
Did you know over 36% of American adults consume fast food daily? Being affordable, convenient, and perfect for our fast-paced lives, fast food has become a staple in our homes. Whether you're a parent on your toes, a student trying to find the most affordable options, or a professional struggling to keep the track of all the meetings and deadlines, fast food becomes the quickest solution to your hunger pangs.
Conventional fast food is associated with a bad reputation of being greasy, processed, and nutritionally poor. Not anymore. Consumers' demand for healthier choices have made restaurants concerned about how well balanced their fast food is. Offering healthier options that are packed with nutrients and low in calories with absolutely no compromise on the taste, has become the top most priority of these restaurants. So, if you are also wondering what is the healthiest fast food you can order today, this blog will sort you out.
Let's get on with exploring healthiest fast food options that you can enjoy without any guilt.
How Would You Know About The Healthiest Fast Food Items?
Healthiest fast food items are supposed to meet a certain criteria to quality as a nutrient-rich healthy meal:
Criteria | Why Does It Matter? |
Calories count under 600 | Helps you in eating mindfully and having nutrients dense meals |
Minimum saturated fats and sugar content | Helps with weight management |
Less than 800 mg sodium | Helps in keeping the body hydrated and safe from the risk of hypertension |
Rich in protein and fiber | Helps you in feeling fuller for a longer time period in a day |
Prepared using fresh and whole foods | Provide essential nutrition to the body |
What is The Healthiest Fast Food Available?
If you have ever wondered what is the healthiest fast food, here's your answer. Contrary to the outdated belief of fast food being unhealthy, many fast food chains have restyled their serving patterns to being healthiest fast food restaurants. Who could have thought Mc. Donald's and KFC will be serving calories counted meals for promoting healthy lifestyles among their customers?
Healthiest Fast Food Burger Choices for Smart Eating:
Burger King:
- Whopper Jr.: Who isn't familiar with this iconic burger of Burger King. Imagine this being the healthiest fast food burger, sounds great! Without mayo it has only about 300 calories. Packed with protein, and nutrient lift from veggies, this is a manageable portion of their iconic burger.
- Classic Hamburger: With just 240 calories per serving, you can satisfy your proteins' cravings with this healthiest fast food burger option.
Wendy's:
- Jr. Hamburger: With delicious season beef patty served in a toasted bun with pickles and veggies, this hamburger has an ideal portion size and just 250 calories.
Healthy Fast Food Lunch Options for Midday Fuel:
Subway:
- Veggie Delite Sandwich: Having under 250 grams of calories, this sandwich is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. Customize it with your choice of crunchy veggies filled in the whole grain bread. This is one of the healthiest fast food lunch choices when you are on-the-go.
- Turkey Breast Salad Bowl: This salad bowl is filled with lean protein and low in calories. It helps you in keeping full for a long time without weighing you down.
- Grilled Chicken Wrap: Other than the conventional sub, you can have this grilled chicken wrap that has fewer carbs and more protein.
Starbucks:
- Chicken and Quinoa Protein Bowl: Rich in protein and fiber, this bowl is a full meal option for healthiest fast food lunch. It has a scrumptious combination of roasted veggies, black beans, tomatoes, greens, and a lemon-tahini dressing.
Looking for a plant-based healthy meal? Check out our recipe of Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Wendy's:
- Apple Pecan Chicken Salad: This is a great combination of fiber and protein in a bowl. Apples, pecan, blue cheese, and grilled chicken make is an ideal healthiest meal for the day.
Sweetgreen:
- Guacamole Greens Salad: A healthy meal option rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. This salad is loaded with creamy avocado, tomatoes, grilled chicken, and lime squeeze.
Learn to make Guacamole at home with our recipe. - Harvest Bowl: A very balanced, healthy meal with warm grains, apples, sweet potatoes, goat cheese, and chicken. Cheese can be removed to enjoy an even lighter version.
- Custom Bowl: Choose your own servings according to your dietary needs and eating habits. You can choose from base greens, lean protein, healthy fats, and light dressings to prepare a complete bowl of nutrition and counted calories.
Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants Across the U.S.A. :
Chick-Fil-A:
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich: Prepared with juicy, marinated grilled chicken, served in multigrain bun with complimenting veggies like lettuce and tomatoes, this sandwich is a smart pick for health conscious people.
- Kale Crunch Side: This is loaded with nutrition and low in calories. This dish has curly kale paired with crunchy cabbage and topped with tangy apple cider vinegar and roasted almonds.
To have restaurant like meals at home try out our Kale chips recipe and Kale salad recipe. - Spicy Southwest Salad: Paired with veggies, black beans, and spicy grilled chicken, this sandwich is rich in fiber, protein and flavors.
- Fruit Cup: Nothing is better than a cup of fresh strawberries, cherries, and other seasonal fruits. It is naturally sweet and full of vitamins, This is a healthy replacement of fries in a restaurants.
