Best fast food for healthful eating

[enviroTodd]

I’m looking for recommendations of a fast food place that has some healthy food options. I’m entertaining guests who love fast food places but I don’t want to have to eat junk while I’m out with them. Is there a place I should request that would please all of us?

[Freddy]

Hmmm...if you have to eat at a fast food place, they're all pretty much equal in terms of their "health" food options. I would recommend choosing the healthiest salad and either not using the dressing that they give you with it or bringing your own from home. It's usually the dressing they put on these salads that kill their nutritional value or spike the fat levels. If you're going to a sub place, choose the healthiest and smallest bread option they have and load up the sandwich with the veggies and avoid any of the super high-cal dressings. Order water with your meals and skip out on the combos. Any fries, chips, soup, or cookies you add are only going to pump up the salt, sugar, fat, and calories.

[Charlotte]

Just stick with the vegetarian and salad options. Stay away from the soda and other sugary beverages and all the deep fried stuff.

[BabyButtons]

I had this same problem a while back enviroTodd. Essentially, you want to stay away form anything that is fried/deep fried and avoid any of the "side" options that the meal comes with, unless it's a salad. If it's a salad, and you can stand eating it without the dressing, this is your best option. If you need to have a dressing I would choose the vinaigrette kind over the creamy ones, as it will have less fat (even though it still has quite a bit of salt and sugar). Other good sides (if they are available) are fruit cups, apple slices or baked potato (light on the toppings). Usually if I want more than a salad, I'll get the grilled or broiled chicken option and ask them to hold the sauce and ask for extra tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and pickles to help enhance the flavor without adding all the extra fat. For a beverage, I just stick with water. I hope that helps!

[enviroTodd]

So I guess all of the different places are pretty much the same when it comes to their menus? I’ll just keep going for the salads with no dressing and that kind of option. I have to say that it’s getting pretty old. It’s sad that if you want to eat something somewhat healthy at a fast food place, pretty much your only option is a bowl full of iceberg lettuce. I don’t even usually eat that kind of lettuce since it’s just essentially like eating water with a touch of fiber. Out of curiosity, are fast food restaurants legally required to have a healthy option? It’s probably a state based law, but are there states that make that a regulation? That there has to be something that fits into the food pyramid LOL

[BabyButtons]

I don't think they are legally required to have a healthy option, but I think that that they are required to have nutrition labeling on their products. That combined with the fact that making healthy choices has become a bit of a popular trend is what I think has caused more fast food places to offers salads hahah. But, yes, I agree with you. I think that they need to have better choices if they actually want to appeal to those who are health-concsious. Salads just aren't enough.

[enviroTodd]

You're right, BabyButtons, especially their salads. how can they possibly claim that a salad is a healthy option when it has taco chips, seasoned ground beef, cheese, and sour cream on it. It's just basically a taco that has been flipped inside out on a bed of lettuce. If you jammed all that inside a taco shell or a tortilla, you'd feel like a pig eating that much food! It's fine that they have their junk food options. It's what keeps people going back because a lot of people like that stuff. But they'd have even more people coming back if there were more healthful options available so that a whole group could go, including the members of the group that would really rather not eat their beef and that wouldn't mind a nutrient here and there. Sure, it's not the best place to go for a healthy meal, but it should still be possible to get one! I know I sound frustrated, but the meal I ended up with was very expensive and it was essentially a mound of iceberg lettuce with shaved carrots and two tomato wedges. I should have just asked for a cup of water.

[BabyButtons]

I completely understand enviroTodd. And you're right. While a fast food joint isn't the best place for health food, they should still offer SOMETHING if they want to appeal to a wider audience. They don't have to have a wide selection, but one option would be nice to at least make it look like they are trying. I bet they'd even improve their sales.

[enviroTodd]

I completely understand enviroTodd. And you're right. While a fast food joint isn't the best place for health food, they should still offer SOMETHING if they want to appeal to a wider audience. They don't have to have a wide selection, but one option would be nice to at least make it look like they are trying. I bet they'd even improve their sales.

They probably would improve their sales. These companies are starting to struggle, right now, and it’s because they’re building a bad reputation in terms of healthy eating. If they could come up with an ACTUAL healthy menu (and not just one that labels itself as healthy), they’d be doing everyone a favor, including themselves.

[BabyButtons]

Yes, I agree...and maybe they could lower their prices, too, if they want to improve their sales. I don't know about where you live, but I'm personally stunned at how much fast food costs now! It's pretty bad when it costs only a few dollars more to eat at a restaurant that offers a little more quality. Hopefully the lack of health food options and the high price will help to encourage more people to make better choices.