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Diet-Smart Take OutFast But Not Fattening
You don't necessarily have to avoid the drive thru window anymore.
Here are 42 diet-smart choices for healthy fast foods. What's going on in the land of milkshakes and honey barbecue chicken nuggets?
Though fast-food restaurants are not exactly garnishing burgers with Broccoli-Sprouts just yet, they suddenly seem to have discovered a degree of healthier products.
In 2004, McDonald's gave out pedometers and fitness guides from Oprah's personal trainer.
Burger King, home of the Whopper, offered a veggie burger with reduced fat mayonnaise.
Even Pizza Hut had a Fit 'n Delicious line.
Scan your favorite fast-food menus, and you may find nearly as many salads as sandwiches.
There are probably all sorts of reasons for the slimming down of the drive thru.
North Americans' ballooning waistlines and "you-made-me-this-way" lawsuits, to mention two.
Arby's
Our diet-smart picks;
Broccoli 'n Cheddar Baked Potato.
Ask for double the broccoli, half the cheese sauce, and a regular serving of shredded Cheddar.
406 cal, 13 g pro, 70 g carb, 8 g fat, 3.8 g sat fat, 10 g fiber, 411 mg sodium.
Asian Sesame Salad:
This salad, featuring greens, grilled chicken, cabbage, carrots, and orange slices, comes with almonds (have the whole packet), Asian noodles (have the whole packet), and Asian dressing (have 1/3 of the packet).
385 cal, 27 g pro, 29 g carb, 18 g fat, 2.6 g sat fat, 5 g fiber, 774 mg sodium
Grilled Chicken Deluxe.
Skip the honey mustard sauce and add a tablespoon of Arby's Sauce (part of a packet or from the pump).
295 cal, 29 g pro, 38 g carb, 4 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 1,070 mg sodium.
Regular Roast Beef.
350 cal, 21 g pro, 34 g carb, 16 g fat, 6 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 950 mg sodium.
Our diet-smart no-no's;
Big Montana Roast Beef Sandwich.
630 cal, 47 g pro, 41 g carb, 32 g fat, 15 g sat fat, 3 g fiber, 2,080 mg sodium.
Roast Beef Sub.
760 cal, 35 g pro, 47 g carb, 48 g fat, 16 g sat fat, 3 g fiber, 2,230 mg sodium.
Philly Beef 'n Swiss Sub.
700 cal, 36 g pro, 46 g carb, 42 g fat, 15 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 1,940 mg sodium.
Chicken Bacon 'n Swiss.
610 cal, 31 g pro, 49 g carb, 33 g fat, 8 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 1,550 mg sodium.
Chicken Cordon Bleu.
630 cal, 34 g pro, 47 g carb, 35 g fat, 8 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 1,820 mg sodium.
Burger King
Our diet-smart picks;
BK Veggie Burger.
Request reduced fat mayo (though it's supposed to come standard, BK reps recommend asking).
340 cal, 14 g pro, 47 g carb, 10 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 950 mg sodium.
Fire Grilled Chicken Baguettes.
(all flavors: Savory Mustard, Santa Fe, Smoky BBQ)
350 cal, 28-29 g pro, 47-48 g carb, 5 g fat, 1-1.5 g sat fat, 3-4 g fiber, 1,110-1,450 mg sodium.
Original Whopper Jr.
Hold the mayo.
310 cal, 17 g pro, 31 g carb, 13 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 510 mg sodium.
Hamburger.
310 cal, 17 g pro, 31 g carb, 14 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 580 mg sodium
Our diet-smart no-no's;
Original Double Whopper with Cheese:
1,070 cal, 57 g pro, 53 g carb, 70 g fat, 27 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 1,500 mg sodium.
Original Double Whopper.
980 cal, 52 g pro, 52 g carb, 62 g fat, 22 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 1,070 mg sodium.
Original Whopper with Cheese.
800 cal, 36 g pro, 53 g carb, 50 g fat, 18 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 1,420 mg sodium.
Croissan'wich with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese.
520 cal, 19 g pro, 24 g carb, 39 g fat, 14 g sat fat, 1 g fiber, 1,090 mg sodium.
Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese.
540 cal, 20 g pro, 30 g carb, 39 g fat, 13 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 1,140 mg sodium.
KFC
Despite the abundance of breading and cooking oil at KFC, we were able to find that rare diet-smart, high fiber meal here by pairing two vegetarian items from the menu.
Our diet-smart picks;
Tender Roast Sandwich.
Request sauce on the side and use only 2 teaspoons instead of the portion that automatically comes with the sandwich.
This will save you 72 calories and 8 g of fat. 318 cal, 31 g pro, 23 g carb, 11 g fat, 2.6 g sat fat, 1 g fiber, 743 mg sodium.
BBQ Beans and Corn on the Cob.
Beans and Small Cob.
300 cal, 10 g pro, 59 g carb, 2.5 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 10 g fiber, 725 mg sodium.
Beans and Large Cob.
380 cal, 13 g pro, 72 g carb, 4 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 14 g fiber, 730 mg sodium.
Original Recipe Chicken Breast.
Removing the skin and breading saves 240 calories, 11 g of carbohydrates, 16 g of fat, 5 g of saturated fat, and 740 mg of sodium.
Ask for the side of green beans.
Total for the two: 190 cal, 34 g pro, 5 g carb, 4.5 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 870 mg sodium.
Our diet-smart no-no's;
In the real world, most people have at least two pieces of chicken, which is what our numbers below reflect.
Chicken Pot Pie.
770 cal, 33 g pro, 70 g carb, 40 g fat, 15 g sat fat, 5 g fiber, 1,680 mg sodium.
Extra Crispy Breast plus Original Recipe Thigh (with skin).
820 cal, 56 g pro, 31 g carb, 53 g fat, 15 g sat fat, 0 g fiber, 2,290 mg sodium
Large Popcorn Chicken.
660 cal, 29 g pro, 37 g carb, 44 g fat, 10 g sat fat, 0 g fiber, 1,530 mg sodium.
McDonald's
Note: Make sure to order grilled, not crispy, chicken on your salads, otherwise you'll wind up with 100 extra calories and an additional 10 g of fat.
Our diet-smart picks;
Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait with Granola: (with a toasted English muffin and one pat margarine to make it a meal)
350 cal, 9 g pro, 57 g carb, 8.5 g fat, 2.8 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 415 mg sodium.
Chicken McGrill.
Order it with no mayo and with lettuce and extra tomatoes.
305 cal, 27 g pro, 37 g carb, 4.5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 940 mg sodium (one packet of light mayo adds 45 cal, 4.5 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, and 100 mg sodium).
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad;
(with 1/3 of a packet of Newman's Own Creamy Caesar dressing) 263 cal, 30 g pro, 10 g carb, 12 g fat, 4.2 g sat fat, 3 g fiber, 987 mg sodium.
And our diet-smart no-no's;
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese.
770 cal, 46 g pro, 39 g carb, 47 g fat, 20 g sat fat, 3 g fiber, 1,440 mg sodium.
Spanish Omelete Bagel.
710 cal, 27 g pro, 59 g carb, 40 g fat, 15 g sat fat, 3 g fiber, 1,520 mg sodium.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese.
540 cal, 29 g pro, 39 g carb, 29 g fat, 13 g sat fat, 3 g fiber, 1,240 mg sodium.
Big Mac.
600 cal, 25 g pro, 50 g carb, 33 g fat, 11 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 1,050 mg sodium.
Pizza Hut
The slices are nearly equal in calories, fat, and other nutrients because the medium is cut into 8 pieces and the large into 12.
(The higher numbers in the nutrient ranges are for the large pizza.)
Add a Fresh Express Ranch Salad Kit, now available for takeout or delivery.
All nutritional values listed are for 2 slices.
Our diet-smart picks;
Fit 'n Delicious Pizza,
The two offerings with only vegetable toppings;
280-300 cal, 12 g pro, 42-48 g carb, 7-8 g fat, 3-4 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 660-1,180 mg sodium.
The four types with vegetables or pineapple plus ham or chicken toppings;
300-340 cal, 14-20 g pro, 40-48 g carb, 8-10 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 2-4 g fiber, 840-1,380 mg sodium.