Mc. Donald's:
- Egg Muffin: One of the most popular breakfast items, this egg muffin has 17 grams of protein and only about 300 calories because of the presence of egg and high quality Canadian bacon,
- Fruit and Maple Oatmeal: This is a healthy breakfast option made with whole grain oats, paired with diced apples, cranberries and raisin. There are no additive sugar because it naturally sweetened due to the fruits.
- Iced Coffee: Skip the sugary beverages of the restaurant and enjoy this iced coffee with a little bit of syrup or none at all. It give caffein boost required to get through a long day.
Panera Bread:
- Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich: A delicious combination of hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and peppers filled in healthy whole grain bread slices makes this sandwich a perfect choice for healthy eating. It is loaded with fiber and flavors and has less than 600 calories.
- Avocado, Egg White, and Spinach Breakfast Sandwich: This is an ideal breakfast when you're going to have a long day. It keeps you full for a long time and the great part is that it has low calories and high protein. With healthy fats and greens it is served in a bagel.
- Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecan: This is a perfect breakfast bowl with whole-grains, healthy fats, and fresh fruits. It is packed with energetic ingredients that are ideal to start your mornings with.
Chipotle:
- Chicken Burrito Bowl: This healthiest fast food option is served with lean protein, brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, tomato salsa, and lettuce. Rich in fiber, antioxidants, and complex carbs this burrito bowl keeps you full for a longer period of time.
- Barbacoa Bowl: Barbacoa is a lean, delicious shredded beef. It is paired with super greens, pinto beans, tomato salsa, and extra veggies that make it low carb, high protein, and rich in vitamins meal.
- High Protein Bowl: It is a beautiful combination of chicken and steak mixed with super greens, pinto beans, and tomato salsa that add the touch of freshness in it with almost no calories.
Our delicious Protein Salad Bowl is a perfect meal to exist!
Starbucks:
- Spinach, Feta and Egg white Wrap: Egg whites, sundried tomatoes, feta cheese, and spinach filled in a whole grain wrap make this meal satisfying yet healthy and clean breakfast option. It is high in protein and has only about 290 calories.
- Chicken and Quinoa Protein Bowl: Rich in protein and fiber, this bowl is a full meal option for healthiest fast food lunch. It has a scrumptious combination of roasted veggies, black beans, tomatoes, greens, and a lemon-tahini dressing.
Looking for a plant-based healthy meal? Check out our recipe of Black Bean Quinoa Salad. - Kale and Mushroom Egg Bites: These fluffy egg bites are rich in protein and low in carbs. Nutrition-packed kale and flavorful mushrooms combine together to bring this wholesome source of iron and vitamin B. This is a perfect meal to feel filled and energized for a longer day.
- Iced Shaken Espresso with Almond Milk: Famously known for its drinks, Starbucks provide healthiest drinks' options as well. With minimum calories, no sugar, and sufficient amount of caffein for the day, this is an energy drink for you.
KFC:
- Corn on the Cob: Without any butter this is a really healthy food choice from this restaurant. It offers about 70-80 calories per ear.
- Mashed Potatoes: This can be your go-to comfort food option with sufficient amount of carbs and under 100 calories. Be mindful about the sodium and ensure to keep no or light gravy.
Taco Bell:
- Chicken Soft Tacos (Fresco Style): These Fresco style soft tacos are packed with lean protein, fresh veggies, cheese, and sauces. However for minimum calories cheese can be skipped and sauce can be replaced with pico de gallo.
- Bean Burrito: This is a great source of fiber and protein. Cheese can be eliminated from this burrito to make it suitable for low calorie meal.
Sweetgreen:
- Guacamole Greens Salad: A healthy meal option rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. This salad is loaded with creamy avocado, tomatoes, grilled chicken, and lime squeeze.
Learn to make Guacamole at home with our recipe.
Conclusion:
Healthy food doesn't have to be boring anymore. With restaurants changing their menus and serving affordable, delicious, and healthiest fast food items, it has become easier to eat well without compromising on flavor. From delicious salad bowls to grilled sandwiches and even lighter desserts this is a sign to be considerate towards our health and eating habits.
The key is to know what you're ordering and which type of healthiest fast food fit your lifestyle. This blog can equip you with the knowledge of understanding the available options of healthy fast food items and make smarter choice for your body. For more tips on your wellbeing and clean eating, visit FoodvLove. Because for your wellness is our concern.
FAQs:
Yes. Contrary to the traditional burger recipes, restaurants are now more inclined toward creating something that can align with customer's healthy eating habits. Grilled chicken burger from Chick-Fil-A and low calorie Hamburger from Wendy's can be great options for healthy fast food burgers.
Chipotle, Burger King, Subway, Panera bread, Sweetgreens are known for serving the healthiest fast food options across U.S.
Definitely! If you know what to order according to your dietary needs, there is no need to compromise on your favorite flavors.
If you're looking forward to have sodas and sugary drinks then absolutely not. However, coffees with light or no sugary syrups can be a part of diet meals.
Leave a Reply