Hey there, viewers!
Let me ask you something, how often do you eat fast food?
Between the years 2013 - 2016, almost 40% of adults reported eating fast food on a given
day.
And with the pandemic over the last year, fast food apps have become a lifeline to millions.
Now I would advise you to try and avoid the McDonald’s drive thru as much as possible,
but sometimes, the occasion calls for it.
So let’s talk about the healthiest fast food items you can eat…
Can I have that dollar menu burger?
Maybe a tuna sandwich?
Wait, are nuggets actually decent for you?
We’re talking about all of that AND more…
Dollar Menu Hamburgers
Ah, the classic dollar menu, a staple of everyone’s youth.
Well the dollar menu can be useful into your adult years as well.
If you’re looking for a snack, dollar menu hamburgers are the way to go.
And no, not just because they’re cheap.
Value hamburgers are relatively low in calories.
Take the Junior Hamburger from Wendy’s as an example.
It’s only about 250 with one sandwich.
A McDonald’s hamburger is just about the same.
Sure, there’s saturated fat and sodium in both products, but you’re also getting between
12 - 15 grams of protein, so that’s not terrible.
Compare this to a Big Mac, which holds 550 calories in just the sandwich alone.
We’re not even counting the fries and soda that usually come with it.
While the dollar hamburger is certainly a smarter choice, you should probably stick
to eating one.
The burgers are so tasty, you’ll become tempted quite easily, and the calories will
add up.
If you’re going for a dollar meal, try replacing fries with apples.
I know a burger and apples doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it, but it’s a healthier
alternative to fatty, salty fries which will make your meal much worse for you.
How often do you eat fast food?
Once a week?
Twice a month?
Do you have it only a couple times a year?
Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
Burrito Bowls
Who doesn’t love a good burrito from time to time?
The problem is just how big they are!
I’ve put takeout burritos in my passenger seat and felt my car tilt to the side!
Burritos might be delicious to eat, but they are also extremely bready and full of calories.
Not to mention all the sodium you’re taking in.
Just one beef and cheese burrito is almost 800 calories.
In that, you have almost 90% of your saturated fat for the day, as well as 1500 mg of sodium.
You’re also getting quite a few carbs.
Almost 65 grams.
This is close to a quarter of your daily recommended intake.
While these carbs include quite a bit of protein, you’re also getting some sugar.
This is why a burrito bowl is the best alternative.
That’s when you subtract the tortilla bread, and eat the toppings from a container.
It’s pretty delicious.
Now there are a million and one burrito chains out there, so I can’t really be specific.
But generally, the average burrito bowl is less than 550 calories.
In that, you’re getting around 30% less saturated fat, and 10% less carbs.
The sodium is perhaps where the biggest difference lies.
A single burrito bowl holds just under 600 mg of sodium, so your heart might be thanking
you after this one.
Salads
Salads used to be the laughing stock of the fast food industry.
I mean what kind of person eats a salad with their fatty hamburger?
A person who’s watching their diet, that’s who!
Now you may have heard recently that McDonald’s took away their salad.
Why, you ask?
Your guess is as good as mine.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other fast food places that offer amazing salad
sides.
Take Wendy’s for example.
A small side salad there is about 250 calories.
Sure, you’re getting a decent amount of sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat.
But at the same time, you’re also getting 3 grams of fiber.
That’s over 11% of your suggested intake for the day.
Fiber will have your digestive system moving quicker.
It will also keep you feeling full for a longer period of time.
And it’s not just Wendy’s that offers this.
There are countless other restaurants, big and small, that offer a salad side.
There’s also a pretty wide variety of salad choices.
Some have moved far beyond the regular caesar salad.
You can get chicken caesar, as well as Greek.
Now, having a Greek salad at a fast food restaurant might be a little much for me, but it’s
a heck of a lot better than a lot of the higher calorie items on the menu.
Tuna Sandwich
Now you won’t find this item at a lot of your local burger joints.
But that doesn’t mean it’s off the market.
There are plenty of local delis and sandwich shops out there for you to try tuna sandwiches.
Not to mention Subway!
And yes, we’re counting that as fast food.
A regular 6 inch tuna sandwich from Subway equals about 450 calories.
In that, there’s about 23 grams of fat, with 4 grams of saturated.
Sure, you’re getting almost 30% of your sodium for the day, but you’re also getting
a pretty significant boost of protein and fiber.
If you decide to grab a tuna sandwich, make sure you’re loading it with the right toppings.
This means spinach, olives, green peppers and cucumber.
They may not be your usual sandwich choices, but they’re a lot healthier than the usual
contents.
I’m talking about 20 different peppers, pickles, and sauces.
Doesn’t exactly scream the word “healthy”.
Before we continue, I know I mentioned throwing away bread a minute ago.
Well I mean the unhealthy kind...
Check out our recent video on 11 Healthy Breads You Should Eat Regularly.
Now back to our discussion on healthy fast food...
Chicken Nuggets
Not a fan of tuna sandwiches?
Well this one is sure to have you jumping for joy.
Chicken nuggets are the ideal snack.
They bring you back to your childhood in a way.
The best part is they’re really low in calories.
A four piece serving of chicken nuggets from McDonalds is 180.
With this, you're getting a small amount of carbohydrates as well as sodium and saturated
fats.
I know it’s a fairly small order, but it might be just enough to satisfy your craving
for a little while.
If you really want, you might be able to pair it with a dollar menu hamburger.
They’re both low in calories.
So treat yourself.
Small Ice Cream Cone
You knew we had to include dessert on our list.
There’s sometimes nothing tastier than an ice cream cone from the drive thru.
Of course, you’re going to want to pull your car over.
The delicious ice cream might distract you from driving.
The best thing fast food ice cream has going for it is the low calories.
You don’t eat it for the nutrients.
A small vanilla cone is only about 170.
If you’d like a larger serving, Dairy Queen’s ice cream is about 240 calories.
Desserts are hard to come by.
While you can’t exactly call this ice cream healthy, it’s much easier on you than a
lot of the other items.
Everything is just jam-packed with sugar and salt these days.
You’re recommended to have between 24 to 30 grams of sugar per day by the way.
So if you choose an ice cream cone, you might want to make this your cheat meal for the
day.
Oatmeal
Alright, we covered dessert.
Let’s get into breakfast food.
Oatmeal is generally pretty good for you.
It’s another low calorie food that people order all the time.
Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds.
All of these places sell oatmeal items.
A regular serving of Starbucks oatmeal is around 160 calories.
In that, you’re getting about 14% of your suggested fiber for the day, as well as 5
grams of protein.
You also have no sodium, or cholesterol.
As for saturated fats, that small serving is only giving you about 3% of your daily
saturated fats.
You can also get oatmeal from McDonald’s.
There’s a significantly larger amount of calories and sodium, but there’s also a
ton for fiber and protein.
Now homemade oatmeal is always a delicious choice, but not everybody has time to cook
in the morning.
Fast is easier, and sometimes you need to grab something on the run.
Oatmeal is the way to go!
Your diet is obviously so important.
You need to be aware of what you’re eating at all times.
Have I sparked your interest?
Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more food-related videos, shall we?
Check out the 50 Healthiest Foods You Should Eat Regularly.
Or how about a list of 8 Fake Foods You Eat All the Time That Are Slowly Killing You.
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn ways to improve your diet.
Do you prefer any of these fast food choices?
Let us know in the comments below.