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Life

Your Guide to the Healthiest Fast Food Options

Noy Messinger
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Ali Senal
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Muhlenberg chapter.

We all love and crave unhealthy, fried foods that make our mouths water. Fast food restaurants are cheap, affordable, and quick to get food from. Therefore, most people nowadays resort to eating at these restaurants, rather than choosing a more nutritious meal. However, it is probably a good idea to occasionally take a break from these unhealthy, greasy foods. I will tell you the secrets to buying the healthiest meals at fast food restaurants.

Burger King

The grilled chicken sandwich without mayo is approximately 370 calories and has 7 grams of fat, 2 grams saturated, 6 grams fiber, and 36 grams protein. Although this white-meat chicken will not look as appealing as a Whopper or cheese burger, it is 130 calories less than these burgers.

 

Taco Bell

At Taco Bell you can get the soft tacos with steak, with a side of rice and beans. The soft tacos are 280 calories, while the rice and beans are only 190 calories. All together this meal is less than 500 calories! Usually the chicken at these places has fewer calories, less fat and more protein than beef. However, at Taco Bell, the steak is the healthier choice. The rice provides you with a good amount of fiber as well!

 

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)  

I know that most things are fried in this food joint, hence the name of the chain. However, there is still some hope to find healthy food here. The Kentucky grilled chicken breast is the best way to go! It is only 210 calories. With this you can choose to get a side of green beans, which has 25 calories. The chicken is a great source of protein.

 

Chick-fil-A 

Chick-fil-a is very popular among teenagers nowadays. This chain has a variety of food options to choose from. However, the healthiest option is the eight-count grilled chicken nuggets with barbecue dipping sauce. This meal only contains 185 calories and 25 grams of protein. To top that off, you can purchase the superfood side salad, which is 140 calories and 3 grams of protein.

  

Five Guys  

This restaurant is another famous one that is well known for its burgers and shakes.  But, if you want to try their healthier options, stick to the veggie sandwich with a side of small fries. While the sandwich alone is 440 calories, it is healthier than the other options. The calories in this sandwich are mainly due to the 280 calories in the bun. The fries are 528 calories alone. However, this is the lowest calorie combo that is sure to fill your stomach.

 

McDonald’s  

The best option for McDonald’s is the Egg McMuffin, containing only 300 calories. This meal is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Also, ordering the fruit and yogurt parfait is a great addition that is delicious to snack on.

Chipotle 

This restaurant has a larger assortment of rice, beans and chicken to choose from than most fast food chains. There are several options that involve salads as well. The most nutritious meal to get here is the chicken burrito bowl with brown rice and pinto beans, with no sour cream or cheese. However, you could add some guacamole to it, as that has some nutritional value. This meal is filling and is 500 calories. It also contains 42 grams of protein.

 

Wendy’s 

For Wendy’s, the healthiest option is the Asian cashew chicken salad, which is only 380 calories! This is the healthiest salad on their menu. Other salads contain 780 calories and are packed with lots of fat. However, one bad thing about this salad is that it contains a large amount of sugar, 40 grams.

 

One fast food restaurant that generally has healthier options than the rest is: 

Panera  

Panera’s smoked turkey breast sandwich on country bread is healthy, nutritious and most importantly, delicious! Furthermore, it is only 430 calories, with only 3.5 grams of fat.

 

If you want to know exactly how much salt and sugar is going into your food, make your own meals at home! But, if you are trying to get a quick, affordable meal that is also relatively healthy, you should try these food options. Happy eating! 

 

All the nutritional values of each meal written in this article were extracted from Thrillist “The Healthiest Order at Every Major Fast-Food Chain.”

 

 

 

Noy Messinger

Muhlenberg '21

My name is Noy Messinger and I am a Sophomore double majoring in Media and Communications and History with a minor in dance. I am extremely passionate about dance. I have been dancing since I was two years old and was a participant in my high school’s performing arts dance program.  Additionally, I am passionate about history. I love learning about different cultures and discovering their pasts as well as information about my own heritage.  
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Ali Senal

Muhlenberg '18

Muhlenberg '18 Grad with a BA in Theatre and Jewish studies. My hobbies include sleeping, movies, and spreading vegan propaganda. Former Editor-in-Chief of Muhlenberg Her Campus.