Each day, one out of very four Americans eats fast food, according to the health website Helpguide. Fast food may be an inexpensive alternative to eating out, but it is not always a healthy one. One fast food meal can have a day's worth of calories and fat. Knowing fast food nutrition information before eating a fast food meal can help a person make a more informed decision on what to eat.
Hamburgers
Many fast food hamburger options contain high amounts of fat and calories. For example, in 2010, the Burger King double Whopper contains 810 calories, 44 g of total fat, 980 mg of sodium, 52 g of carbohydrate and 52 g of protein. To save calories on a Burger King hamburger, a better option is a Whopper Jr. with cheese and no mayonnaise. It contains 350 calories, 17 g of total fat, 1,700 mg of sodium, 32 g of carbohydrate and 17 g of protein.
McDonald's is another popular fast food restaurant for hamburgers. The Big Mac is a better choice than the Double Whopper, but still high in calories and fat with 600 calories, 33 g of total fat, 1,030 mg of sodium, 50 g of carbohydrate and 25 g of protein in 2010. A lower calorie burger choice at McDonald's is cheeseburger with 330 calories, 790 mg of sodium, 36 g of carbohydrate and 15 g of protein.
Chicken
Chicken may seem like a better option at fast food restaurants, but some choices may be higher in fat and calories than the hamburger options. To limit fat and calories, choose items made with grilled chicken and omit any added sauces. A KFC original recipe chicken breast contains 380 calories, 19 g of total fat, 1,150 mg of sodium, 11 g of carbohydrate and 40 g of protein. A healthier option at KFC is the original recipe chicken without the skin or breading with only 140 calories, 3 g of total fat, 410 mg of sodium, 0 g of carbohydrate and 29 g of protein.
Wendy's offers a few chicken sandwich items. The spicy chicken fillet sandwich is a fried chicken sandwich with 510 calories, 19 g of total fat, 1,480 mg of sodium, 57 g of carbohydrate and 29 g of protein. The ultimate chicken grill sandwich is a lower calorie and fat option with 360 calories, 7 g of total fat, 1,100 mg of sodium, 44 g of carbohydrate and 31 g of protein.
Other Sandwiches
Many fast food sandwich shops offer healthy options to help the person watching their calorie and fat intake. To further limit calories, choose mustard over mayonnaise and omit the added cheese. Panera Bread Co. offers a number of sandwich options, many of which are very high in calories. For example the turkey artichoke panini has 810 calories, 38 g of fat, 2,470 mg of sodium, 76 g of carbohydrate and 41 g of protein or Italian combo sandwich with 1,050 calories, 54 g of total fat, 3,570 mg of sodium, 80 g of carbohydrate and 60 g of protein. The lowest calorie option at Panera Bread Co. is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich with 450 calories, 15 g of total fat, 560 mg of sodium, 63 g of carbohydrate and 15 g of protein.
Subway may be a better option for the calorie conscious. Subway offers a number of low-calorie and low-fat sandwich options. A six-inch turkey sub has 210 calories, 3.5 g of fat, 730 mg of sodium, 36 g of carbohydrate and 13 g of protein. A six-inch roast beef sandwich is also a good choice with 220 calories, 4.5 g of total fat, 660 mg of sodium, 35 g of carbohydrate and 13 g of protein.
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