Fast Food Notion - Mr. Bad Food's
Best BetsFrom
eDiets - The online diet, fitness, and healthy living resource
Fast food comes in all tastes and
sizes, and it continues to be a regular part of our diet, even though six in 10
of us are overweight or obese. Good news: you can drive-thru rather than drive
by, thanks to healthier choices now available at your favorite fast food
joints!
When in Rome, do as the Romans do...
but when at McDonald's or Burger King, do as Mr. Bad Food (yeah, that's me
posing with a fistful of fried potatoes) would do: make the less-painful
pick!
Let's cut to the chase. As the busy
father of a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, I find myself at the
nearby McDonald's on nearly a weekly basis. Yes, I know fast food places like
Mickey D's get a lot of heat for creating future generations' fat kids today.
But that's fodder for another column.
Today we're talking about us -- the
overweight men and women who find ourselves hungry and stuck at a fast food
restaurant. I am going to serve up what I consider safe picks for the low-carb
and low-fat dieter.
NOTE: Click on the
restaurant name to view the entire menu with nutritional info for that specific
restaurant.
McDONALD'S
My favorite low-carb option: The
Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad is a hearty 10.2-ounce meal that'll weigh you
down with just 250 calories, 10 grams of fat (4.5 saturated), 85 grams
cholesterol, 930mg sodium, 9 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber and 31 grams of
protein.
The other salads are good choices
too; however, keep in mind the above numbers DO NOT include croutons or salad
dressing. For low-carb, skip the croutons but enjoy the yummy Newman's Own
dressings (Creamy Caesar, Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, Ranch or Cobb -- each
adds 4-9 grams of carbs).
My favorite low-fat option: Same
as above but with the Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing -- it has only 3
grams of fat as compared with the 9 to 30 grams of fat in the other three
choices.
The No-No's!: Low-carb: The
Vanilla Triple Thick Shake (32 fl. oz. cup) has 1,140 calories, 32 grams of fat
(22 saturated), 135mg cholesterol, 810mg sodium, 178 grams of carbs, less than
1 gram fiber and 28 grams of protein.
Low-fat: The Double Quarter
Pounder with Cheese has 770 calories, 47 grams of fat (20 saturated), 165mg
cholesterol, 1,440mg sodium, 39 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber and 46 grams
of protein.
Hungry for more? Let's head over to
McD's main competition.
BURGER KING
My favorite low-carb option: The
Original Whopper Sandwich with cheese (NO BUN, but try it wrapped in lettuce
leaves or served up in a little tray with knife and fork) has 550 calories, 45
grams fat (17 saturated), 110mg cholesterol, 1,020mg sodium, 8 grams of carbs,
1 gram fiber and 27 grams of protein.
My favorite low-fat option: The
Savory Mustard Chicken Baguette has 380 calories, 4.5 grams of fat (1
saturated), 0 cholesterol, 45mg cholesterol, 1,250mg sodium, 57 grams of carbs,
3 grams of fiber and 30 grams of protein.
The No-No's!: Low-carb: The
ICEE Coca-Cola (Medium) has 450 calories... 113 grams of carbs!
Low-fat: The Original Double
Whopper with cheese has 1,060 calories, 69 grams of fat (27 saturated), 185mg
cholesterol, 1,540mg sodium, 53 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber and 56 grams
of protein.
SUBWAY
My favorite low-carb option: Like
many other shrewd eateries, Subway now offers "Atkins-friendly" fare. There are
two main choices -- the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap and the Turkey Bacon Melt
Wrap. I'd choose the chicken wrap, which has 480 calories, 27 grams of fat (9
saturated), 95mg cholesterol, 1,340mg sodium, 19 grams carbs, 11 grams fiber,
(8 grams NET carbs) and 40 grams protein.
My favorite low-fat option:
Subway has long been noted for its low-fat line of sandwiches they call "7
Under 6" -- the 6 indicates grams of fat. My personal fave is the 6-inch ham,
which has 290 calories, 5 grams of fat (1.5 saturated), 25mg cholesterol,
1,270mg sodium, 46 grams of carbs, 4 grams fiber and 18 grams protein.
The No-No's!: Low-carb: The
6-inch Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki has 370 calories, 5 grams of fat (1.5
saturated), 50mg cholesterol, 1,100mg sodium, 59 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber and
26 grams protein.
Low-fat: The 6-inch meatball
(remember to double up these numbers if you order a 12-inch sandwich!) has 500
calories, 22 grams of fat, (11 saturated), 45mg cholesterol, 1,180mg sodium, 52
grams of carbs, 5 grams fiber and 23 grams protein.
KFC
My favorite low-carb option:
Forget about Kitchen Fresh Chicken -- we're talking Kentucky FRIED Chicken
here. That being said, the average Original Recipe Chicken Breast has 380
calories, 19 grams of fat (6 saturated), 145mg cholesterol, 1,150mg sodium, 11
grams of carbs, 0 fiber and 40 grams protein.
