Weight-Loss Healthy Fast Foods

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24 Surprisingly Healthy Fast Foods
Burgers, tacos, pizza -- find out which of your fast-food favorites aren't so bad after all. Our list includes picks from KFC, McDonald's, Taco Bell, and more, plus healthy fast-food desserts.
By H.K. Jones, RD

Is the drive-thru the fast lane to a heart attack? On the one hand, it's true: One slipup ("okay, sure, I'll take the large fries and apple pie with that") and you can add more than 800 high-in-saturated-fat calories to your takeout. But there is good news. Some of the burgers, sides, sandwiches, and even desserts aren't as bad for you as you might think. In fact, some are downright light! Here are 24 fast-food picks that are all figure-friendly -- unless of course you order them all at once.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Picks
KFC Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
120 calories
4.5g fat, 1g saturated fat
Even when made with milk and butter (some KFCs use these ingredients; others don't), mashed is always better than fried. Don't worry about the gravy; it adds only a few calories and just half a gram of fat.

KFC Original Recipe Drumstick
140 calories
8g fat, 2g saturated fat
Order one regular drumstick (avoid the Extra Crispy, which is just fast-food speak for "extra high in saturated and trans fats"), and fill up on the chain's better-for-you sides, such as corn on the cob, baked beans, or a small helping of the next two choices on our list.

KFC Potato Salad
180 calories
9g fat, 1.5g saturated fat
Made with red bell peppers, onions, celery, and about a tablespoon of mayo, this is a tasty, trans-fat-free alternative to the deep-fried Potato Wedges.

KFC Cole Slaw
190 calories
11g fat, 2g saturated fat
Cole slaw's two main ingredients have a lot going for them: Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber; carrots are chock-full of vitamins A, K, and C and potassium.

KFC Honey BBQ Sandwich
300 calories
6g fat, 1.5g saturated fat
Don't let the thick, sweet sauce fool you: This Southern specialty is actually the lowest-calorie full-size sandwich on the menu.


McDonald's Picks
McDonald's Chicken McNuggets with Sweet 'N Sour Sauce
4 pieces, 220 calories
10g fat, 2g saturated fat
The sauce is low in calories and sodium. But since you get only four measly nuggets, go ahead and add a Fruit & Walnut Salad (310 calories, with yogurt dressing) for additional sustenance.

McDonald's Hamburger
260 calories
9g fat, 3.5g saturated fat
This less-than-two-ounce burger is pretty small, so it's one of the diet-friendliest sandwiches in the biz. Pair it with a Side Salad drizzled with a packet of Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette (60 calories total) and a bottle of water.

McDonald's Egg McMuffin
300 calories
12g fat, 4.5g saturated fat
With its lean Canadian-style bacon and English muffin, this breakfast sandwich is a better choice than the 500-calorie Sausage Biscuit with Egg.

McDonald's McChicken
370 calories
16g fat, 3.5g saturated fat
Its size and small portion of mayo mean this crispy, fried sandwich is lower in calories than the grilled-chicken options.


Taco Bell Picks
Taco Bell Fresco Style Crunchy Taco
150 calories
7g fat, 2.5g saturated fat
When you ask for your meal Fresco Style, you get fresh salsa (packed with cancer-fighting lycopene) instead of fatty cheese and sauce. Pair your taco with a safe but filling side (like beans or rice), so you won't be hungry again before you leave the parking lot.

Taco Bell Fresco Style Grilled Steak Soft Taco
170 calories
5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat
Although red meat does deliver a little fat, it also adds protein, zinc, iron, and vitamin B12.

Taco Bell Fresco Style Tostada
200 calories
6g fat, 1g saturated fat
A flat corn shell topped with fiber-rich beans, Fiesta salsa, tangy red sauce, and lettuce makes a healthy taco alternative.

