Winning Weight Loss: Healthy Fast Food Tips for Making Healthier Fast Food Choices

When you’re hungry and on the run, fast food can really hit the spot. It’s quick, tasty, and, best of all, convenient. But it’s also loaded with calories, sugar, sodium, and fat—often enough in one meal for an entire day or more. And if you’re feeding your whole family, it can be expensive, too—often more so than cooking at home.
Fast food menus are tricky when you’re watching your weight or your health. Finding a healthy, well-balanced meal in most fast food restaurants is a challenge. But there are always healthier options hidden among the diet disasters. You just need to know where to look and how to order.

Can fast food really be healthy?

The truth is that it’s extremely difficult to follow a healthy diet when you’re eating regularly at fast food restaurants. Fast food restaurants typically use the cheapest ingredients possible in order to keep costs down. That means that foods that otherwise could be considered healthy may not be when ordered from a fast food chain. For example, cheese can be a good source of protein and calcium, but the cheese topping your burger or covering your pizza is most likely heavily processed, made from non-dairy ingredients. The same goes for meat, chicken, and eggs. Fast food is also typically high in trans fat, unhealthy saturated fat, hidden sugar, sodium, and calories. At the same time, it tends to be low in nutrients and almost totally lacking in fruits, vegetables, and fiber.
That doesn’t mean you have to avoid fast food entirely. It’s OK to indulge a craving every once in a while, but to stay healthy you can’t make it a regular habit; consuming fast food regularly will almost certainly have a negative affect your health. The key is moderation—both in how often you frequent fast food chains and what you order once you’re there. There are always choices you can make that are healthier than others. The following tips and menu recommendations can help you stay on track. Just remember that even the healthiest fast food options often have nutritional drawbacks so try to keep fast food to the occasional treat.

Aim to keep your entire meal to 500 calories or less. The average adult eats 836 calories per fast food meal—and underestimates what they ate by 175 calories. So don’t guess! Most chains post nutritional info both on their websites and at the franchise location. Take advantage of this information.
Opt for foods that are lower in fat and higher in protein and fiber. Look for items with more good stuff, like fiber, whole grains, and high-quality protein. Also aim for options that are relatively low in saturated fats—while not all saturated fats are bad for you, most of those found in fast food restaurants are.
Steer clear of trans fats. Small amounts of naturally-occurring trans fats can be found in meat and dairy products but it’s the artificial trans fats used to keep food fresh that are dangerous to your health. Avoid anything containing “partially hydrogenated” oil—even if it claims to be trans fat-free—or any foods that have been deep fried. While no amount of artificial trans fat is considered safe, the USDA recommends at least limiting trans fat to no more than 2 grams per day.
Keep an eye on sodium intake. The American Heart Association recommends that adults stay under 1500 mg of sodium per day, and never take in more than 2,300 mg a day. That can be tough to do when eating fasting food—a burger and fries can easily exceed your daily limit.
Bring your own add-on items if you really want a health boost. Even when you order wisely, it can be pretty tough to get enough fiber and other important vitamins and nutrients from a fast food menu. If you plan ahead, you can bring healthy sides and toppings like dried fruit, nuts and seeds, carrot sticks, apple or pear slices, and cottage cheese or yogurt.

Beware of added sugar

One of the biggest problems with fast food is the amount of added sugar—and it’s not just in sodas or desserts. Even the average burger contains 5 to 10 grams or more of added sugar, about the same as a couple of cookies. Salad dressings, ketchup, dips, and BBQ sauces are also packed with added sugar. Your body gets all it needs from sugar naturally occurring in food so all this added sugar just means a lot of empty calories that can add inches to your waistline and contribute to diabetes, depression, and even an increase in suicidal behaviors.
According to the American Heart Association, men shouldn’t eat more than 37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day and women 25 grams or 6 teaspoons. While that may sound like a lot, the grams can quickly add up when you’re dining at a fast food restaurant:

A 12-ounce soda contains up to 40g of added sugar; a 64-ounce soda about 200g of sugar, or more than 5 days’ worth.
A medium shake contains about 45g of added sugar.
McDonald's Hotcakes and Sausage contains 46g of sugar.
A large side of coleslaw at Popeye’s contains 45g of sugar.
Wendy’s Apple Pecan Chicken salad contains 40g of sugar.

When you opt to eat at a fast food chain, try to plan ahead if possible and eat low sugar in the meals leading up to and following your fast food meal. You can minimize some of the damage by requesting salad dressing on the side, limiting ketchup, eating subs, burgers or sandwiches open-faced, and skipping dips or sides that are packed with sugar.

Additional Resources and References

Many fast food chains post nutritional information on their websites. Sometimes, these lists are confusing and hard to use, but they are the best source for accurate, up-to-date information on their menu options.
Many other websites and apps provide nutritional information, often in easier to use formats.

