Healthy Fast Food Options: Tips From A Holistic Dietitian

Focusing on real, whole foods and avoiding highly processed foods is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Although most health-conscious people avoid fast food, there are times when it may be the only or the most practical option.

When this happens, you have three choices:

Guilt yourself into not eating anything, and be hungry and grouchy until your next meal.
Order whatever you want, and likely regret it later.
Be prepared by knowing the healthiest fast food options ahead of time, so you can eat your meal and feel good about it.

This article is all about option 3: being prepared.

To help, we tapped holistic functional dietitian Julia Pleasant of Uplevel Nutrition in Western North Carolina.

Here, she shares ten practical tips for choosing healthy fast food options, plus recommendations for healthier fast food chains and menu items.

Myth: There Are No Healthy Options At Fast Food Chains

Many health-conscious people believe there are no healthy options at run-of-the-mill fast food chains.

However, according to Pleasant, although this was once true, it is no longer the case.

“Fast food restaurants started offering healthier options when the late Morgan Spurlock did the movie “Supersize Me” back in 2004—and if you haven’t seen that movie, I highly recommend it, even today—so up until then, there weren’t many healthy options on the menus.

These days, pretty much all fast food restaurants have at least a handful of healthy options on their menus.”

Pleasant stressed that although she doesn’t recommend eating fast food as a habit (because even the healthier options may be high in salt, fat, and additives), you can make healthier choices if you know what to look for.

How To Choose Healthy Fast Food Options: 10 Tips From a Dietician

Let’s set the scene.

You’re a health-conscious or new-to-being-health-conscious person who wants to avoid fast food.

You’re doing great so far with no or minimal slip-ups.

However, for whatever reason—travel, a social event, lack of planning, etc.---today you must rely on fast food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner…

….and you have no idea what or how to order.

When you find yourself in these situations (and you will!), ditch the guilt and shame and instead, follow these tips to ensure a healthier fast food meal.

Tip 1: Focus On Protein And Veggies

This will help you avoid a lot of unhealthy hidden ingredients such as sugar, gluten, and excess sodium, ultra-processed oils, and artificial ingredients.

How do you focus on veggies in a fast food restaurant?!

Says Pleasant, “Many restaurants will let you choose carrot sticks or a salad as a side instead of fries, for example. You can also ask for more veggies on your sandwich.”

Tip 2: Avoid Crispy And Crunchy Items

“Many people don’t know that if something’s 'crispy' or ‘crunchy’ it’s likely fried.”

This includes things like crispy or crunchy chicken sandwiches, crunchy sides—like churros or fries, or taco shells.

“Instead, opt for grilled or baked meats, and skip the crispy sides.”

Tip 3: Choose a Fruit Cup Or Salad As a Side

In addition to focusing on protein and veggies, Pleasant says fruit cups are also a healthier option for kids and adults.

Yes, some may be swimming in syrup, but they’re still healthier than an ultra-processed and deep-fried potato, chip, or tot.

Plus, you can always eat around the syrup.

“For salads, just make sure you choose a vinaigrette dressing versus a creamy dressing.”

Tip 4: Choose Water or Unsweetened Tea

Choosing water or unsweetened iced tea is a no-brainer way to avoid excess calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients at fast food restaurants.

Some restaurants even offer 100% juice boxes, which can be a nice, healthier treat for kids.

Tip 5: Be Mindful of Sugar in Healthier Options

Unfortunately, some fast food restaurant items appear healthy but are loaded with sugar.

Pleasant explains, “For example, some restaurants offer a healthy-looking yogurt parfait or oatmeal, yet some can have as much sugar as a can of soda. So those aren’t necessarily better options.

“In that case, I would typically recommend going with something like an egg [and cheese breakfast sandwich] versus a yogurt and granola parfait.”

Tip 6: Opt For Vinegar-Based Dressings And Sauces

Vinegar-based dressings and sauces, such as vinaigrettes and barbeque sauce, typically have fewer calories than a creamy sauce.

Tip 7: Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Customization

Although customization at fast food restaurants was once frowned upon, or outright refused, the “have it your way” motto has changed all that.

Says Pleasant, “You can always ask for more lettuce and tomato on your sandwich, or swap out fries for a healthier side. All you have to do is ask, it’s no big deal.” If you’re worried about getting all your customizations right when ordering, see if you can order ahead of time from their website or app then pick it up at the counter, drive-thru, or drive-up area.

Tip 8: Ask For a Lettuce Wrap

Not all restaurants offer this, but Pleasant recommends asking for your sandwich in a lettuce wrap.

“This can help cut out gluten (although other ingredients may include gluten, so be sure to ask if you’re intolerant or avoiding it), calories, and other unhealthy ingredients in buns and bread.”

Whole wheat wraps may also be a better option, but it depends on what’s in the wrap, as some can have as many or more calories and low-quality ingredients as a bun.

Tip 9: Opt For Places That Offer Even More Customization

Some fast food restaurants offer more customization than others, so do a little research ahead of time.

“Chipotle is a good option because they don’t use processed ingredients. You can customize your protein, beans, opt for brown rice for added fiber, or ask for half a serving of rice and extra veggies, so places like that that offer customization can be much healthier.”