Taco Bell Gordita Nacho Cheese -- Chicken
270 calories
10g fat, 2.5g saturated fat
Not all our picks come from the healthier Fresco Style menu. This one is smothered in cheese but still manages to squeeze in under 300 calories.

Pizza Hut and Wendy's Picks
Pizza Hut 12" Fit 'N Delicious Pizza with Diced Chicken, Red Onion, and Green Pepper
2 slices, 340 calories
9g fat, 4g saturated fat
A dietitian's dream: thin crust, lean chicken, and vegetable toppings, plus half the cheese of the regular Thin 'N Crispy Pizza.

Pizza Hut 12" Veggie Lover's Hand-Tossed Pizza
1 slice, 220 calories
6g fat, 3g saturated fat
One slice is sometimes just as satisfying as more, as long as it has a thick crust and a full allotment of cheese. Though not quite as light as the Fit 'N Delicious, the Hut's Hand-Tossed pies are still lower in calories than its deep-dish pan pizzas.

Wendy's Jr. Hamburger
280 calories
9g fat, 3.5g saturated fat
This junior-size sandwich is almost as low-cal as the McDonald's burger. Skip the side of fries and have a Low-Fat Strawberry Flavored Yogurt with Granola Topping (250 calories) for dessert.

Wendy's Large Chili
330 calories
9g fat, 3.5g saturated fat
Packed with folate-, iron- and fiber-rich beans, the 12-ounce serving will fill you up. Round out your meal with a Mandarin Orange Cup (80 calories).

Wendy's Ultimate Chicken Grill
360 calories
7g fat, 1.5g saturated fat
It has half the fat of Wendy's other non-burger sandwiches, thanks to Honey Mustard Sauce instead of mayo and grilling instead of deep-frying.


6 Diet-Friendly Desserts
McDonald's Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone
150 calories
3.5g fat, 2g saturated fat
With their velvety vanilla flavor, McDonald's perfectly sized cones don't taste like they're made with reduced-fat ice cream -- but thank goodness they are!

Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists
160 calories
5g fat, 1g saturated fat
The airy puffed corn underneath all the cinnamon and sugar makes this treat guilt-free.

Wendy's Jr. Frosty
160 calories
4g fat, 2.5g saturated fat
Thicker than a milk shake but thinner than a sundae, the four-ounce Jr. Frosty packs plenty of satisfaction into a quarter-pint cup.

KFC Lil' Bucket Strawberry Shortcake
200 calories
6g fat, 4g saturated fat
With significantly fewer calories than most other KFC desserts, this is one sweet find.

Pizza Hut Cherry Dessert Pizza
1 slice, 240 calories
3.5g fat, 0.5g saturated fat
It's not as virtuous as a bowl of cherries, but Pizza Hut's dessert pie has half the calories and less than a quarter of the fat of homemade cherry pie.

KFC Lemon Meringue Pie Slice
240 calories
9g fat, 2.5g saturated fat
Traditional shortening- or butter-packed crusts make home-baked lemon meringue pie a dieter's nightmare. But KFC's lemon meringue has fewer than three grams of artery-clogging saturated fat, putting it a slice above the rest.


5 Drive-Thru Disasters
You'll need to order a side of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs with any of these artery-clogging menu items.

  1. Wendy's Big Bacon Classic: 580 calories, 29g fat, 12g saturated fat
  2. McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 730 calories, 40g fat, 19g saturated fat
  3. KFC Chicken Pot Pie: 770 calories, 40g fat, 15g saturated fat
  4. Burger King Triple Whopper with Cheese: 1,230 calories, 82g fat, 32g saturated fat
  5. Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad: 860 calories, 46g fat, 14g saturated fat
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Interesting reading from this month's Fitness Magazine...
 
and ona related note:
The Best and Worst Takeout
Keep your diet intact no matter what you dial up for dinner.
By Jennifer Nelson

Healthy and Delicious Choices
If you like THAI, go for: Thai-style chicken: It's loaded with vegetables and sometimes served in a hollowed-out pineapple. It's your five a day in one eye-catching meal.

