Low Calorie Meals From Your Favorite Fast Food Restaurants
When it comes to changing your eating habits I’m a fan of making changes that best fit your life. If you’re trying to lose weight, or simply to eat better, the ideal thing to do would be to prepare most of your meals at home. However, If you’ve never been much of a cook, expecting you to change your eating habits and your life habits can seem daunting and may ultimately mean you end up not making any changes at all.
So for those who frequent fast foods restaurants as part of their daily or weekly routine, here are five healthier meal options you can choose from some the more popular fast food chains. Each option is less than 500 calories. And while calories isn’t the only thing you should take into consider when changing your diet it is a good starting point.
1. Wendy’s – Ultimate Grill Chicken Sandwhich
Complete Meal
An Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich with a Mandarin orange cup and medium iced tea.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 480
- Fat grams: 7 (1.5 g saturated)
- Sodium: 980 mg
This is the healthiest sandwich on the menu. To make it an even healthier option, toss aside one of the buns and make it a one bun sandwich. You can even pair it with a salad if you’re looking for some variety with the mandarin oranges.
2. Subway: 6in Double Roast Beef Sub
Complete Meal
6in Double Roast Beef Sub with fat free Italian dressing and a medium iced tea.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 455
- Fat grams: 8 (3.5 g saturated fat)
- Sodium: 2100 grams
Yes you could get a single meat sandwich, or a turkey or even chicken sandwich and fall even lower on the calorie scale, but if you eat out often you want variety and this is an option that, even with double the protein, is still less in fat and calories than say the tuna salad or one with different condiments.
3. Pizza Hut – Two Slices Thin ‘N Crispy Pizza (12″)
Complete Meal
Two Slices Thin ‘N Crispy Pizza (12″) with quartered ham & pineapple, and a medium Diet Coke
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 360
- Fat grams: 12 (5 g saturated fat)
- Sodium: 1,110 mg
If you want meat on your pizza that’s not chicken, ham seems to be the way to go. A Hawaiian pizza with ham and pineapple seems to be the healthier option for those who want meat on their pies. A veggie pizza on thin crust would be even healthier for those who don’t mind meatless pizzas.
4. McDonalds: Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich
Complete Meal
Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich with a side salad with Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, and a medium iced tea
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 480
- Fat grams: 13 (2 g saturated fat)
- Sodium: 1,945 mg
Turns out the Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich has the same number of calories as the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, but lacks the trans fat of the popular burger. And with most fast food options choosing a salad or fruit keeps the calorie count down instead of the standard french fries.Once again toss one of the buns aside to further lower the calorie count.
5. KFC: 3 Crispy Strips with Green Beans
Complete Meal
3 Crispy Strips with Green Beans and 3″ corn on the cob with a medium Diet Pepsi
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 475
- Fat grams: 22.5 (6 g saturated fat)
- Sodium: 1,165 mg
The side of green beans is a good source of fiber and vitamins K, A & C which are good your bones and reducing cancer-causing free radicals.
Fast Food Wrap Up
Now looking at this list it would be easy to point how high the sodium count in much of these meal options. But as I mentioned before it’s about making healthier options when you eat out, and if you’re of the – burger and fries, pepperoni on my pizza – school of fast food eating this list gives you some much needed alternatives.
Do you eat out often? Does this list help you make better choices? Don’t forget to use the buttons below to share this post and get your friends in on the conversation.