Tips for making healthier fast food choices

Making healthier fast food choices is easier if you plan ahead by checking the nutritional guides that most chains post on their websites. But if you don’t have the chance to prepare, you can still make smarter choices by following a few common sense guidelines.

Healthier fast food ordering guidelines

Keep your eye on portion size. Many fast food meals deliver enough food for several meals in the guise of a single serving. Avoid supersized and value-sized items, and go for the smallest size when it comes to sandwiches, burgers, and sides. You can also find more reasonable portions on the children’s menu.
Focus on grilled or roasted meats. Avoid fried and breaded items, such as crispy chicken sandwiches and breaded fish fillets or processed meats such as sausage, bacon, hot dogs, or ham. Choose turkey, chicken breast, or roast beef instead.
Pay attention to the descriptions on the menu. Dishes labeled deep-fried, pan-fried, basted, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, scalloped, or au gratin are usually high in calories, unhealthy fats, and sodium. Same with items in Alfredo or cream sauce.
Don’t be afraid to special order. Many menu items can be made healthier with a few tweaks and substitutions. For example, you can ask to hold the sauce or dressing or serve it on the side. Or you can request a wheat bun for your hamburger or whole-grain bread for your sandwich.
Don't assume that healthy-sounding dishes are always your best option. For example, many fast food salads are a diet minefield, smothered in unhealthy dressing and fried toppings. This is where reading the nutrition facts before you order can make a huge difference.

Tips for keeping fast food calories under control

Be careful when it comes to condiments and dressings. When choosing items, be aware of calorie- packed salad dressings, spreads, sauces, and sides. Mayonnaise- and oil-based sauces in particular add a lot of calories. Try holding the mayo and asking for mustard or a packet you can add yourself—controlling how much you put on your sandwich.
Watch what you drink. Soda is a huge source of hidden sugar and calories. The average large soda packs around 300 calories and 19 spoonfuls of sugar. Shakes are even worse, with up to 800 calories and a staggering 120 grams (30 spoonfuls) of sugar. Switching to diet soda isn’t the answer, as the artificial sweetener it contains can trigger sugar cravings that contribute to weight gain. And don’t be fooled by lemonade and fruit drinks, which add calories and sugar without much in the way of nutrients. Order water or unsweetened tea or coffee instead.
Be wise about sides. Watch menu items that come with one or more side dishes. Sides that can quickly send calories soaring include fries, chips, rice, noodles, onion rings, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, and mashed potatoes with gravy. Better bets are side salads with light dressing, baked potato (easy on the toppings), fresh fruit cups, corn on the cob, or apple slices.
Pass on the French fries. Do you really need those fries? A sandwich or burger should be plenty filling on its own.
Skip the bacon. It’s always tempting to add bacon to sandwiches and salads for extra flavor, but processed meat has very few nutrients and is high in fat and calories. Instead, try ordering extra pickles, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, or mustard to add flavor in a healthier way.

Make sure your fast food salad isn’t a stealth diet saboteur

Ask for dressing on the side so you can control how much you use.
Skip unhealthy toppings such as bacon bits, processed cheese, croutons, and crispy noodles. They can add hundreds of calories!
Avoid taco salads. The deep-fried shells, tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream make them high-fat, high-calorie diet busters.
Choose salads with grilled chicken, shrimp, or vegetables. Avoid salads with breaded chicken or other fried toppings.

Healthier fast food menu options by type of chain

When it comes to fast food, you have a lot of options, from traditional burger and chicken joints to coffee and donut chains and Asian and Mexican food franchises. The menus at fast food restaurants tend to change often and there’s currently a shift in the industry with many chains trying to meet the increased demand for fresher, healthier fare. So it’s worth keeping an eye out for new menu options available at your favorite fast food outlets.
Wherever you choose to eat, following commonsense nutrition guidelines goes a long way to make the healthiest choices, but you can also save yourself a lot of dietary grief with the following chain-specific tips.

Part 1

Healthier fast food at burger chains

The typical fast food meal of a burger, fries, and a drink can easily add up to a whole day’s worth of calories. That’s a nutritional (and weight control) recipe for disaster. The burger alone at many fast food joints can pack between 1,000-2,000 calories, particularly when loaded up with extra patties, bacon, and cheese.
To keep calories and fat down, you also should pay particular attention to portion sizes, high-fat toppings and sides, and hidden sugar. Everything that you add to your meal counts—from fries to soda or a shake.

