Fast Food Menu Items That Are Actually Good For You

Fast food provides a quick and easy solution to those times when we leave our lunches at home, are too exhausted to whip up dinner, or are just straight up in a rush. Plus, hopping up to a drive-thru is convenient and usually fairly inexpensive. According to data from 2013 to 2016 collected by the CDC, around 37 percent of adults consume fast food on any given day.

This may seem like no biggie, but fast food can have quite the impact on a person's health. "If you're eating fast food with any sort of regular frequency, you're typically going to be getting more saturated fat, more sodium, and more sugar than you would if you were cooking at home," registered dietitian Lindsay Malone told the Cleveland Clinic. 

Even the portion sizes offered tend to be way too big — not to mention the sweetened beverage they often come with — leading us to consume high amounts of calories. At Health Digest, we researched the healthiest options you can choose from some of the most popular fast food chains. So when fast food is the only option, you can feel good eating it.

Wanting to "Live Más" and eat your next meal at Taco Bell? According to the restaurant, about 75 percent of their menu items are 500 calories or fewer. "Taco Bell has a surprising number of better options," Lindsey Janeiro, registered dietitian, told Women's Health. "They have an in-house registered dietitian who oversees the whole menu and works to remove additives and preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oil, and reducing sodium across the menu."

Taco Bell recommends ordering items "fresco style" if you're looking to cut back calories even further. Doing this replaces higher-calorie and higher-fat extras such as mayo-based sauces, cheeses, and sour cream with diced tomatoes, reducing your calorie and fat intake by up to 25 percent.

One of the best choices is a fresco-style Crunchy Taco with beef for 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein. If you're more of a soft shell taco fan, you still have a healthy option at 160 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 8 grams of protein.

With its assembly line of Mexican-style food, Chipotle makes it easy to eat healthy. The options are easily customizable, after all. When speaking with Cosmopolitan, many registered dietitians sang the praises of the Burrito Bowl. Since it doesn't come wrapped in a tortilla, it's automatically fewer calories. The nutrition experts also provided some creative tips to bulk up the bowls in healthy ways.

Registered dietitian Danielle Omar told Cosmopolitan, "I don't eat meat, so I usually get double beans (instead of rice) for protein. And I always get double veggies for extra fiber." On the other hand, dietitian Rachel Berman said she skips the beans altogether. She explained, saying, "I go with rice and skip beans to limit my starches and choose white rice because I don't love the taste of brown rice. I prefer barbacoa over other meats because it's the most flavorful without being the fattiest." And although guac is extra (money and calories), it's worth it since it provides healthy fats that protect your heart (via UT Southwestern Medical Center).

Have a hankering for chicken nuggets? Make a stop at your nearest Chick-fil-A. "Believe it or not, Chick-fil-A has a grilled chicken nugget option," registered dietitian Leah Kaufman told Eat This, Not That. "With only 140 calories and 25 grams of protein, this high protein entrée is a great alternative to the traditional fried chicken nuggets." Now, we all know a chicken nugget is only as good as the sauce it comes with. While you'll want to steer clear of the Garden Herb Ranch, Chick-fil-A Sauce, and Polynesian Sauce, which are all nearly as many calories as the nuggets themselves, all the other sauces make great choices.

Kaufman also personally recommends adding a vegetable to your nuggets to complete a well-rounded meal, and you don't even need to leave Chick-fil-A to accomplish that. The restaurant's Kale Crunch Side salad contains not just kale, but green cabbage and roasted almonds along with an Apple Cider and Dijon Mustard vinaigrette (120 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein). If you're a more of a classic salad lover, they also have a Side Salad with mixed greens, cheese, charred tomatoes, and red bell peppers (160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein).

Freaky fast and, apparently, freaky healthy, Jimmy John's can easily be your pit stop for a meal under 500 calories. In an article for Self, registered dietitian Willow Jarosh recommended three sub options that are flavorful and nutritious.

Ordering a Slim turkey breast sub with avocado spread, cucumber, tomato, and sprouts packs a protein punch without a ton of calories. Next up is the Slim tuna salad, but ask them to go light with the tuna and scoop out the inside of the top piece of bread. Order with cucumber, sprouts, and lettuce and you'll be eating 460 calories, 18.5 grams of fat, and 24 grams of protein. Lastly, the Pepe (ham and cheese) with scooped bread, mustard instead of mayo, and extra veggies will give you 468 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 31 grams of protein.

Jimmy John's also offers an "unwich" option, which wraps your favorite sub sandwich into fresh lettuce. According to the company's website, switching from French bread to the unwich can reduce your calories by up to 350. Can't go wrong with more veggies!

Can't decide if you'd rather have soup or salad? Why not both? Panera Bread's "You Pick Two" option gives you a half portion of each to satisfy your craving without being too heavy on calories. "The soup and salad are the perfect pair as part of the 'You Pick Two' option," registered dietitian Marisa Moore told Eat This, Not That. Moore explained how this pair-up can help to meet half the daily vegetable recommendation. She continued, saying, "That's important since the large majority of adults miss the recommended daily vegetable mark."

According to Panera's website, the combination of the half Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken and Ten Vegetable Soup provides a total of 350 calories, 19 grams of fat, and 19 grams of protein. If you want to cut calories and fat even further, try their Greek or Caesar salad options. When it comes to soup, Panera's Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup is another low-calorie but protein-filled option.

If you're swinging by Starbucks to sip on your favorite cup of joe and are in need of breakfast, you're at the right place. Brigitte Zeitlin, registered dietitian, told MindBodyGreen her favorite breakfast choice (and sometimes lunch!) at Starbucks: oatmeal. "I get Classic Oatmeal, and I add in one bag of the nut medley and one portion of the fresh blueberries, then I head over to the coffee bar and shake on some cinnamon for sweetness," she revealed. "The nuts add some crunchy protein while the oats and bluebs give me a good amount of filling fiber. It's warm and hearty and starts my day off on the right track."

If you're not a fan of oatmeal, try the Spinach, Feta & Egg White Wrap, which sneaks vegetables into your morning meal and is only 290 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 20 grams of protein (via Starbucks). Registered dietitian Frances Largeman-Roth opts for Sous Vide Egg Bites with Bacon & Gruyere, she told MindBodyGreen. "They are absolutely delicious and just the right amount of calories and protein for a recovery snack. And if you're keto, they work for you too."

If you guessed vegetable pizza as the healthy choice at Domino's, you would be right. Domino's has over 6,000 locations across the United States, which makes it easy and convenient to grab a pie. The restaurant's "Pacific Veggie" pizza includes onions, diced tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, spinach, roasted peppers, as well as mozzarella, provolone, and feta cheese (330 calories, 13 grams of fat, 13 grams of protein per slice). "Vegetables are so important to include in every meal and having them on top of a comforting slice of pizza can satisfy a pizza craving without overindulging," registered dietitian, Niti Patel told Eat This, Not That.

If you're looking to have something that includes meat, registered dietitian Kelli McGrane offered up her custom order in the same interview. "My go-to order is a medium-thin crust pizza with tomato sauce, light amount of cheese, premium chicken, roasted red peppers, and pineapple," she revealed. "I'll also order a classic garden salad on the side for extra vegetables and fiber." She recommends avoiding processed meats and including at least one vegetable to your pizza. Customize as you see fit!