Healthier Fast Food Choices

Fast food is convenient, especially when in a hurry. When you think fast food, you think of high calorie, fat laden “garbage” that would mess up your whole diet. (I am not going to lie, I don’t ALWAYS eat healthier when I have fast food, sometimes a girl has to have a grease burger with bacon on it, or a frozen custard.) In this day and age, many fast food chains have gone the healthy way. Here are some healthier fast food choices for you to indulge in.

My Favorite Healthier Fast Food Choices

Culvers – If you are lucky to have one of these in your area, you MUST go… They have many items on their menu that are low cal and low fat. They also have a mindful choices menu! The video says it all.

Panera Bread – While they have a lot of low cal items, some of the sodium counts are insane. The ideal sodium intake a day should be between 2,300 and 1500 at max. Keep that in mind. 🙂 My healthy choice when I go to Panera Bread is:

Healthier Fast Food Choices – Panera Bread Power Steak Lettuce Wraps

At just 210 calories, 10 grams of fat and 240 mg of sodium, the Power Steak Lettuce Wrap is my TOP choice. I often ask for avocado to go with it, as I am addicted to that delectable green fruit. When in season, I also get a strawberry rhubarb mini cake, which only has 250 Calories, 7g Total Fat, and 170mg Sodium. What can I say, I have a sweet tooth.

Chipotle – Burrito bowls… LOVE THEM! Steak, pinto beans, and cheese, comes in at 405 calories, 15 grams of total fat, but 810 grams of sodium. You can also get 3 soft corn chicken tacos with pinto beans for 505 calories, 8 total fat, and 640 sodium.

Taco Bell – Fresco Chicken Soft Taco, 140 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat, 470 sodium, paired with black beans and rice, with 180 calories, 4 grams of total fat and 430 grams of sodium. That’s a meal for 320 calories, about 8 grams of fat, and ok… a butt load of sodium.

Subway – While I admit, I have an addiction to their Meatball Marinara, I usually manage to talk myself out of it because it just tastes WRONG with avocado. I usually go for the Turkey, and Bacon Avocado sub. On 9 grain honey wheat bread, with turkey, bacon, provolone cheese, packed with cucumber, red onions, spinach, avocado, and lettuce, the 6 inch sub is only 245 calories with 17 grams of total fat, but a high 990 mg of sodium.

While I realize Burger King, McDonalds and a few other places have healthier choices now a days, I did not include them on my list because I don’t particularly care for them. I have fast food very rarely, and when I do, it’s one of the 5 places that I mentioned in this post. In the meantime, feel free to share your favorite healthier fast food choices below, from your favorite chain.