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No time to fix dinner? No problem—just do what any red-blooded American would do: Eat out! You
won’t be alone. Every day, almost half of all U.S. adults are restaurant patrons, according to
the National Restaurant Association. As a nation, we spend $1 billion each day on meals away
from home, most of those in fast-food restaurants.
Want fries with that?
This would be fine if we didn’t have to think about obesity and heart disease. But if “you are what you eat” rings true, we’re in deep trouble. It’s no surprise that most fast-food items are high in fat and calories and low in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
McDonald’s Big Extra with Cheese has 55 grams of fat (19 saturated) and no fiber. A
steady diet of this type of food doesn’t bode well for the ol’ ticker.
Granted, an occasional burger and fries isn’t going to send anyone to the emergency room. But
if super-size has become a part of your daily language you may want to take heed. The good
news is that it’s relatively easy to put together a healthful meal at a fast-food restaurant.
Here are some tips:
Go for the grill. In general, grilled or roasted meats are lower in fat than fried or breaded meats. Wendy’s Grilled Chicken sandwich has 7 grams of fat compared to 20 grams for their Breaded Chicken sandwich. Arby’s Regular Roast Beef sandwich has 19 grams of fat, but if paired with fruit and low-fat milk, you end up with a reasonably low-fat meal.
Hold the mayo. It’s amazing the difference an innocent-looking dollop of mayonnaise can
make. McDonald’s McGrill sandwich has 18 grams of fat and 450 calories with the mayonnaise, 7
grams of fat and 340 calories without. Burger King’s BK Broiler sandwich has 26 grams of fat
and 530 calories with the mayo, 9 grams of fat and 370 without the mayo. Watch the tartar sauce too:
one package of tartar sauce at Burger King has 29 grams of fat—that’s more than
you’ll find in a Double Whopper with Cheese.
Wrap it up. If filled with grilled chicken or turkey, beans, and lots of roasted vegetables,
wraps make a nutritious meal. Skip the cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream, most wraps are fairly
low in fat. Calorie ranges between 400 and 600 per wrap, mostly from the beans and tortilla, but
these are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. Try half a wrap with a
salad if you’re trying to cut back on calories.
Be wary of salads. Most people think “salad” is synonymous with “low
calorie.” No so. Taco Bell’s Taco Salad packs in a whopping 850 calories and 52 grams of
fat—roughly equal to two Crispy Chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s. Go light on salad
dressings too: Adding one package of Ranch dressing to McDonald’s garden salad adds 18 grams
of fat.
Round out the meal with “slow food.” The best way to eat fast food is to take it
home where you can add your own salad, fresh fruit, or beverage of choice. A Big Mac with side salad, low-cal dressing, and a homemade fruit smoothie comes in under 700 calories and 30 grams of fat. But if you order fries and a McFlurry, the calories soar into the four-digit range, and fat content tips the scales at around 100 grams.
Avoid super-sizing. A small order of fries at Wendy’s has only 120 calories and 13
grams of fat (quite high for a side dish) whereas an order of Biggie fries has 570 calories and 27
grams of fat, almost as much as the Big Bacon Classic hamburger. It may be difficult for some people to pass up because many fast-food restaurants charge less for bigger sizes. Stick with the size that satisfies your appetite, not your wallet.
How much fat and calories should one have in one day? The answer depends on age, gender, and
activity level. In general, keep fat intake to around 30 percent of total calories. Adult women
should aim for 2,000 calories and 67 grams of fat (or less) and men should aim for 2,700 calories
and 90 grams of fat (or less).
Here are a few sample fast-food combos to get you going:
Arby’s
Regular Roast Beef Sandwich (19 grams fat, 388 calories)
with Beef Stock Au Jus (0 grams fat, 10 calories)
Lumberjack Mixed Vegetable Soup (4 grams fat, 90 calories)
Chocolate Chip Cookie (6 grams fat, 125 calories)
Total: 29 grams fat, 613 calories
Burger King
Chunky Chicken Salad (4 grams fat, 142 calories)
Dutch Apple Pie (15 grams fat, 300 calories)
Total: 19 grams fat, 442 calories
Whopper with Cheese, no mayo (31 grams fat, 600 calories)
Green salad with low-cal dressing (3 grams fat, 80 calories)
Red Delicious apple from home (0 grams fat, 60 calories)
Diet Coke (0 grams fat, 1 calorie)
Total: 34 grams fat, 741 calories
McDonald’s
Chicken McGrill, no mayo (7 grams fat, 340 calories)
Small order of fries (10 grams fat, 210 calories)
Diet Coke (0 grams fat, 1 calorie)
Total: 17 grams fat, 550 calories
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (2.5 grams fat, 100 calories)
Honey Mustard Dressing (11 grams fat, 150 calories)
Strawberry Sundae (7 grams fat, 290 calories)
Total: 20.5 grams fat, 540 calories
Taco Bell
Tostada (12 grams fat, 250 calories)
Beef Gordita Supreme (14 grams fat, 300 calories)
Lemonade (0 grams fat, 100 calories)
Total: 26 grams fat, 650 calories
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