I don't eat lots of fast food but that doesn't mean I don't like it! Every now and again I like a trip to McDonald's, Panda Express, Dairy Queen, Panera, etc. Everyone always assumes fast food is so bad for you and obviously there are items on the menu that you should try to stay away from but just because you have to eat fast food doesn't mean you have to eat a 1,000 calorie meal. In fact many fast food restaurants are adding healthier items to their menu knowing that is of interest to the consumer. Here's a list of the healthiest meal on each fast food menu from thrillist.com. If you notice, they're not all salads either!
- Arby's - chipped farmhouse salad with roast turkey and light Italian dressing
- A&W - 3-piece hand-breaded chicken tenders & small fries
- Burger King - grilled chicken without mayo and the value-sized onion rings
- Chipotle - chicken salad with black beans, fajita veggies and extra salsa and guacamole
- Culver's - garden fresco with grilled chicken salad and raspberry vinaigrette dressing
- Dairy Queen - grilled chicken BLT salad and kid's sized fries
- Dunkin Donuts - veggie egg white sandwich and hash browns
- Jimmy John's - club Lulu unwich and thinny chips
- KFC - Kentucky grilled chicken breast and green beans
- McDonald's - regular hamburger and side salad wit balsamic vinaigrette
- Panda Express - grilled teriyaki chicken and super greens
- Panera - spicy Thai salad with chicken and half turkey sandwich
- Quizno's 4-inch apple harvest chicken sandwich and small chili
- Shake Shack - chicken dog and regular fries
- Sonic - grilled chicken wrap and small fries
- Subway - veggie delite salad and 8-ounce chicken noodle soup
- Starbucks - quinoa and chicken protein bowl with black beans and greens and grande flat white with almond milk
- Taco Bell - two fresco soft tacos with steak and black beans and rice
- Wendy's - harvest chicken salad and small chili
- White Castle - two original sliders and small clam strips
Great, after reading this list now I'm hungry! At least I know I have somewhat of a healthier option for when I do eat fast food or since I only do it once in a while I go for the item I really want! If you want the calorie, fat, etc. count you can see it at Thrillist.com