Some of the fast food restaurant choices you may think are healthy could prove otherwise, causing you to exceed your daily caloric needs and recommended fat intake. Depending on your activity level, the average adult female requires between 1,200 and 2,400 calories, and the average male between 2,000 and 3,200 calories. Calories from fat should not exceed 20 to 35 percent of the total, according to MayoClinic.com. For a 2,000 calorie diet, this means 44 to 78 grams of total fat each day. By making wise choices, you can pick up a fast food meal on occasion without totally blowing your diet or clogging your arteries.
McDonald's
McDonald's is famous for its French fries and burgers. However, those are not the healthiest choices on the menu. In fact, a Big Mac and large fries will cost you 1,040 calories and 54 g of fat, according to the restaurant's nutrition information. Healthier choices include items that are grilled and salads. The grilled honey mustard snack wrap has 9 g of fat compared to the crispy honey mustard snack wrap with 16 grams of fat. When choosing a salad, remember that grilled meats will significantly reduce the amount of fat and calories, versus deep-fat-fried or crispy meats. For instance, the Premium Southwest Salad with crispy chicken weighs in at 430 calories and 20 g of fat, while the grilled version has only 140 calories and 4.5 g of fat. These numbers do not include salad dressing.
Wendy's
Wendy's menu includes burgers, baked potatoes, chili and salads. Their quarter-pound burger has 470 calories and 21 g of fat. However, their baked potato with sour cream and chives contains 320 calories and only 4 grams of fat. Although their Grilled Chicken Go Wrap is lower in calories at 260 for a single serving, it contains 10 g of fat. Remember to consider how the food is prepared when making a healthy food choice. You might imagine that a salad is your best option, but at Wendy's the Baja full-size salad will cost you 740 calories and a whopping 47 g of fat. In fact, none of Wendy's salads have fewer than 27 g of fat in their full-size options. The large chili, packed with fiber and protein and therefore a healthier option, weighs in at 330 calories and 10 g of fat.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A uses boneless chicken breast in its menu items and does not process it into patties. According to its corporate website, a grilled chicken club sandwich contains 410 calories and 12 g of fat. In the fried version of this sandwich, the calories are 430 and the fat rises to 17 grams. The grilled and fried chicken wraps have virtually the same number of calories and fat grams, while the grilled salad has 180 calories and 6 g of fat before dressing, and the chicken'n strips salad has 470 calories and 23 g of fat. Chick-Fil-A also offers side dishes such as carrot and raisin salad, fruit cups or yogurt -- all healthier options than the standard French fries.
Five Guys
Five Guys is a chain restaurant specializing in hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries and little else. All of Five Guy's hamburger choices range between 700 and 920 calories and between 43 and 62 g of fat. A single serving of fries will cost you 310 calories and 15 g of fat. Combined with the hamburger without cheese or bacon, you amass more than 1,000 calories and 58 g of fat. The healthiest choice at Five Guys is the Veggie Sandwich at 440 calories and 15 g of fat. Even the grilled cheese sandwich has 26 g of fat.
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