Healthy Fast Food Meal Choices! Under 500 calories – McDonalds, Subway, & more! - Mind Over Mun

*sigh* I'm late! I know I need to eat, but there's no time! Do you have anything…

healthy

? *laughs* Hello Munchies! I'm Alyssia, if you're new, welcome to the channel! After my recent 3 Chipotle Healthy Bowls video where I went into depth into the nutritional information, I had a LOT of requests for other restaurants, so I decided to compile it into one BIG video where I share a

healthy

meal

option at EACH of these 10 restaurants. FAST FOOD, which ARE NOT salads, although there may be a side dish of bulk salad. Meal Ratings: I tried to keep the options between 300 and 500

calories

, which may mean some of them are

more

of a snack than a

meal

, but sometimes we just need to buy something small at these restaurants to stay on track.

We should not be left out of the experience, but we should not exceed it either. I also looked for options that had around 20 grams of fat, at least 15 grams of protein, and less than 1,000 milligrams of sodium; I don't want to say that you HAVE TO stick to those macronutrient frameworks in a snack or meal, but you had to have some There's kind of guidelines and structure here, and that's a pretty common calorie meal goal. Actually, 1,000 milligrams of sodium is quite a lot for a meal, but sodium is just one of those pretty unavoidable things when we eat out that we have to keep in

mind

, and I discuss it

more

in my Chipotle video.

Before we begin, a quick disclaimer for the haters: let's get to it! McDonalds: Instead of a regular Egg Mcmuffin, have an Egg White Delight Mcmuffin to save on fat and

calories

while keeping your protein high. That English muffin is still made with refined flour, but there are no whole grain options, so it's a sacrifice we'll have to make. Remember, ONE LESS fuel meal won't make you fat, just like ONE healthy meal won't make you lose weight, so don't beat yourself up too much if you can't find the perfect meal, just be honest with yourself. about your general diet.

I also added apple slices and a tangerine for added volume and healthy, fuel-packed carbs. Total meal: 310 calories, 17 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fat, 750 milligrams sodium. Burger King: It may be surprising, but a regular cheeseburger could be worse. It is moderate in sodium and in fact has FEWER calories, fat and carbs than the grilled chicken sandwich, which to many would seem like the healthier option. I'm adding a salad for bulk and some nutritional fuel, and I'm keeping the fat-free ranch dressing on the side so I can control how much is used. Remember, salad dressings can cause A LOT more harm than people realize.

Total meal: 370 calories, 17 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams fat, 1,195 milligrams sodium. But remember, you probably won't need the entire packet of dressing, which is a sodium bomb. Wendy's: Wendy's offers some pretty fancy salads, but most of them are specifically bad when you take the dressing into account. Luckily, they also offer items other than classic sandwiches, like wraps! This grilled chicken wrap has moderate stats, although it IS a little small. I'm adding apple slices on the side for volume and nutrition, although notice how little fiber the apples add because the serving size is so small. Total meal: 305 calories, 20 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fat, 620 milligrams sodium.

In-N-Out: The West Coast chain's "not-so-secret" menu offers a great option to lighten the load: a protein-style burger, which replaces the bun with a lettuce wrap! The only problem: In-N-Out doesn't offer any sides other than fries, which are obviously high in fat. Instead, I opted for a regular burger. Now, as it stands, this would be 19 grams of fat, but if you replace the special spread with mustard and ketchup on a burger, you'll cut out 9 grams of fat! That's crazy! Total meal: 310 calories, 16 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams fat, 730 milligrams sodium. Taco Bell: I LOVE Taco Bell, but one of the hardest things to address nutritionally is that most of my favorite items are SUPER high in sodium.

I ended up choosing a Gordita Supreme with Chicken. It is moderate in sodium and fat and offers protein. Yes, it's made with refined grains, but that's pretty unavoidable. Power bowls were something I considered, but the sodium content was too high. Instead, I added a side of black beans to my plate for extra bulk, flavor, and nutrition—plus, look at the nice boost in fiber! Total meal: 340 calories, 20 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 10.5 grams fat, 740 milligrams sodium. If you find this information useful, don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell to receive notifications every week about new videos. Chick-Fil-A: Chick-Fil-A is the place to eat more chikin!