Tips for making healthier choices at fast food burger joints:

Stick to a single hamburger patty. No double or triple burgers! Burgers with two or three beef patties add loads of unnecessary calories and unhealthy fat (up to 800 calories and 40 grams of fat).
Go easy on special sauces, which add a lot of calories and sugar. If you don’t want to do without, ask for the sauce on the side. A little goes a long way.
Say no to bacon, cheese, onion rings, and other calorie-laden burger toppings. If you want to add some interest, go with extra pickles, tomatoes, or heart-healthy avocado.
Ask about no-meat burger or sandwich options, such as the veggie burger at Burger King or the grilled cheese at In-N-Out Burger.
Skip the fries. You’ll save hundreds of calories (510 calories for a large McDonald’s fries, 340 calories for a medium).
Check out the kid’s menu. Junior and children's-sized hamburgers usually have between 250-300 calories, making them a healthier choice.

Healthier fast food burger options
INSTEAD OF…	TRY…
Double-patty cheeseburger	Regular, single-patty hamburger without cheese
French fries	Baked potato or a side salad
Chicken “nuggets” or tenders	Grilled chicken strips
Salad with toppings such as bacon and cheese	Garden salad with grilled chicken, dressing on the side
Milkshake	Plain milk and apple slices

Best burger choices at the Top 10 chains

Burger King Flame-Broiled Hamburger: 230 calories, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 460 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar
Carl's Jr.'s Charbroiled Turkey Burger: 490 calories, 22 grams fat (4.5 grams saturated fat), 960 mg sodium, 10 grams sugar
Dairy Queen Quarter-Pound Mushroom Swiss GrillBurger: 590 calories, 35 grams of fat (12 grams saturated fat, 1 gram trans fat), 700 mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
Hardee's 1/3 lb. Low Carb Thickburger: 420 calories, 32 grams fat (12 grams saturated fat, trans fat not listed), 1,010 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar
In-N-Out Burger Hamburger With Onion, Protein Style: 240 calories, 17 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat), 370 mg sodium, 7 grams sugar
Jack in the Box Hamburger: 280 calories, 11 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat, 0.5 grams trans fat), 620 mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
McDonald's Hamburger: 250 calories, 9 grams fat (3.5 grams saturated fat), 520 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar
Sonic Jr Burger: 340 calories, 17 grams fat (6 grams saturated fat, 0.5 grams trans fat), 550 mg sodium, 3 grams sugar
Wendy's Jr. Hamburger: 230 calories, 8 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat, 0.5 grams trans fat), 470 mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
Whataburger Whataburger Jr.: 300 calories, 15 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat), 730 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar

Worst burger choices at the Top 10 chains

Burger King Triple Whopper Sandwich: 1,020 calories, 65 grams fat, 4 grams trans fat, 1,090 mg sodium, 12 grams sugar
Carl’s Jr. I/2 lb. Thickburger El Diablo: 1,290 calories, 85 grams fat, 3 grams trans fat, 2,790 mg sodium, 14 grams sugar OR Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger: 1,520 calories, 111 grams fat, 3 grams trans fat, 1770 mg sodium, 20 grams sugar
Dairy Queen FlameThrower GrillBurger: 950 calories, 66 grams fat, 2 grams trans fat, 1,540 mg sodium, 7 grams sugar
Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger: 920 calories, 62 grams fat, 1,310 mg sodium, 9 grams sugar
Hardee's ⅔ lb. Monster Thickburger: 1,290 calories, 92 grams fat, trans fat not listed, 2,840 mg sodium, 14 grams sugar
Jack-In-The Box Sirloin Cheeseburger with Bacon: 1,030 calories, 70 grams fat, 2 grams trans fat, 2,310 mg sodium, 14 grams sugar
McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese: 750 calories, 43 grams fat, 2.5 grams trans fat, 1,280 mg sodium, 10 grams sugar
Sonic SuperSONIC Bacon Double Cheeseburger: 1,240 calories, 87 grams fat, 3.5 grams trans fat, 1,690 mg sodium, 8 grams sugar
Wendy’s Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy ¾ lb. Triple: 1,090 calories, 66 grams fat, 4 grams trans fat, 1,990 mg sodium, 11 grams sugar
Whataburger Chop House Cheddar Burger: 1,160 calories, 75 grams fat, 2 grams trans fat, 1,490 mg sodium, 12 grams sugar

Part 2

Healthy fast food at sub sandwich chains

Thanks largely to Subway’s media campaign, sub sandwiches often come to mind when you think of “healthy” fast food. And while it is true that you can find relatively healthy choices at the top sandwich chains, their menus are not without their pitfalls. While sandwich shop ads promote their health benefits, studies have found that many people eat more calories per meal at a sub shop than at McDonald's. This may be because people feel so virtuous eating “healthy” as the ads suggest, they reward themselves with chips, sodas, or extra condiments that can turn a healthy meal into an unhealthy one. You can make healthier choices at a deli or sub shop but you need to use some common sense.

