No matter how healthy your intentions are, sometimes it’s torture walking past your guilty pleasure.
With the smell pouring out the doors, that burger or burrito seems far more enticing than the overpriced salad you’re about to buy.
But according to nutritionist Abbey Sharp, it doesn’t always have to be a lose-lose situation.
If you make the right choices, you can get a healthy fix from McDonald’s, Burger King, Shake Shack, Subway, or 16 Handles.
Here are her recommendations.
Shake Shack
Single Hamburger
SHAKE SHACK: While the chicken dog is technically lower in calories by about 50, the single hamburger has more protein and significantly less sodium so it would be less bloating
I would go with the single hamburger and ask for extra veggies like onion, tomatoes and lettuce.
While the chicken dog is technically lower in calories by about 50, the single hamburger has more protein and significantly less sodium so it would be more satiating and less bloating.
Calorie: 390
McDonald’s
Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich
MCDONALD’S: At just 300 calories, this sandwich gives you a good balance of food groups
By sticking to my mantra of not just looking at calories, but to focus on the balance between calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and sodium, the Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich satisfies the criteria because you get 27 grams of protein and even a little fiber for only 300 calories.
If I was to order this, I’d skip out on the mayo completely, and maybe ask them to double up on the lettuce and tomato.
Calories: 300
Chipotle
Burrito Bowl (Chicken, fajita vegetables, tomatillo green chili salsa, romaine lettuce)
CHIPOTLE: The burrito bowl can be made with just chicken, lettuce, veggies and no rice
It’s super easy to find healthy fast food at Chipotle since the whole concept is incredibly easy to customize.
The burrito bowl, for example, can be made with just lettuce and veggies and no rice (which is super high in sodium so I would avoid it).
While all of the protein picks are pretty lean, going with the chicken keeps it a little lighter in calories with 33 grams of protein.
Done as specified above, you would only be looking at 220 calories so if I felt like I would be able to keep my sodium down the rest of the day, I may go ahead and add some rice or beans.
Calories: 235
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Burger King
Garden Grilled Chicken Salad (with 1 tablespoon of Lite Balsamic Dressing and no cheese)
BURGER KING: The salad has a great protein count and options for cutting down on sodium
While it is a pretty high sodium salad, I like it for packing a massive whopper of protein (33 grams!!) that will help keep you feeling fuller longer.
You can help cut that salt a bit by leaving off the cheese and sticking to a single tablespoon of dressing to prevent the sodium from creeping up any further.
Calories: 320
Subway
Oven Roasted Chicken Salad (with double protein, avocado, and fat-free sweet onion).
SUBWAY: If you skip the bread, you can curate a balanced salad with meat and good fats
I don’t love Subway bread so I skip it and opt for a low carb salad with a leaner meat option such as the chicken or turkey, and ask them to double the protein portion.
While there is certainly caloric room for full-fat salad dressing, the sweet onion is the lowest in sodium so you can add in some healthy fats with added avocado.
The result is super satisfying and easy to customize with lots of my favorite veggies like cucumber, tomato, and green pepper.
Calories: 250
AND FOR DESSERT… 16 Handles
Fat-free Just Peachy + fresh fruit topping
Most of the froyo at 16 Handles has comparable calorie counts so it really comes down to what you put on your froyo.
I would opt for a small portion (ideally around 4 oz) and then add a small amount of fresh fruit that isn’t packed in a sugary syrup.
My favorite combination is the fat-free Just Peachy with fresh raspberries and strawberries on top.
Calories: 300