Summer rolls: usually wrapped in low-calorie rice paper and filled with bean sprouts and other steamed vegetables, shrimp and/or fish.


But Steer clear of:
Peanut sauce: "It's delicious but loaded with fat," says Joan Carter, R.D., an instructor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a trained chef.

Thai tea: Sweetened with condensed milk and loaded with heavy cream or half-and-half, it's virtually a dessert.


If you like CHINESE, go for:
Wonton soup: It's light, refreshing and flavorful. One caveat: it can be high in sodium, so be sure to drink a lot of water.

Beef, chicken or shrimp with broccoli (heavy on the green stuff). Ask for the sauce on the side.

Brown rice: It's richer in nutrients and higher in fiber than white rice, so you'll crave fewer fortune cookies.


But Steer clear of:
Chow mein noodles and anything else that's crispy, crunchy and deep-fried, says Laura Olsen, R.D., a dietitian in private practice in Brooklyn.

Sweet-and-sour pork: Underneath all that calorie-packed sweet sauce are big chunks of deep-fried pork.

Kung Pao chicken: A typical order could be "garnished" with up to a half pound of cashews (read: 30 grams of fat).

If you like MEXICAN go for:
Chicken or vegetable fajitas: Sautéed with just enough oil to prevent sticking, they're one of the healthiest choices at many Mexican eateries. Ask for whole-wheat tortillas for more nutrients.

Black bean soup: It'll fill you up (beans are packed with fiber) and, as a bonus, help prevent heart disease.

Plain bean burrito: Ask for lettuce and salsa inside, and nix the cheese and sour cream to keep the calorie count down.


But Steer clear of:
Nachos: They're tasty, but the deep-fried chips, full-fat cheese and sour cream, and guacamole are a dietitian's nightmare.

Tacos and taquitos: The shells are often deep-fried, and the meat is usually dripping with grease.

Tacos and taquitos: The shells are often deep-fried, and the meat is usually dripping with grease.


If you like INDIAN, go for:
Tandoori anything: "The meat is marinated ahead of time in a mixture of spices and yogurt, then baked," says Carter. Even better, tandoori chicken is often made without the skin, lopping as much as 12 grams of fat off the total tally.

Vegetarian curry: The more vegetables, the better.

Dal: This pureed-lentil side dish is used as a spread and stuffing for bread. It's high in fiber and loaded with flavor.


But Steer clear of:
Samosas (fried beef or vegetable turnovers). They're coated with ghee, or clarified butter.

Anything with coconut milk: Yummy, yes. But very high in fat.


If you like PIZZA, go for:
Vegetable-topped pies: Pile 'em on, but go easy on the olives, which add fat grams.

Thin, whole-wheat crust: for extra fiber.


But Steer clear of:
White pizza: Lots of butter or oil, plus full-fat ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Need we say more?

Stuffed-crust pies: In the simplest terms: It's like a pizza within a pizza. You're probably getting twice the calories
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I disagree with the Pizza Hut and KFC choices. I worked at pizza hut, and tried to eat their food in healthy ways. How do you think I ended up being 270 lbs, gaining 100 in just a year? Nothing you can buy at pizza hut is healthy, everything is doused in grease. The 'fit and delicious' is no different than regular. Its supposed to be lite on cheese, thats it. 99% of the time you order it won't come with any less cheese than regular. Also the KFC stuff. Fried chicken? I don't think so.
 
Anything is okay to it if it is eaten in proper amounts. The occasional big mac, pizza, or KFC meal isn't going to ruin your diet, if you can handle getting right back on track. In fact, it's better to give in to the occasional craving. It tends to keep people from completely blowing a diet. I love fitness magazine, it's one of two magazines I read religiously and I'm in love with it. I'm not sure what month it was but it also had calorie blasting workouts for your after craving binge. I'll look for it :)
 
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