With almost 13,000 restaurants in the United States alone, it is almost impossible not to have the occasional meal at McDonald's, particularly if you are a parent. They key to a healthy meal at the fast food chain is to avoid anything deep-fried or marked "crispy" to keep the calorie and fat count down. There are some healthier options on the menu, but be careful when choosing dressings and condiments for them, as those bits of calories can add up quickly.
Sandwiches and Wraps
The original McDonald's hamburger is not only an inexpensive choice, it contains the least amount of calories and fat out of all of the chain's available sandwiches and wraps. Keep in mind, however, that although it contains only 250 calories and 9 g of fat, it is also the smallest sandwich served at only 3.5 oz. Avoid the other burgers on the menu and opt instead for one of their grilled chicken sandwiches or wraps. The Premium Grilled Chicken Classic and Premium Grilled Chicken Ranch BLT sandwich are roughly 8 oz. in size and contain less than 400 calories and 10 g of fat or less. The grilled Honey Mustard Snack Wrap and the Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap are both only 250 calories with 8 g of fat and are roughly 4 oz. in size.
Salads
Instead of french fries, order a side salad with your sandwich. McDonald's side salad is fat-free and only 20 calories and one of the low-fat dressings adds between 35 and 90 calories and 2.5 g of fat. As a main dish, avoid the salads that contain fried chicken, as their fat and calorie count is high. The plain salads or those topped with grilled chicken contain less than 300 calories and 10 g of fat.
Breakfast
Avoid McDonald's breakfast plates and sandwiches and opt for their oatmeal or parfait with fruit and yogurt. The oatmeal contains between 250 and 300 calories for a 9.2 oz. serving and only 4.5 g of fat, while the parfait is only 160 calories with 2 g of fat. In comparison, the chain's Big Breakfast meals with hotcakes and biscuits contain roughly 1,100 calories and more than 50 g of fat -- more than half the daily calories recommended for adult women and roughly 90 percent of the daily values of fat.
Kids
McDonald's Happy Meals contain between 390 and 700 calories and anywhere from 9 g to 27 g of fat. Although the fat content is somewhat high, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that children between the ages of 1 and 3 should get 30 to 40 percent of their daily calories from fat and kids ages 4 and up should receive 25 to 35 percent from fat. Avoid the deep-fried chicken nuggets and opt for a hamburger or cheeseburger meal instead. Order the apple slices with caramel dip instead of french fries and stick with low-fat white or chocolate milk. The same principles apply to the Mighty Kids Meals for older children, except that you should also avoid the double-burger meals, as most contain almost half of the daily calories recommended for children between the ages of 4 and 8.
References
- McDonald's: McDonald's USA Nutrition Facts for Popular Menu Items
- DietaryGuidelines.gov: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- McDonald's: Nutrition Information for McDonald's Happy Meals
- McDonald's: Nutrition Information for McDonald's Mighty Kids Meals
- Nationmaster.com: McDonald's Restaurants (Most Recent) By Country
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