According to the CDC, it’s estimated that six in 10 adults in the U.S. have at least one chronic disease, while four in 10 have two or more. Since poor nutrition is one of the leading causes of chronic diseases like heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, and more, making healthier food choices should be at the top of everyone’s mind. This starts with seeking out the healthiest fast-food restaurants in your local area.
Most fast-food choices are incredibly high in fat, sodium, and calories, and too much of any of these nutrients increases the risk of a number of health problems. That double patty burger with bacon, cheese, and medium French fry? It will cost you up to 1,570 calories, 34 grams of saturated fat, and 3,535 milligrams of sodium. That’s 154% of the recommended sodium limit of 2,300 mg for one entire day in one meal.
Fortunately, fast-food chains have listened to our desire to eat convenient food and manage our health. At the same time, some fast-food joints have been better listeners than others. Healthier fast-food choices tend to be lower in calories—or at least less than half your day’s worth in one meal. These meals also tend to be lower in saturated fat and sodium while including vegetables, fruit, and other high-fiber ingredients.
1. Chipotle
“My favorite fast-food restaurant is Chipotle because they offer a nice assortment of meal options with fresh ingredients,” says Kimberley Wiemann, MS, RDN, a Long Island, NY-based dietitian. Among the almost limitless combinations, Wiemann recommends packing a salad with veggies and beans and adding a protein option like chicken or steak or keeping it vegetarian with soffrito or beans with rice.
Some dietitian-approved choices you can find on Chipotle’s menu include:
2. MOD Pizza
A pizza joint may not seem like a healthy fast-food option initially, but it’s all about the toppings.
Melissa Altman-Traub MS, RDN, LDN, recommends MOD Pizza. “They have a ton of vegetable toppings all included and vegan cheese on a thin crust,” she says.
3. Starbucks
You can also make your artisan-style pizza any way you like and enjoy one of the many salads they offer.
A few dietitian-approved choices you can find on MOD Pizza’s menu include:
Your favorite coffee shop has more than just sugar-laden pastries to accompany your coffee.
“Starbucks offers numerous food options that contain both carbohydrates and protein, which is part of the combination to help keep blood sugar levels steady, especially for people with diabetes,” says Toby Smithson, registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, founder of Diabetes EveryDay, and author of Diabetes Meal Planning and Nutrition for Dummies.
A few dietitian-approved choices you can find at Starbucks include:
