A third of adults who eat at fast-food restaurants three or more times a week are obese, a study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease found — not surprising given the preponderance of high-fat, high-calorie, and high-salt menu items.
But at almost every chain restaurant, there are smart choices to be made. An ideal meal that won’t derail your diet is a plate that’s half fresh fruits or vegetables, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter whole grains, says Kristi King, RD, a clinical dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. “Look for grilled, baked or broiled meats versus fried,” King says, and then add a vegetable option like a side salad and apple slices or a fruit salad.
If you’re looking for a few healthy standbys to order every time you eat out, try these.
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich
350 calories
9 g fat
28 g protein
820 mg sodium
42 g carbohydrates
3 g fiber
8 g sugar
As fast-food options go, grilled chicken sandwiches generally make better healthy lunches than hamburger patties. Pair yours with a salad and light dressing and low-fat milk or water to drink. The downside is the sodium in this sandwich might be too high if you have high blood pressure or diabetes, points out Jim White, RD, founder of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach, Va. "While the calories may be below 500, the problems arise with the high levels of sodium," he says. "These lunches may not expand the waistline, but they will cause an elevation in blood pressure."
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Ranch Snack Wrap
270 calories
12 grams fat
16 g protein
700 mg sodium
25 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
2 g sugar
The size of McDonald’s snack wraps are just right — as long as you order them grilled and not fried, King says. To save on additional calories and fat, ask for the wrap without cheese or dressing. Because the small wraps might not be filling enough, add a small side to help you stay satisfied. “Look for a yogurt parfait — about 150 calories, a side salad, or fruit to pair with that snack wrap,” King suggests, along with low-fat milk to drink.
Burger King Whopper Jr.
260 calories
10 g fat
16 g protein
440 mg sodium
28 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
7 g sugar
Burgers can be a smart choice, especially if you load yours with veggies, such as onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and even pickles for added flavor without much additional salt or fat. Skipping cheese and enhancing your sandwich with barbecue sauce or ketchup instead of mayonnaise saves calories and fat, too, White says. If you’re watching your saturated fat intake, try the garden patty option (for 440 calories as a fully loaded sandwich). Regardless of which burger you pick, skipping the bun will save you about 140 calories.
Arby's Roast Chicken Club Sandwich
460 calories
19 g fat
30 g protein
1,440 mg sodium
42 g carbohydrates
2 g fiber
9 g sugar
One of the healthiest sandwiches on the menu, this option packs half of your daily protein needs into one meal. If you’re craving Arby’s classic roast beef, go for it — a plain roast beef sandwich has just 350 calories, (but beware: once you add sugary barbecue sauce, the calorie count can skyrocket). When you’re eating Arby’s, skip the classic curly fries, and order a side salad instead.
Arby's Roast-Chicken Chopped Farmhouse Salad
250 calories
14 g fat
23 g protein
670 mg sodium
11 g carbohydrates
3 g fiber
5 g sugar
Arby’s has several healthy lunch options, and this salad — with its roasted, not fried, chicken and fresh vegetables — ranks among the best. To keep your salads healthy, resist high-calorie extras such as cheese, nuts, and full-fat dressing. Salad dressing can wildly increase your salt (and fat) intake if you don’t pay attention to how much you’re drizzling on.
Chipotle Build-Your-Own Salad
360 calories
8 g fat
42 g protein
1,265 mg sodium
34 g carbohydrates
14 g fiber
8 g sugar
At Chipotle, skip the rice and the burrito (the flour tortilla alone is nearly 300 calories!), and build your own salad, featuring chicken, fajita vegetables, black beans, lettuce, and salsa. The lean meat, beans, and fresh veggies will keep you full while a heaping spoonful of salsa adds flavor without fat. If you want an additional toppings, skip sour cream and go for guacamole for its added fiber, healthy fat, and other nutrients.
Smoothie King Pomegranate Punch, 20 oz.
396 calories
0 grams fat
0 g protein
1 mg sodium
95 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
93 g sugar
Smoothie King offers several dozen 20-ounce smoothie options that are low-calorie lunches, depending on your taste and preference. The Pomegranate Punch is a smart choice because it’s loaded with antioxidants. The caveat to this diet meal? Although smoothies tend to be low in fat and salt, they can be very high in sugar and totally devoid of protein, so add a protein supplement if you’re using this as a meal replacement.
Pizza Hut Thin N Crispy Veggie Lover's Pizza: Two Slices, 12-Inch Pie
360 calories
12 g fat
16 mg sodium
46 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
8 g sugar
Pizza gets a bad rap when you’re following a weight-loss plan, but it can make a healthy lunch if you can keep to two slices at a time — that’s a quarter of the 12” pie at Pizza Hut. Loading up on veggies will help you meet your recommended number of servings for the day and increase the fiber in your meal. Depending on your calorie budget, you could add ham slices for protein that could help you feel full a bit longer.
Subway 6-inch Oven-Roasted Chicken Sandwich
370 calories
10 g fat
23 g protein
650 mg sodium
48 g carbohydrates
5 g fiber
8 g sugar
At a make-your-own sandwich spot, pile yours high with fresh vegetables, including spinach, bell peppers, lettuce, and more. Skip mayonnaise or a salad dressing, and consider adding a slice of Subway’s latest sandwich topper: avocado. Avocado might be a high-calorie fruit, but the creaminess ensures you won’t miss fatty dressings, and its fiber will help you stay full.
Chik-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap
410 calories
10 g fat (4 g sat fat)
32 g protein
1,070 mg sodium
50 g carbohydrates
7 g fiber
9 g sugar
Overall, White says, Chik-Fil-A has one of the consistently healthiest menus for fast-food restaurants, with most healthy lunches ringing in at fewer than 500 calories and plenty of options that aren’t fried and are loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables. The wraps are not the lowest-calorie lunch items and are a bit high in salt, but they are substantial enough to keep you full until dinner on their own. Know that the dressings offered with the wraps are about 140 calories per serving, so you may want to decline or go for the 45-calorie barbecue sauce instead.
Panda Express String-Bean Chicken Breast, Mixed Vegetables, and Hot and Sour Soup (No Rice)
330 calories
10 g fat
19 g protein
2,230 mg sodium
37 g carbohydrates
8 g fiber
14 g sugar
Your best bet at Panda Express is to splice together a variety of menu items. An 8-ounce serving of rice will add 380 calories to this meal, so skip it entirely if you’re on a diet. The soup and the plentiful veggies should provide a side dish instead. Unfortunately, there’s no way around the sodium at Panda Express, which approaches the maximum recommended amount for an entire day, so don’t add to it by drizzling on soy sauce.