Fast food has a well-deserved reputation of being high in calories and fat, but many chains are now offering healthier options. By enjoying high-calorie items in moderation and navigating menus carefully for lower-calorie items, you can enjoy fast food without breaking your calorie bank.
Main dishes
The calorie count for McDonald's sandwiches ranges from 250 for their single hamburger to 790 for their Angus Bacon & Cheese sandwich. The Filet-O-Fish sandwich has 380 calories, and a six-piece order of Chicken McNuggets has 280. At Taco Bell, individual tacos tend to have a low calorie count, with the Fresco Crunch Taco having only 150 calories and the Pacific Shrimp Taco only 180. Among the high-calorie items on Taco Bell's menu are Volcano Nachos, with 1,000 calories, and the Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito, which has 700 calories. At Kentucky Fried Chicken, popcorn chicken is higher in calories than most individual pieces of chicken. The chicken pot pie has 690 calories. Subway offers a line of low-fat, low-calorie sandwiches, with most offerings in the 200- to 300-calorie range. High-calorie choices include the foot-long Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich, with 760 calories, and the 6-inch Double Bacon & Cheese (with Regular Omelet) sandwich, which has 520 calories.
Sides
A large order of fries at McDonald's has 500 calories. At KFC, an order of mashed potatoes with gravy has 120 calories, an order of coleslaw has 180 and the cornbread muffin has 210 calories. Subway offers a line of soups, most of which have less than 200 calories.
Salads
Salads are not always the lowest-calorie option. The McDonald's Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken, for instance, has 430 calories without salad dressing. The calorie counts of salad dressings at McDonald's range from 40 to 190. The salads at Taco Bell all have a high calorie count, ranging from 770 for the Fiesta Taco Salad to 910 for the Chicken Ranch Taco Salad.
Beverages
Sodas are a significant source of calories, with large soft drinks at KFC containing as much as 800 calories. Some of the sweetened coffee drinks at McDonald's are also high in calories. A large vanilla iced coffee, for example, has 270 calories. The 32-oz. Chocolate Triple Thick Shake has 1,160 calories. Diet sodas or water, with 0 calories, may be a better option.
Desserts
Low-calorie dessert choices include the Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait at McDonald's (130 calories), the Sweet Life Oatmeal Raisin Cookie at KFC (150 calories), and the Chocolate Chunk cookie at Subway (200 calories). A slice of pecan pie at KFC, as a comparison, has 410 calories.
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