When money is tight and you're on the go, fast food joints can be too tempting. For $6 or so, you can grab something that will taste good and fill you up, then be on your way. In all likelihood, you've also probably just consumed a full day's quota of fat, sodium and calories in that single meal; fast foods are notorious for being high in all three. But it doesn't have to be that way. Most major fast food chains offer at least a couple of items that won't destroy your diet and send your blood pressure sky high -- and you still get the yummy, quick advantages fast food is known for.
McDonald's
"Health" magazine named what it considered to be the top 10 healthiest fast food chains in America in 2009 -- and McDonald's made the list. The magazine gave it a nod for listing the nutritional information for every product on the back of its tray liners. If you go into the restaurant instead of through the drive-thru, you can find out exactly what you're eating. If you can't, the regular hamburger has 260 calories and 3.5 g saturated fat, the bad kind of fat. The four-piece Chicken McNuggets have 220 calories and 2.5 g saturated fat, making these two items the most diet-friendly on the menu. Stay away from the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. It packs a whopping 730 calories and 19 g saturated fat.
Wendy's
As burger joints go, Wendy's is comparable to McDonald's. It's Junior Hamburger has 280 calories and 3.5 g saturated fat. The Ultimate Chicken Grill has 360 calories, but only 1.5 g saturated fat, half of that in its other non-meat offerings. The Ultimate Chicken Grill uses honey mustard sauce instead of mayonnaise and is grilled, not fried. Avoid the Big Bacon Classic; it contains 12 g saturated fat.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
It didn't make the "Health Magazine" list, but KFC has several entries that won't crash your health. The Original Recipe Chicken Breast with a side of green beans has 190 calories and 1.5 g saturated fat, but this is with the skin and breading removed. If you don't have the time or inclination to fuss with such things, try the Honey BBQ Sandwich. It has 300 calories, but only 1.5 g saturated fat. It's the lowest-calorie regular-sized sandwich on the menu. KFC's cole slaw is 190 calories with 2 g saturated fat, but the cabbage and carrots are healthy, chock-full of vitamins A, C and K.
Taco Bell
If you prefer Mexican, Taco Bell's Taco Salad is 330 calories with 5 g of saturated fat, but you have to skip the cheese and sour cream and go without the shell to achieve this. You'd do better with the Fresco Style Tostada, full of salsa, lettuce and beans, which offer healthy fiber. The Tostada has 200 calories and 1 g saturated fat. The Fresco Style Grilled Steak Soft Taco has even fewer calories with 170, and similar fat content, with 1.5 g saturated fat. Skip the Fiesta Taco Salad -- it has 860 calories and 14 g saturated fat.
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