It is tough to eat healthy when on the road, whether you are a tourist seeing the sights or a or working hard on your truck driving jobs. Overall it doesn’t make a difference. Fast food is the easiest and fastest nutrients while traveling. So here is a list of “fast food” items at the most popular drive through chains that are healthier than your typical cheeseburger and fries order:
- Kentucky Fried Chicken: Did you know that they now serve grilled chicken? A chicken breast is only 190 calories, compared to the Secret Recipe chicken breast at 320 calories and the Extra Crispy Recipe at 420 calories. Add their green beans and it is only an additional 20 calories. You are looking at 210 calories so far. Not bad, huh?
- McDonald’s: Their salads are low in calories from 430 calories for the Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken to the Premium Bacon Ranch Salad (without chicken) at 140 calories. That beats their Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese at 740 calories. If you are in need of a hamburger, the basic hamburger is only 140 calories. If you are looking for nutrition, I’d go for the salad.
- Burger King: If you order the Whopper Combo Meal, large, you are looking at 1600 calories, 17 grams of fat and 1860 milligrams of sodium. That’s depressing. If you order the Whopper Jr. Combo Meal, small, it is 890 calories, 8.5 grams of fat and 1070 milligrams of sodium. Go for the small Whopper Jr. combo meal, small, and save yourself. The Garden Salad is 670 calories, but much healthier.
- Arby’s: The Ham and Swiss Melt sandwich is only 300 calories. That’s not bad for a sandwich. If you are worried about sodium and fat, look at their Roast Chicken Ranch Sandwich is only 340 calories and lower fat and sodium than their other products. Their chopped side salad is 120 calories and makes for a better side than french fries.
- Subway: They don’t have french fries, but they do have healthier eating. Bragging about how nutritious they are their nutrition menu has much lower numbers in the calories than other fast foods. I found their highest calorie item, the Foot long Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki, and it is only 560 calories. That’s not bad! Their lowest calorie lunch item is only 101 calories, the Veggie Delite. It’s a 9-inch multi grain bun in the kid’s menu, but adults can have it to. If you are still hungry, have two! 202 calories isn’t going to put you over the top.
Hope this helps you out. Now you can try one of these items, and know that you can eat fast food and healthy at the same time. Well, at least healthier.