Thin 'n Crispy Pizza & Veggie Lover's;
340-360 cal, 16 g pro, 42-46 g carb, 14 g fat, 6 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 900-960 mg sodium.
Thin 'n Crispy Pizza or Ham and Pineapple;
340-360 cal, 16-18 g pro, 44-46 g carb, 12 g fat, 6 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 900-940 mg sodium.
And our diet-smart no-no's;
Eeeeeeek!
Most of these choices exceed the recommended daily value (2,400 mg) for sodium.
Stuffed Crust Pizza (comes only in 14-inch size).
Super Supreme (beef, ham, sausage, pepperoni, pork, olives, green peppers, mushrooms, onions).
Meat Lover's (all of the meats above plus bacon; no vegetables).
880-900 cal, 42 g pro, 86-90 g carb, 40-42 g fat, 18-20 g sat fat, 6 g fiber, 2,500-2,540 mg sodium.
16-inch Big New Yorker Pizza, Meat Lover's, Pepperoni Lover's, Sausage Lover's, or Super Supreme;
980-1,040 cal, 46-50 g pro, 102-106 g carb, 42-48 g fat, 18-22 g sat fat, 4-8 g fiber, 2,660-2,860 mg sodium.
All Other Varieties of Stuffed Crust and 16-inch Big New Yorker Pizza;
680-920 cal, 32-44 g pro, 84-106 g carb, 22-38 g fat, 12-20 g sat fat, 4-8 g fiber, 1,840-2,500 mg sodium.
Subway
Take advantage of Subway's offer to stuff the sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and peppers.
After all that, you might not need mayo.
If you do, ask for the diet-smart "light" variety.
The honey oat bread has 4 g of fiber (the white has 3 g), but if you can, substitute the high fiber, diet-smart (11 g) tortilla from the Atkins (not-so) friendly wraps for bread on any of the sandwiches.
Our diet-smart picks;
"7 under 6" Sandwiches;
These 6 inch subs, which contain 6 g or less of fat, are all grouped together on the menu and are based on turkey, chicken, ham, roast beef (or combinations of these meats), and as many vegetables as you can get the sandwich artist to stuff in.
210-370 cal, 9-26 g pro, 35-59 g carb, 3-6 g fat, 1-2.5 g sat fat, 3-4 g fiber, 510-1,520 mg sodium.
The Veggie Delite is basically a salad on a roll, so give it some protein by adding two servings of cheese (1 ounce total), which adds 80 to 120 calories.
310-350 cal, 13-17 g pro, 44-46 g carb, 10-13 g fat, 5-7 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 570-910 mg sodium (nutritional values depend on type of cheese, so choose Swiss to be at the lower end of the sodium range).
Mediterranean Chicken Salad;
Use 1/3 of a portion of Greek vinaigrette and round out the meal with an Atkins friendly tortilla on the side.
(Servers may not be used to selling the tortilla alone, but Subway officials say it can be done for an extra charge.)
367 cal, 34 g pro, 28 g carb, 14 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 16 g fiber, 1,217 mg sodium.
Grilled Chicken and Baby Spinach Salad;
Skip the Atkins Sweet as Honey Mustard salad dressing and substitute half a portion of fat free honey-mustard sauce.
Have all the almonds but ask for half the bacon and cheese.
Although this meal is high in fat, most of it is healthy fat.
370 cal, 32 g pro, 19 g carb, 19 g fat, 5.5 g sat fat, 5 g fiber, 930 mg sodium.
Diet-smart no-no's;
Remember, these numbers are for the 6-inch subs.
Better not even consider the 12 inchers.
Warning: Some of these sandwiches exceed the recommended daily value for sodium.
Double Meat Meatball Marinara Sub;
780 cal, 35 g pro, 61 g carb, 41 g fat, 18 g sat fat, 5 g fiber, 1,760 mg sodium.
The regular (not double) Meatball Marinara Sub is no prize either.
540 cal, 23 g pro, 53 g carb, 26 g fat, 11 g sat fat, 5 g fiber, 1,290 mg sodium.