Who knows why the chicken is missing the C? It's true that many of the menu items use FRIED chicken, which is a tough sell when it comes to providing fuel. For that reason, I opted for the grilled chicken nuggets, which are made from leaner breast and are obviously grilled rather than fried. It's NOT a sandwich, which means I can skip the refined grains and get more protein for fewer calories. I opted for the spicy buffalo sauce, because, as is the case with dressings, dipping sauces can also be quite detrimental to the overall macronutrients of the

food

.

I also added a cup of fruit and a salad with a light Italian dressing; this was the ONLY dressing I could justify because most have TOO MUCH added sugar! I wanted to add the super

food

salad because it sounded SO healthy with the kale and broccolini, but it had 18 grams of sugar and that's mostly added from the dressing. Journal! Total meal: 340 calories, 30 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams fat, 1,730 milligrams sodium. Wow! But remember, the dressing AND the dipping sauce are the sodium bombs and are on the side, so you DON'T NEED to eat the whole packets. If you consume HALF of each, you will consume less than 1,000 milligrams per meal.

Subway: Subway lets you know which sandwiches are from their “FRESH FIT” selection to make it easier to choose healthy options, which is good because it can be JUST AS easy to make a nutritionally unhealthy choice here too. I chose the 6-inch roast chicken on wheat bread, which is moderate in calories, sodium and fat, and high in protein. That also includes the basic toppings of lettuce, tomato, onion, green peppers, and cucumbers, which is great for a little fuel. Please note that NONE of the

subway

breads (not even the 9-grain wheat) are REALLY whole grain. They all include refined grains, which is probably why they taste so good… I also skipped the fries and added apple slices.

Total meal: 385 calories, 29 grams protein, 54 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fat, 660 milligrams sodium. Panda Express: I haven't eaten much Panda Express in my day, but upon research I found that the calories and sodium can add up pretty quickly at this chain. The chicken breast with green beans was a moderate choice, but I thought it might not be enough food on its own, so I added a side of HALF brown rice and HALF mixed greens, which offers some extra fuel and volume. Total meal: 440 calories, 20 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, 11.5 grams fat, 870 milligrams sodium. Starbucks: The “gourmet” feel may make you think their options are healthier, but be careful!

Some of those sandwiches are the same as other

fast

food places. The low-fat, turkey bacon and egg white break

fast

sandwich was a decent option, although it contains refined grain bread and is not a particularly large portion. I added some whole grain oats for good measure and I like that Starbucks offers plain oats with toppings on the side so you're in control. I also bought a grande caffé Americano (it IS Starbucks after all), but this drink requires no sweeteners or added sugars. Total meal: 405 calories, 22 grams protein, 59 grams carbohydrates, 8.5 grams fat, 700 milligrams sodium. Dunkin Donuts: Donuts may be refined and full of sugar, but many are surprised to find that Dunkin Donuts donuts aren't as bad as some of those breakfast sandwiches.

Flatbread with egg white and vegetables is a decent option, at least. “Multigrain flatbread” contains MULTIPLE GRAINS, which doesn't mean multiple WHOLE GRAINS, but multiple TYPES of grains, many of which are refined, SO sneaky! I also added a medium coffee with a splash of milk instead of sugar. Total meal: 340 calories, 19 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams fat, 580 milligrams sodium. And there you have it! 10 Healthier Meal and Snack Options for These 10 Fast Food Restaurants. If you have a healthier option on any of these, feel free to share it in the comments and remember to get creative and choose your OWN meals.

These are just here as a starting point to get you started thinking about choosing more FUEL when possible. Obviously I didn't include Chipotle because there's already a whole video about it, so be sure to watch it now if you want more information like this! If you found this video useful, please share it, I appreciate you subscribing, commenting and liking it. I'll see you next week and remember, especially when it comes to fast food, it's all about Mind Over Munch!