Healthy Fast Food Options
Slowly The Times Are A Changin. Long gone are the days of McDonalds salads with 1200 calories. Fast food IS getting better. There is still a long way to go, but at least now if you are in a hurry, and can’t find a supermarket, there are some decent options to keep you afloat without busting your seat belt. The good thing about these healthy fast food options is that they are also cheap.
While you can’t compare the nutritional value of high volume processed vegetables and chicken their organic counterparts, the following items are not bad options for a quick easy meal and can be found readily easy.
Boston Market: Roast Turkey Breast
When you’re craving meat on the road, Boston Market’s not a bad place to pull over. Choose their roasted turkey breast meal, which has a relatively short ingredient list: just good ol’ turkey breast, with a solution of water, salt, lemon juice concentrate, and vinegar. Pair it with a side of fresh steamed vegetables, and you’ve got a guilt-proof pit stop.
Nutrition: 260 cal, 40 g pro, 8 g carb, 3 g fiber, 8 g fat, 1g sat fat, 780 mg sodium
Chipotle Chicken Salad
You can eat 100 percent GMO free at Chipotle. When the company decided to disclose their ingredients online this summer, they went an extra step further and became the first to list foods containing GMOs in its online menu. Chipotle makes it easy to create your dish with simple color-coding for GMO’s along with other designations for preservatives, organic, and responsibly raised meats.
Make your own salad with romaine lettuce, chicken, black beans and fajita vegetables for a protein packed healthy fast meal.
Nutrition : 340 cal, 41 g pro, 30 g carb, 13 g fiber, 31 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 785 mg sodium
Domino’s Veggie Pizza With Gluten Free Crust
Who knew fast-food pizza could be gluten-free-friendly? Load it up with baby spinach, fresh mushrooms, and diced tomatoes, none of which have preservatives. Plus, there’s no partially trans fat here, unlike in Pizza Hut’s thin crust. These ingredients are the best you can hope for large-chain pizza. Bon Appetit!
Nutrition (per slice): 133 cal, 4 g pro, 16 g carb, 2 g fiber, 6 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 327 mg sodium
Starbucks Hearty Brown Rice Salad Bowl
If you can control yourself by not ordering a Fatty Coffee Drink, Starbucks has some excellent options for a quick healthy lunch or snack. The Hearty Brown Rice Salad Bowl with tossed roasted butternut squash, beets, kale, red cabbage, steamed broccoli florets and garden peas with lemon tahini dressing.
Nutrition: 430 cal, 10 g pro, 50 g carb, 8 g fiber, 22 g fat (unsat), 640 mg sodium
Panera Bread: Power Chicken Hummus Bowl
This year Panera has unveiled a new Hidden Power Menu. Just ask if you don’t see these items listed. This antibiotic-free chicken and mix of fibrous veggies with a dollop of hummus packs 33 grams of lean protein—without many calories, thanks to a satisfying squeeze of lemon in lieu of dressing.
Nutrition: 330 cal, 33 g pro, 23 g carb, 8 g fiber, 13 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 590 mg sodium
And now a word from our Nutritionist:
“This is great! Fast food should always be the last option. But, when in a pinch, these are decent alternatives to a fresh, home-cooked meal. My favorite is the brown rice bowl covered with kale salad from Starbucks. It has a delicious dressing that is so rich you only need half of it!
Jennifer Cassetta is a dynamic clinical nutritionist & coach with a focus on holistic health and high heels. Her Stilletos and Self Defense seminars have been featured on national TV and radio – a Rugged Female for sure. Check her out at Strong, Safe & Sexy, @JennCassetta or jennifercassetta.com.
Thanks For Reading!
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