cheese, chili, beans, meat, etc) used on many salads you'd be better off eating a cheeseburger.
Specific Restaurant Tips:
Arby's:
Don't eat: The Market Fresh sandwiches, subs, fries, Sidekickers (jalapeño bites, cheese sticks, potato skins), and desserts. Also, if you're a salad eater don't get any of the ranch dressings (high fat).
Do eat: The Regular and Medium Roast Beef sandwiches, the Ham and Swiss, and the Arby's Melt are all pretty good, and the grilled chicken sandwiches are a step down from those but still good for fast food.
Burger King:
Don't eat: Pretty much everything.
Do eat: Should you find yourself trapped in a Burger King you can limit the damage by getting a fire-grilled burger (no doubles or triples) and/or a salad with no dressing if you're really desperate.
Chick-fil-A
Don't eat: Most of the salad dressings and some of the dipping sauces (Ranch, Polynesian, and Honey Roasted BBQ) as well as the deserts.
Do eat: The Chargrilled Chicken sandwich is about the healthiest things in fast food to eat (270 calories and only 3 fat grams), and the original Chick-fil-A sandwich is decent (410 calories though a bit high in fat).
KFC:
Don't eat: Most of the sandwiches, pot pies, bowls, wings, some sides (fries, potato wedges, macaroni, potato salad, cole slaw, biscuit - all high fat), and the desserts. Also, all the salad dressings except the fat free one.
Do eat: The Snackers aren't too bad, with the Honey BBQ one easily the best. Original Recipe chicken is ok, and it's very good if you eat it without the skin. For sides, green beans, rice, corn, and baked beans are all good. A meal of de-skinned Original Recipe chicken, rice and green beans would be the healthiest fast food meal I could think of.
McDonald's: (Jack in the Box, Wendy's and Whataburger are fairly similar to McDonald's and Burger King)
Don't eat: Pretty much everything.
Do eat: The Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich is pretty good, and some of the other chicken sandwiches aren't complete disasters. It may also be possible to get a healthier salad if you're careful.
Pizza Hut:
Don't eat: All the side items, Stuffed Crust pizzas, and more than 2, or at the very most 3, medium slices of pizza (thin crust being the best).
Do eat: A few slices of the Fit N' Delicious line of pizzas makes a good meal. Personal Pan pizzas, although not particular healthy, do make a decent meal by limited the serving size.
Subway:
Don't eat: Cookies, mayonnaise, and the Ranch Dressing should be avoided. The Meatball, Tuna, Seafood, Cold Cuts, and the Italian BMT subs are high in fat.
Do eat: Most of the subs other than listed above are pretty good.
Taco Bell:
Don't eat: The Nachos, Grilled Stuft Burritos, and Border Bowls should be probably be avoided (high fat). Also don't eat the salad as it has 45 grams of fat (even without the shell it has more fat than an Mexican Pizza).
Do eat: Most of the rest of Taco Bell's food is decent. The key is not to eat too many items. 2 small items (Chapluas, Gorditas, some Burritos, Tacos), or 1 larger item like a Mexican Pizza or a Crunch Wrap is a decent meal. You can also order most things "fresco style" which makes them lower in fat (and calories).
Taco Bueno:
Don't eat: Mucho Nachos - at over 1400 calories and with 149% of the daily recommended fat intake these nachos are an amazing achievement. But you probably shouldn't eat them. In addition, their salads, which are over 700 calories and get over 60% of their calories from fat get placed here. Since I couldn't find information for the platters, it's likely those are better off avoided as well.
Do eat: Chicken Soft Taco - at 184 calories and 8 grams of fat, 2 or 3 of these make a decent meal (at least by fast food standards). Unfortunately, they seemed to have discounted the Fajita tacos. Tostadas and the Tostada Soup are also decent things to eat.
Conclusion
It is possible to eat fast food on a diet (sparingly) or to work fast food into a normal healthy lifestyle. Choices at these places can make a big difference however. For example, if once a week you eat:
A Big Mac, Large Fries, and a Large Coke (1440 calories) from Mc Donald's
Instead of a Chick-Fil-A Classic Sandwich, a Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich, and a Diet Soda (680 calories) from Chick-Fil-A
You'll eat an extra 39,520 calories a year. For a "normal" sized person this would bean extra 11 pounds added to their weight if it wasn't exercised off.
Technorati tags: Diet Fast Food Eating Guide Healthy Eating Guide Healthy Lifestyle
posted by Freethinker at 8:31:00 PM
2 Comments:
Did you ever watch the movie Supersize Me?
Nope.
Should I?
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