Tips for healthy eating at fast food restaurants

When you're on-the-go, it can hard to avoid a fast food restaurant. Fortunately, fast-food joints are finally stepping up and offering more healthy options. Here's how to get through lunch at a restaurant without indulging in junk food.

Most fast food restaurants have on-site charts or brochures detailing their nutrition information. And seeing these numbers in black and white will show you how easy it is to trim calories. Sometimes, just choosing a plain hamburger over an all-dressed one can save you over 200 calories. You can also do this research ahead of time on the company's website so you're ready when you get there.

Keep nutrition guides to your favourite fast-food restaurants in your glove compartment. Or keep the information stored in your smartphone. The next time you're pressed for time and have to order your lunch at a drive-through window, you'll have the calories, fat and sodium figures at your fingertips.

Pass on the fried fish sandwich

These may sound healthier than burgers, but they're generally not. The fried fish sandwiches can contain nearly double the calories. They're also loaded with more saturated and trans fat.

Eat like a kid

Ordering a child-size meal rather than an adult-sized combination meal is not just cheaper. It means eating half as many calories and grams of fat.

Grill the chicken, please!

Chicken can certainly be a healthy fast-food option — that is, if you order the grilled version rather than the deep-fried cutlet.

Wash it down with water

Soda or sweetened drinks such as lemonade or iced tea are full of sugar and have no nutritional value. A 296-millilitre serving of soda carries 39 grams of carbs while 250 millilitres of lemonade has 27 grams of carbs. If you must have a soda, make sure it's diet.

Have milk

Many fast-food restaurants now offer cartons of milk — sometimes low-fat milk. You know the calcium's good for your bones. But the milk may have other benefits as well, such as lowering your blood pressure and possibly even helping you lose weight. Pass on the milkshakes, though; some large fast-food milkshakes contain over 1,000 calories.

Avoid exotic salads

We've all seen television commercials for new, "healthy" fast-food salads. Some are Asian themed and come with crunchy noodles and mandarin orange pieces. Others have crispy buffalo chicken pieces and cheese atop some greens. A quick glance at restaurant nutrition data shows these salads are sometimes more fatty and calorie-laden than the sandwiches and burgers! If nutritional information is not at hand, stick to salads that are full of veggies rather than cheese, "crispy" meats and noodles. Also, choose a non-creamy dressing and use it sparingly.