Ordering fast food through a drive-thru window is part of the American way of life. Most people visit a fast food restaurant two or three times a week. So to stay fit and healthy it is important to make an informed choice when ordering a meal, even when it is through the car window.
What are the Healthiest Meals at Fast Food Restaurants?
What fast food meal is the healthiest choice? In the book Eat This, Not That!, author Davd Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and editorial director of Women’s Health, and Matt Goulding, the food and nutrition editor of Men’s Health, highlight examples of drive-thru, fast food meals with the best nutritional bang for the buck. Here is a short list their recommendations:
- Arby’s Melt: 298 calories, 12 g fat ( g saturated), 922 mg sodium
- Arby’s Super Roast Beef: 398 calories, 19 g fat (6 g saturated), 1,061 mg sodium
- Burger Kings Tendergrill chicken Sandwich without Mayo: 380 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated), 1,130 mg sodium
- Burger King’s Whopper Jr. without Mayo: 290 calories, 12 g fat (4.5 g saturated), 500 mg sodium
- Carl’s Jr. Famous Star, Side Salad with Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing and 32 oz. Iced Tea: 685 claories, 38 g fat (10.5 g saturated), 1,520 mg sodium
- Chick-fil-A’s Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich, with Large Fruit cup and Unsweetened Iced Tea: 360 calories, 3 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 1,310 mg sodium
- Dairy Queen’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich: 400 calories, 16 g fat (2.5 saturated), 790 mg sodium
- Hardee’s Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich: 340 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 1,070 mg sodium
- Jack in the Box Chicken Fajita Pita: 300 calories, 9 g fat (3.5 saturated), 1,090 mg sodium
- Sonic Burger with Mustard: 560 calories, 25 g fat (9 g saturated), 750 mg sodium
- Taco Bells Grilled Steak Soft Tacos, Fresco Style (2): 320 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated), 1,100 mg sodium
- Wendy’s ¼ lb Single, with Small Chili and Medium Ice Tea: 620 calories, 26 g fat (10 g saturated), 1,700 mg sodium
The Department of Health and Human Services has recommendations regarding how much a person should eat every day. It varies from person to person. Factors to take into consideration is the person’s age, size and gender. Lifestyle also influences how many calories a person needs in a day. The more active a person is the more calories are needed to maintain a healthy weight. Active people may need to order food to go more often. So this list should help them make better choices at the drive-thru window.
Reference:
Zinczenko, D and Goulding, M. Eat This, Not That! 2009. Rodale Inc.
Additional article about weight and weight loss:
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Dagmar Barlow - Dawn Barlow is a graduate of UC Riverside majoring in English and education. She worked in the travel industry for several years, taught ...
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