Double Meat Italian Deli BMT (salami, pepperoni, and ham);
670 cal, 34 g pro, 49 g carb, 38 g fat, 14 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 2,980 mg sodium.
Double Meat, Cold Cut Combo Sub (turkey bologna, turkey ham, and turkey salami);
580 cal, 31 g pro, 49 g carb, 32 g fat, 11 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 2,540 mg sodium.
Atkins-(not-so)Friendly Wraps;
Actually, these are bad diet-smart choices because of the high levels of saturated fat.
Chicken Bacon Ranch;
480 cal, 40 g pro, 19 g carb, 27 g fat, 9 g sat fat, 11 g fiber, 1,340 mg sodium.
Turkey Bacon Melt;
430 cal, 32 g pro, 22 g carb, 25 g fat, 9 g sat fat, 12 g fiber, 1,650 mg sodium.
Taco Bell
In fact, almost everything on the menu can be ordered Fresco Style (seasoned with Fiesta Salsa rather than sauce or cheese), making the items lower in fat and more diet-smart.
Fifteen items contain 9 g or less of fat.
Our diet-smart picks;
Two Grilled Steak or Chicken Soft Tacos, Fresco Style; Steak;
340 cal, 22 g pro, 42 g carb, 10 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 560 mg sodium; Chicken: 340 cal, 24 g pro, 40 g carb, 8 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 560 mg sodium.
Bean Burrito, Fresco Style;
350 cal, 13 g pro, 56 g carb, 8 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 9 g fiber, 1,220 mg sodium.
Taco Salad;
Order it without the shell, sour cream, or cheese.
330 cal, 20 g pro, 33 g carb, 13 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 12 g fiber, 1,350 mg sodium.
For a vegetarian version, substitute extra beans for the beef and add a serving of guacamole.
320 cal, 16 g pro, 47 g carb, 8 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 16 g fiber, 1,230 mg sodium.
Our diet-smart no-no's;
While these are the most fatty, caloric single items, you can do just as much damage by ordering two chalupas (700-860 calories, 36-54 g fat), which many people do because they're small.
Grilled Stuffed Burrito (all flavors: chicken, beef, or steak);
680-730 cal, 28-35 g pro, 76-79 g carb, 26-33 g fat, 7-11 g sat fat, 7-10 g fiber, 1,940-2,080 mg sodium.
Nachos BellGrande;
780 cal, 20 g pro, 80 g carb, 43 g fat, 13 g sat fat, 12 g fiber, 1,300 mg sodium.
Quesadilla (all varieties: cheese, chicken, or steak);
490-540 cal, 19-28 g pro, 39-40 g carb, 28-31 g fat, 13-14 g sat fat, 3 g fiber, 1,150-1,380 mg sodium
Wendy's
Diet-smart picks;
Chili and Potato (plain baked potato topped with small chili);
470 cal, 24 g pro, 82 g carb, 5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 12 g fiber, 895 mg sodium.
Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich (comes with sweet and savory sauce, lettuce, and tomato on a kaiser roll);
360 cal, 31 g pro, 44 g carb, 7 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 1,100 mg sodium.
Mandarin Chicken Salad;
Use the entire packet of almonds and 1/3 of a packet of Oriental sesame dressing, but skip the rice noodles.
403 cal, 27 g pro, 27 g carb, 20 g fat, 2.8 g sat fat, 5 g fiber, 997 mg sodium.
And our diet-smart no-no's;
Big Bacon Classic;
580 cal, 33 g pro, 45 g carb, 29 g fat, 12 g sat fat, 3 g fiber, 1,430 mg sodium.
Chicken BLT Salad (with croutons and an entire packet of honey-mustard dressing);
710 cal, 36 g pro, 30 g carb, 47.5 g fat, 13 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 1,610 mg sodium.
Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger;
380 cal, 20 g pro, 34 g carb, 19 g fat, 7 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 830 mg sodium.
Classic Single (with everything);
410 cal, 25 g pro, 37 g carb, 19 g fat, 7 g sat fat, 2 g fiber, 910 mg sodium.
So there you have our diet-smart list and as I like to say, "fore-armed is fore-warned".
Choose diet-smart wisely my friends!
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