Tip 10: Skip The Soda And The Diet Soda

Soda is such an iconic part of a fast food meal that it can be tempting to order a classic cola or swap it for what appears to be a healthy diet alternative.

However, Pleasant doesn’t recommend either.

Obviously, regular soda contains an insane amount of sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup, up to 16 teaspoons for a can-sized serving, and way more than that for a large or extra-large cup.

So that’s out, but what about diet sodas?

Pleasant doesn’t recommend diet soda either due to new research showing artificial sweeteners can increase appetite and contribute to weight gain, cardiometabolic disease, and other ill health effects.

Plus, most types of soda also contain artificial colors and other unhealthy ingredients.

As mentioned previously, stick with water, unsweetened iced tea, or juice boxes for the kids.

5 Healthy Fast Food Restaurant Options

As you’ve just learned, customization is king in finding healthier fast food options.

The following are some healthier fast food chains offering lean proteins, lots of veggies, healthier breads and drinks, and plenty of customization options.

1. Chick-fil-A

“Here I recommend their salads with grilled chicken, chicken sandwiches, fruit cups, and kale salads as sides.

But be careful with the dressings and sauces, so stay away from creamy and opt for vinegar-based.”

2. Panera

“Panera has lots of salads, soups, and sandwiches for meat eaters for vegetarians/vegans using whole grain bread. You can also do lots of customizations like half a sandwich & a salad or brothy (not creamy) soup.”

They also offer a variety of drink options, including coffee, cappuccino, green tea, and low-sugar beverages.

3. Starbucks

Although Starbucks is mainly frequented for its creative coffee concoctions, it’s also a good option for a fast breakfast, lunch, or snack.

“Starbucks has reasonably healthy options like fresh fruit, egg and veggie bites, sandwiches with whole grain bread or wraps, and meat or animal-based protein boxes with fruits or veggies, whole grains, and a lean protein source. Just skip the frappuccino with 45 grams of sugar!”

4. Chipotle

As mentioned previously, Chipotle offers a variety of fresh, unprocessed foods, and everything is customizable.

Try a bowl with half brown rice, half veggies, a protein of your choice, beans, and lots of healthy toppings like corn salsa and guacamole, or make your bowl a salad and use salsa as a dressing or use half the dressing provided.

5. Grocery Stores

Grocery stores have become almost as prevalent as fast food chains, and they have loads of healthy fast options.

Says Pleasant, “If you’re getting fast food because you’re traveling or on the road, try to locate a grocery store and get a salad from the salad bar, a custom sandwich or wrap, sushi, or something from the deli that’s fresh and less likely to be deep fried.”

One Final Tip: Pack Your Own Food

If you’re traveling and/or know your food choices will be limited, Pleasant recommends planning ahead.

“I know it’s not always an option, but I do always recommend packing your own food in advance when you’re able. It can help a lot and save you money.”

Easy pack-and-go meal and snack options include:

Sandwiches or wraps with whole grain or gluten-free bread
Chicken or egg salad with crackers packed in a cooler bag
A veggie sandwich or wrap with hummus, tomato, marinated artichokes, optional cheese, and sprouts or microgreens
Protein bento boxes with a lean protein (chicken, turkey, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, tofu, etc.), marinated chickpeas or nuts, veggies, olives, cheese, crackers or pita
Breakfast burritos on whole grain, sprouted, or GF tortillas
Smoothies with fruits, veggies, and protein powder
Egg bites (scrambled eggs with your favorite ingredients baked in muffin cups)
Fresh fruit with nut butter
Hummus with veggies and/or crackers
Soup in a thermos
Trailmix
Sushi
A chopped salad or mason jar salad
Protein bars (premade or homemade, like these homemade Vegan Protein Bars from our sister company, Biochem)
Cheese and whole grain or gluten-free crackers
Meat sticks
Protein balls
Leftover meatloaf sandwich or wrap
Yogurt with low-sugar granola

For more healthy snack ideas, see: 25 Gluten-Free Snacks That Aren’t Junk Food

Optimize Your Nutrition With Country Life Supplements

Eating a healthy, diverse diet low in sugar and processed foods and high in real food is always the best way to get your nutrients.

However, as we’ve just discussed, no one’s perfect! And sometimes you can’t get all the nutrients you need from food.

This is where nutritional supplements can help fill in nutrient gaps and make up for those less-than-perfect days.

Multivitamins, for example, are an excellent nutrition insurance policy!

Country Life offers a variety of certified gluten-free multivitamin supplements to meet your daily nutrition requirements, including:

We also offer digestive support supplements, like enzymes and probiotics, which can be perfect when traveling or eating on the road.

For More Healthy Food And Nutrition Advice, Check Out the Following Articles

Sources mentioned in this article:

“The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Body Weight Control and Glucose Homeostasis”. Front Nutr.
“Exploring the Long-Term Effect of Artificial Sweeteners on Metabolic Health”. Cureus.
“Gain weight by "going diet?" Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings: Neuroscience 2010”. Yale J Biol Med.
https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/483/iced/nutrition

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Healthy Fast Food Options: Tips From A Holistic Dietitian

Myth: There Are No Healthy Options At Fast Food Chains