In today’s society, it’s hard to imagine life without fast food. The quick and easy restaurants are virtually everywhere and provide a plethora of cheap, tasty meals. However, the stuff you can find at a fast food restaurant is almost guaranteed to be high in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol. Almost all professional nutritionists demand that you completely cut all fast food from your life. But is this really practical? Yes you could definitely find something better in a health food store, but if you are pressed for time and just want something quick and easy, here are a few tips you can use at your local drive-thru to turn a fat meal to a fit one.
hold the mayo: A single serving of mayonnaise is around 100 calories. If you remember to ask for your order without the mayo you can make a significant reduction in your caloric intake without reducing much of the flavor. To me, mayo doesn’t really add much to the meal anyway.
remove the cheese: This step may be a bit harder (since cheese is pretty delicious) but if you can summon the will power to order your meal without cheese you can subtract another 100 calories from your order.
forget the fries: This is a big one. A single order of fries can range from 200-400 calories depending where you go. A lot of places offer alternative sides for the health conscious. Wendy’s, for example, offers fruit or baked potatoes as sides to their meals. These are both much better choices and are great substitutes for the french fries.
skip the cola: Here’s another tough one. By ordering a glass of water with your meal, you are saving a lot of needless sugar. Another favorite of mine is to order iced tea (unsweetened). Zero calorie beverages are great because they help fill you up without any extra baggage.
try the chicken: All fast food restaurants should offer at least one option with grilled chicken, a great source of lean protein. By ordering a sensible grilled chicken sandwich without the mayo, a healthy side item and a glass of water you can show the world that “fast food” isn’t always bad.