Tips for making smarter choices at sandwich fast food joints:

Opt for the smaller sized subs. Ordering a 6-inch sub over the footlong can save you between 500-700 calories.
Choose whole-grain buns or bread instead of white bread, French rolls, or cheese breads.
Go easy on the mayonnaise and condiments. You can save even more calories by asking for the condiments on the side.
Dress your sandwich with mustard, olive oil, or vinegar instead of mayonnaise and calorie-heavy special sauces.
Go light on the cheese, or better yet, skip it altogether.
Eat half the sandwich at lunch and save the other half for later.
Load up on veggies, such as tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, green and red peppers, and olives.
Skip the chips. Get something healthier on the side, such as an apple, a small side salad, or a yogurt.

Healthier fast food sandwich options
INSTEAD OF…	TRY…
Foot-long sub	Six-inch sub
Processed meat such as ham, bacon, salami, or meatballs	Healthier cuts of meat (roast beef, chicken breast) tuna, or veggies
Processed (American) cheese	Avocado
Keeping the sub “as is” with all toppings	Subbing out cheese and processed meat for extra veggie toppings
Choosing white bread or “wraps” which are often higher in fat than normal bread	Choosing whole-grain bread or taking the top slice off your sub and eating it open-faced

Best sandwich choices at top chains

Arby’s Roast Turkey and Swiss Wrap: 520 calories, 27 grams fat, 1,640 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar.
Au Bon Pain Chipotle Turkey & Avocado Sandwich (Half): 350 calories, , 4 grams fat, 480 mg sodium, 2 grams sugar.
Cosi Hummus & Veggie Sandwich: 397 calories, 7 grams fat, 532 mg sodium (sugar not specified)
Jason’s Deli Turkey Wrap: 390 calories, 17 grams fat, 1080 mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
Jimmy John’s Turkey Tom (easy on the mayo): 430 calories, 11.5 g fat, 1085 mg sodium, (sugar unspecified)
Panera Bread Asiago Steak (half sandwich): 405 calories, 19 grams fat, 680 mg sodium, 2 grams sugar
Quizno’s Sonoma Turkey Sammie: 280 calories, 14g fat, 4g saturated fat, 30mg cholesterol, 740mg sodium
Starbucks Roasted Vegetable Panini: 350 calories, 12 grams of fat, 770 milligrams sodium (plus 4 g of fiber and 13 g of protein), 3 grams sugar
Subway 6-Inch Roast Beef Sandwich on 9-Grain Wheat: 310 calories, 5g fat (1.5g saturated fat), 24g protein, 700mg sodium, 5 grams sugar OR Subway Veggie Delite: 230 calories, 3 grams fat, 310 mg sodium, 4 grams sugar
Togo’s Farmer’s Market Wrap with Balsamic Vinaigrette: 440 calories, 3g sat fat, 14g total fat, 980mg sodium, 72g carbs, 9g fiber, 8g sugar, 12g protein

Worst sandwich choices at top chains

Arby's Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Market Fresh Sandwich: 800 calories, 35 grams fat (9 grams saturated fat), 2,250 mg sodium, 16 grams sugar
Au Bon Pain Newport Turkey Sandwich (Whole): 790 calories, 34 grams fat, 1,650 mg sodium, 23g sugar Blimpie large Meatball Parmigiana: 1,120 calories, 58 g fat, 26 g saturated fat, and 3,640 mg sodium
Cosi Steak T.B.M. Sandwich: 829 calories, 55 grams fat, 453 mg sodium OR Cosi Tuna Melt: 874 cal, 40g fat, 1,154mg sodium (sugar not specified)
Jason’s Deli Banh-Mi sandwich: 690 calories, 22 grams of fat, 880mg sodium, 35 grams sugar
Jimmy John’s J.J. Gargantuan: 1104 calories, 55 grams of fat, 3414mg sodium (sugar unspecified)
Panera Italian Combo Sandwich (whole): 1000 calories, 41 grams fat (16 grams saturated fat), 2,140 mg of sodium, 8 grams sugar
Quizno's Classic Italian: 1370 calories, 86 grams fat, 4490 mg sodium, 18 grams sugar OR Quizno’s large Italian Meatball Sub: 1,530 calories, 81 grams fat (28 grams saturated fat), 3,580 mg sodium, 16 grams sugar
Subway Footlong Meatball Marinara: 960 calories, 36 g fat (14 grams saturated fat), 1840 mg sodium, 24 grams sugar
Togo’s Smokehouse BBQ Pulled Pork (Large): 1170 calories, 37 grams fat (11 grams saturated fat, 0.5 grams trans fat), 3390 mg sodium, 66 grams sugar

Source

Friday, 6 May 2016

Healthy Fast Food Tips for Making Healthier Fast Food Choices