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When you’re on the go, sometimes there’s just no way of avoiding a fast-food lunch. But that doesn’t mean you have to completely blow your diet.
It would be a lie to say you can find something extremely healthy at a fast-food restaurant. In general, the ingredients are not very fresh and most of them are loaded with sodium to taste better.
For this reason, you should try to consider something beyond a salad when ordering from a fast-food menu.
To be considered truly “healthy,” a meal should be low in calories, sodium, and sugar, while relatively high in protein and (hopefully) fiber.
To help you make better choices whenever you get stuck eating at a fast-food chain, Buzzfeed put together an incredible list of healthy options from the most popular restaurants.
It’s important to remember that the American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 1,500 mg of sodium each day, which is why many of the “healthy” options at some of the fast-food restaurants on this list are not salads:
Chipotle
Salad with Romaine Lettuce, Brown Rice, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies, and Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa (Vegetarian)
430 calories
15.5 g protein
10 g fat (0 g saturated, 0 g trans)
895 mg sodium
76 g carbohydrates
19.5 g fiber
8.5 g sugar
Burrito Bowl with Steak, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Cheese, and Romaine Lettuce
460 calories
46 g protein
15.5 g fat (7 g saturated)
1,150 mg sodium
36 g carbohydrates
15 g fiber
8 g sugar
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McDonald’s
Keep in mind that McDonald’s does offer a few fairly low-calorie salad options, but what they lack in calories, they more than make up for in sodium. For that reason, Buzzfeed’s list does not include any salads for McDonald’s healthiest lunch options.
Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich
360 calories
32 g protein
6 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
930 mg sodium
43 g carbohydrates
3 g fiber
11 g sugars
Taco Bell
According to Buzzfeed, Taco Bell is actually pretty good at staying true to smaller serving sizes. However, like McDonald’s and Chipotle, sodium is the one big problem here.
Cantina Power Burrito (Vegetarian)
430 calories
15 g protein
19 g fat (7 g saturated, 0 g trans)
940 mg sodium
52 g carbohydrates
9 g fiber
5 g sugar
Shredded Chicken Burrito
400 calories
16 g protein
18 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
960 mg sodium
45 g carbohydrates
3 g fiber
3 g sugar
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is probably one of the only fast-food chains in the world, where consumers actually enjoy having limited options. As long as you say no to the fries and shake, you can actually eat a fairly healthy meal here.
Hamburger With Onion and Mustard and Ketchup (NO spread)
310 calories
16 g protein
10 g fat (4 g saturated, 0 g trans)
730 mg sodium
41 g carbohydrates
3 g fiber
10 g sugar
Protein Style Cheeseburger With Onion (NO bun)
330 calories
18 g protein
25 g fat (9 g saturated, 0 g trans)
720 mg sodium
11 g carbohydrates
3 g fiber
7 g sugar
Subway
As Buzzfeed explains, it’s pretty easy to get a substantial healthy sandwich at Subway—as long as you customize it and stick to six-inch subs!
Six-inch Veggie Sub on 9-Grain Wheat with Provolone, Cucumbers, Green Peppers, Lettuce, Red Onions, Spinach, Tomatoes, Avocado, and Olive Oil Blend Dressing (Vegetarian)
380 calories
13 g protein
17 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
410 mg sodium
47 g carbohydrates
8 g fiber
7 g sugar
Six-inch Turkey Breast Sub on 9-Grain Wheat with Swiss Cheese, Banana Peppers, Cucumbers, Green Peppers, Lettuce, Spinach, Tomatoes, Avocado, and Vinegar dressing
390 calories
23 g protein
14 g fat (4 g saturated, 0 g trans)
720 mg sodium
49 g carbohydrates
8 g fiber
7 g sugar
Which of these healthy options surprised you the most on the list? Tell us in the comments!
Photo Copyright © 2015 chipotle.com
