You might not prefer eating a hamburger or pizza if you are on a diet. But, wait! W…
Fast food has high levels of calories and potentially dangerous content such as sodium and sugar. Fast food can be called ‘healthy’ and ‘low-cal’ if it contains a balanced combination of macronutrients. Moderation is key to maximizing the benefits. Below are the key parameters.
- Low-calorie is 500 calories or less. It’s generally acceptable to eat lunch with
- No or negligible amounts of trans fat: Unsaturated fats that have bad cholesterol and are dangerous for the heart are trans fats. Each item below has zero to very low levels of trans fat.
- Lower sodium content: It is preferable to consume less than 1,000mg of sodium per meal. High blood pressure patients should avoid eating foods with higher sodium content.
- Low sugar: These meals have less than 20 grams of sugar.
- Protein – It is essential to build and repair muscles. These food items contain at least 10 grams of protein or more.
1. BK Veggie Burger (310 Calories)
Burger King’s BK Veggie Burger is a great low-calorie option for vegetarians. It doesn’t contain high sodium or trans fats like many other burgers. It is not recommended to be served with mayonnaise or fried options. You can pair it with a salad from the garden.
Nutritious breakdown
22 g (25 grams if you choose cheese) of protein – this is a huge amount that will help to strengthen your muscles
7g fat moderate
42g carbs/7 g fibre – almost 14% of the recommended daily intake
Around 900 mg sodium is half of the daily recommended intake.
2. Spinach & Feta Wrap at Starbucks (290 Calories)
A low-cal Spinach & Feta Wrap will be a better choice despite tempting temptations to indulge in delicious pastries and scones from Starbucks. A low-cal Spinach & Feta Wrap will be a better choice. This wrap is high in fibre and protein. It also has a lower amount of saturated fat than other breakfast sandwiches. This wrap is great for lunch, as it has a low-calorie count. It can be served with plain Greek yoghurt and fresh fruit.
Nutritious breakdown
19g protein is a good amount to build your muscles.
Moderate: 10 grams of fat
33g carbs – This is quite high. You might consider substituting sugary snacks or carb-heavy snacks for protein-rich ones
830 mg sodium – this is about half the daily recommended intake.
3. Taco Bell Fresco Chicken (or Bean Burrito Supreme) (340 calories)
Taco Bell’s Fresco menu focuses on healthy options and reducing calories. Fresco Chicken Burrito Supreme is lower in calories. Pico de Gallo replaces heavier sauces with soft tacos and shredded chicken. It can be enjoyed with yoghurt, a small salad, or fresh fruit. Fresco Bean Burrito, a vegetarian dish, has similar nutritional values.
Nutritious breakdown
19g protein – More than enough to strengthen your muscles
8g moderate fat
Forty-nine grams of carbohydrate – approximately. 49 g of carbs – approximately.
1060 mg sodium – this is close to half the daily recommended intake.
4. McDonald’s Egg McMuffin (300 calories)
McDonald’s offers breakfast all day so that you can have your healthy, low-calorie Egg McMuffin for lunch and dinner. To reduce extra calories, sodium and saturated fat, you can avoid American cheese. To make it even more delicious, you can add apple slices. McDonald’s is known for its healthy breakfast offering, the fruit and yoghurt parfait.
Nutritious breakdown
18g protein – One-third of your daily recommended protein intake to strengthen your muscles
Twelve grams of fat – this is a little too high, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a deal-breaker.
29g carbs – lower side
730 mg sodium – this is about half the daily recommended intake.
5. Shack-cargo dog from Shake Shack (380 calories).
The Chicago-style flat-top Shack-cago dog, a veggie-rich, toothsome dog made from Chicago-style shack-cago dogs. Surprisingly, the standard dog is healthier than its chicken counterpart due to its lower sodium content.
Nutritious breakdown
Sixteen grams of protein – A good amount to build your muscles.
20g fat (10g sat,1g trans). This is a high amount but not a deal-breaker.
33g carbs – lower side
1400 mg sodium – 39% of the daily recommended intake
6. Chick-Fil Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap (350 Calories)
A grilled chicken cool wrap is the “home of the original chicken sandwich” and is a healthy, calorie-friendly wrap. Because they are fairly small, it is easy to keep calories under 500. The main concern is sodium, as most salads (except the 200-calorie Grilled market Salad) have more than 1000mg sodium. It may be even more delicious with yoghurt, small salads, or fresh fruits.
Nutritious breakdown
37g protein is a huge amount to strengthen your muscles
14g fat (5 g saturated, 1 g trans)- moderate
29g carbs (15g fibre, 3g sugar) – a very low number
Nearly half the daily recommended intake of sodium is 960 mg
7. Whataburger Apple & Cranberry Salad (260 Calories)
Apple & Cranberry salad can be served as an entree. It comes in many delicious flavours and textures. The low-fat herb vinaigrette will help you avoid unnecessary calories. You can also serve it with grilled chicken. However, it would help if you chose the herb vinaigrette.
Nutritious breakdown
10g protein is a good amount to build your muscles.
36g carbs – lower side
Moderate: 10 g fat (6 sat and 0 trans).
200 mg sodium- Very low
8. In-N-Out Protein Style Hamburger (240 Calories)
A protein-style hamburger can be calorie-friendly when the bun is replaced by lettuce. There is some beef in it. It is better to drink water alone and not have fries with it. This will keep the calories under 500 calories.
Nutritious breakdown
13 grams of protein – A decent amount to build your muscles
17g fat – slightly more than the average
Nearly 15% of daily recommended sodium intake is reached with 370 mg
11 grams of carbs – a substantial amount
9. Egg White Flatbread (280 Calories) from Dunkin’ Donuts
Dunkin’ Donuts is known for its deep-fried dough, offering healthy options like Egg White Flatbread. Because the carb content of this bread is lower, blood sugar and energy levels will be stable.
Nutritious breakdown
15 grams of protein is a good amount to build muscle strength
9g fat moderate
33g carbs – almost 11% of the daily recommended intake
690 mg sodium – Less than half the daily recommended intake
10. Papa John’s Garden Fresh Pizza (200 calories per medium-sized slice)
High sodium levels are a problem with pizza chains. Research shows that it can be bad for your heart. If you love pizza, make sure to watch your salt intake throughout the day. You will get approximately half your daily sodium intake from two slices of Garden Fresh Pizza.
Nutritious breakdown
8g protein – A decent amount to build your muscles
7g fat moderate
27g of carbs – quite high. Avoid sugary snacks and carb-heavy snacks. Consume protein-rich foods.
490 mg sodium – This is less than half the daily recommended intake