My favorite low-fat option: Same
as above. If you can bear to do away with the skin (I have tried and failed
repeatedly), you can save yourself a lot of fat and calories.
The No-No's!: Low-carb and
low-fat: The Twister Sandwich with cheese has 740 calories, 43 grams of fat
(10 saturated), 75mg cholesterol, 1,850mg sodium, 56 grams of carbs, 3 grams
fiber and 31 grams protein.
TACO BELL
My favorite low-carb option: I
tinkered around with the interactive nutrition calculator for a while and kept
coming up with high-carb fare. Give it a try and keep in mind that beans and
taco shells (and edible bowls) are carb-heavy. Good luck!
My favorite low-fat option: A
Regular Style Soft Taco Supreme has 230 calories, 10 grams of fat (5
saturated), 45mg cholesterol, 570mg sodium, 21 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber and 15
grams protein. Have it without the sour cream, and you'll slice off 4 grams of
fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat and 40 calories.
The No-No's!: Low-carb and
low-fat: The New Fiesta Taco Salad is not your typical salad. It comes in
an edible bowl and boasts 870 calories, 46 grams of fat (16 saturated), 65mg
cholesterol, 1,780mg sodium, 82 grams of carbs, 14 grams fiber and 32 grams
protein.
PIZZA HUT
My favorite low-carb option:
Although the low-fat option below works quite well as a low-carb pick too, you
may also want to try a slice of a Thin 'N Crispy Pizza 12-inch Medium cheese
pie. The numbers: 200 calories, 8 grams of fat (4.5 saturated), 25mg
cholesterol, 490mg sodium, 21 grams of carbs, 1 gram fiber and 10 grams
protein. You may want to liven it up with a little green pepper and onions --
veggies like these barely move the carb-o-meter.
My favorite low-fat option: One
slice of the new Fit 'N Delicious 12-inch Medium Chicken & Veggie with
Sauce, Cheese, Chicken, Green Pepper and Red Onion has just 170 calories, 4.5
grams of fat (2 saturated), 15mg cholesterol, 460mg sodium, 23 grams of carbs,
2 grams fiber and 10 grams protein.
The No-No's!: Low-carb and
low-fat: One slice of the Meat Lover's Pan Pizza 14" Large with Sauce,
Cheese, Bacon, Beef, Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Pork and Ham. Keep in mind
these numbers are for ONE slice (weight: a mere 4 ounces). The tally reads: 320
calories, 18 grams of fat (6 saturated), 35mg cholesterol, 690mg sodium, 27
grams of carbs, 2 grams fiber and 14 grams protein.
BONUS BADDIE: Half a Meat Lover's
P'Zone. This 9-ounce beauty will blast your diet with 680 calories, 28 grams of
fat (14 saturated), 6mg cholesterol, 1,540mg sodium, 70 grams of carbs, 3 grams
fiber and 38 grams of protein.
There ya have it ... the good, the
bad and the sometimes ugly at your local fast food joint.
READER FEEDBACK
I read your treatise on "Beers."
In all due respect sir, your knowledge of beer is totally inadequate. To talk
of Coors Light as not being a "thin" beer is amazing. How much closer to water
can one get? And to advise your readers to keep the beer very cold and serve it
in a frosted glass is pure Budweiser hogwash. The only way Budweiser beer
products are palatable is if it they are so cold that the questionable taste is
masked. One does not bring out the flavor by serving beer very cold... very bad
advice, sir... To classify Budweiser, Coors, and Miller as beers is an oxymoron
(my opinion). Thank you for allowing me to have my say about the so called
"diet" beers. I apologize for being a bore. As for myself, I prefer a glass of
cold water to anything Coors, Budweiser, Miller and that ilk foist off on the
beer drinker. I'll risk the extra calories when choosing a decent beer and make
up for it by eating tofu or some such thing if necessary. William H.
Hobbs
It's really weird how you mentioned
not acquiring a taste for a certain beer, but then liking the diet beer. In my
case, I don't like Coors Light, but enjoy their new low-carb beer, Aspen Edge.
I have been drinking Michelob Ultra for six months and now enjoy Aspen Edge.
I've been on a diet since October and have now lost 40 pounds. I have 50 to go,
but I'm still drinking my beer. Rain
In Canada (B.C. to be specific)
there is a brand of low-carb beer called Sleeman Clear. It is similar to a
Coors Light-type beer but has a bit more life and flavor. The best part is the
packaging. It is in a clear bottle with a simple blue band at the neck. It
doesn't scream LOW CARB on it anywhere (or "hey I have a fat butt"). My husband
drinks it with the boys and no one is the wiser. I had been buying it for a
month before he even knew it was low carb. Best of the Canadian brands that I
have found and we have tried a few. Debbie Hudson
Until next week, the fridge door is
closed. If you have any questions and/or comments -- even a tasteful joke or
story, a Hall of Shame nominee, or a great recipe to share -- feel free to
write me, eDiets editor-in-chief John McGran, at
john@ediets.com. |