Fast Food Menu Alternatives

According to "Eat This, Not That," statistics show that people consume 500 extra calories per day on days they eat fast food than on days they don't. The book also notes that people underestimate the calories they consume when eating fast food by 600 calories. This may mean you're consuming too many calories from fast food and you may gain weight because of it. By learning about the healthier alternatives at your favorite fast food restaurant, you can make better choices and avoid gaining unwanted pounds.

Healthy Burger Alternatives

Instead of ordering the premium grilled chicken club sandwich at McDonald's, order the quarter pounder without cheese, which has 410 calories and 19 g of fat. The club sandwich comes with cheese, bacon and mayonnaise, all of which add up to 570 calories and 21 g of fat. So even though the chicken may seem healthier than beef, everything else on the sandwich makes it less healthy than the burger. At Burger King, you are better off ordering the Whopper, Jr. with no mayonnaise and no cheese rather than the Original Chicken Sandwich. The chicken is breaded and fried and is dressed with mayonnaise, making the chicken sandwich 630 calories with 39 g of fat, as opposed to the Whopper, Jr. with 260 calories and 10 g of fat. At Wendy's, order the Crispy Chicken Sandwich rather than the Quarter Pound Single. The beef and cheese add up to 550 calories and 28 g of fat, while the chicken sandwich, without cheese or mayonnaise, has only 350 calories and 15 g of fat. Always check the nutritional menu before ordering.

Healthy Salad Alternatives

Just because a fast food restaurant offers a salad, it does not mean that it is healthy. Usually, the dressing and other added ingredients add up to more calories and fat than other choices on the menu. To avoid consuming too many calories from a fast food salad, order these healthy alternatives. At McDonald's, order the Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken rather than the Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken and Croutons because the Southwest Salad contains less fat and less saturated fat. When ordering at Burger King, eat the Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad with light dressing instead of eating the Tendercrisp Chicken Garden Salad with regular dressing. The Tendergrill salad contains half the fat of the Tendercrisp salad and almost half of the calories. At Wendy's, order the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad instead of the Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad. The fried chicken and Caesar dressing add up to 49 g of fat and 750 calories. The grilled chicken and light dressing keep the Apple salad at 580 calories and 27 g of fat. Ordering a salad with grilled chicken and using fat-free or low-fat dressing on the side makes a salad much healthier than those with fried chicken and regular dressing.

Healthy Breakfast Alternatives

If you are eating breakfast at a fast food restaurant, it could be a meal that packs on the pounds. Choose healthier alternatives for breakfast at your favorite fast food place. At McDonald's, choose the Egg McMuffin, which has 300 calories and 12 g of fat instead of the Hotcakes with Butter and Syrup with 610 calories and 18 g of fat. Plus, the Egg McMuffin contains plenty of protein and less sugar than the hotcakes. At Burger King, the Croissan'Wich with Egg & Cheese is a better choice than the Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit. The biscuit contains 20 g more of fat and double the sodium of the Croissan'Wich. At Starbucks, the Black Forest Ham, Egg and Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich with a Grande Sugar-Free Nonfat Vanilla Latte add up to 510 calories and 16 g of fat, 8 g of which are saturated fat, while the bran muffin with nuts with a Grande 2 Percent White Chocolate Mocha add up to 890 calories and 37 g of fat, 14 g of which are saturated fat. Overall, choosing a breakfast higher in protein and lower in sugar is a healthy choice.

Healthy Dessert Alternatives

You can still splurge on healthy dessert choices at your favorite fast food restaurants by choosing wisely. At McDonald's, order the Baked Hot Apple Pie instead of any of the McFlurry choices because the apple pie contains 250 calories and 13 g of sugar, while the McFlurry has 580 calories and 73 g of sugar. At Wendy's, choose the junior chocolate Frosty with 150 calories and 22 g of sugar instead of the Oreo Twisted Frosty that contains 440 calories and 55 g of sugar. At Dairy Queen, you should eat the Small Chocolate Sundae rather than the Small Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard. The sundae has less than half the calories of the blizzard and a quarter of the fat.

General Guidelines

The good news is you can still make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. Make sure you are not eating fast food more than once or twice per week. Cooking at home, preparing your own food and using fresh ingredients are the best ways to look and feel healthier. If you are traveling or in a hurry and must eat fast food, be aware of the extra calories in fast food menu items and aim to order the healthier alternatives.