Dr. Ahmed
There is no absolute “the healthiest fast food”, however, we can choose among the least unhealthy fast food options. Our nutritionist has made an excellent effort as to how you can choose and order fast food, and make unhealthy fast food healthier.
Fast food is trending all around the world. Although it deliciously fulfills your food cravings, too much fast-food consumption might lead to obesity and many other chronic conditions.
To avoid such things people often try to consume fast food in moderate amounts. But it always exceeds the limit no matter how hard you try!
However, health-conscious people are always in search of healthy options available at fast-food restaurants.
In this article, we will mention some of the healthiest fast-food options that can keep away the extra pounds and fulfill your cravings.
Healthy Fast Food Options: Low Carbs, Low Calories, & Tasty 😋
Can fast food be healthy?
Well, even if it provides low calories, fast food still isn’t completely healthy because it is short in nutrients and provides only energy.
But you can always choose the healthiest fast food option on the menu at a restaurant
When you’re hungry and in a hurry, fast food is a great option. It’s inexpensive, tasty, and most importantly, convenient.
Although it’s okay to eat out every now and then, you can’t make it a daily practice if you want to stay healthy.
The key to health is moderation, both in terms of how often you visit fast-food restaurants and what you eat there.
Low-calorie Fast Food: Under 200, 300 & Under 500 Calorie Options
Tips to make fast-food healthy:
You can always make your fast-food meal healthy by choosing wisely and eating mindfully. Here are some tips that might help you while you’re ordering food.
How to make your burgers healthy?
A standard burger can easily exceed a day’s total calories as they contain between 1,000 and 2,000 calories, especially when piled with extra patties, bacon, and cheese.
To make a healthy burger choice you must:
- Try a single patty burger without cheese instead of double or triple-layered burgers with extra cheese and mayo
- Order baked potato as a side dish instead of French fries.
- To have portion control, order junior-sized burgers instead of mighty burgers. Small burgers often provide 250-300 calories only.
Six Best Low Sodium Fast Food Options to Eat at Lunch
Healthy burger options:
Some of the following burgers can be a good choice:
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In-N-Out’s hamburger:
- This small-sized burger only provides 260 calories. Instead of a bun, it is wrapped in lettuce leaves. Because of its low-carb content, it is high in protein and can be a healthy alternative
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MacDonald’s Hamburger:
- This is a single patty burger with only 250 calories and only 9 grams of fat. An excellent choice to satisfy your cravings and keep off the pounds.
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Burger King’s spicy chicken junior:
- This provides only 240 calories with minimum calories from fat.
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Eat fit’s Burger bowl:
- This is a low calorie, burger bowl that contains a burger patty with lettuce and other vegetables only in 250 calories
How to make fast-food chicken healthy?
Chicken may appear to be healthier than mutton or beef, but this isn’t always true. Many chicken items have more fat and sodium than a burger.
That does not mean you can’t find healthier alternatives, but chicken isn’t synonymous with “healthy.”
So, you can make a healthy choice by following these tips:
- Instead of breaded and fried chicken varieties, always go for the grilled, broiled, or baked ones.
- Never order chicken nuggets as a side dish. These contain little to no amount of chicken and are loaded with bread inside out.
- Try going for fewer gravies and sauces.
Healthy chicken options:
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KFC’s Grilled chicken piece:
- This small chicken piece gives only 210 calories. It is grilled and does not contain an extra amount of bread crumbs.
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Olive Garden’s Apricot chicken:
- It contains chicken breasts smothered in an apricot-citrus sauce. Broccoli, asparagus, and diced tomatoes are served alongside. The calories and fat are adequately regulated, and the vegetables provide a good source of fiber.
How to make your Sandwiches healthy?
Sandwiches seem healthy but studies suggest that people often consume extra calories at sandwich shops rather than at MacDonald’s.
This is mainly because people feel so good about themselves for eating “healthy”, that they end up eating chips, sodas, or extra condiments with sandwiches that can make a healthy meal unhealthy.
Here are some ways to make healthy sandwich choices:
- Never order a sandwich longer than 6 inches. The longer the size, the greater are the number of calories.
- Instead of cheese bread, go for whole wheat bread.
- Try adding low-fat cheese such as Mozzarella or Swiss instead of high-fat Chaddar cheese.
- Go for the ones filled with extra veggies.
Healthy sandwich options:
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Eat fit’s cottage cheese and veggie sandwich:
- The healthiest sandwich as it gives only 280 calories and contains vegetables, spicy sauce, and low-fat cottage cheese.
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Subway’s Veggie delight sandwich:
- Another healthy choice for sandwich lovers. It gives only 350 calories and is 6-inches long.
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Evergreen’s Best-O-pest chicken sandwich:
- A fresh sandwich with chicken breast, tomatoes, and parmesan shavings is one of the healthiest fast-food chicken sandwiches.
How to make your pizza healthy?
Pizza mostly isn’t considered a healthy option because it’s heavy in calories and usually contains fatty meats and cheese that aren’t nutritious.
Two normal slices of pizza can easily provide 600 calories and a day’s worth of sodium. However, you can still have pizza on some days without completely ruining your good eating habits by following these tips:
- Order thin-crusted pizza with light cheese and a lot of veggies for the topping
- Avoid garlic mayo or thick cream sauces, go for ketchup instead.
- Try whole-wheat bread pizza if available
- Many pizza chains provide the option “Make your own pizza” this way you can select thin-crusted, low-cheese pizzas topped with vegetables, olives, and mushrooms.
Healthy pizza options:
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Evergreen’s Caesar salad pizza:
- this thin-crusted pizza is made up of whole wheat bread and served with extra vegetable topping and grilled chicken, making it super healthy.
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Pizza Hut’s Veggie Lover pizza:
- It provides only 100 calories per slice with vegetables and olives making it a nutritious and low-calorie choice.
Healthy Asian fast food options:
Asian fast food may seem to be a healthier option than a burger, pizza, pasta, or sandwich. But if you don’t pay attention to what you’re eating, you can easily cover up your daily calories with a single meal.
Asian fast food is notoriously heavy in sodium, so you need to be extra cautious about that. Some ways to stick to healthy choices include:
- Go easy on the rice, instead of fried rice, go for steamed rice as they are low in sodium and calories.
- Try to avoid extra creamy gravies
- Instead of meat-based dishes, go for chicken or vegetable-based dishes.
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