Rapidly food: Strategies for choosing healthier selections

These five recommendations can support you make clever meal choices when heading to a rapidly-food cafe.

By Mayo Clinic Team

Does following a weight-reduction or healthier diet program mean you should swear off rapidly food? Not always.

An occasional cease for rapidly food can fit into a healthier diet program — if you are cautious about what you buy. Contemplate these recommendations.

Continue to keep portion sizes compact

If the rapidly-food cafe delivers many sandwich sizes, pick the smallest. Bypass hamburgers with two or a few patties, which can have a lot more than 900 energy.

Rather, decide on a typical- or children’s-sized hamburger, which has about 250 energy.

Also, buy the compact serving of french fries as an alternative of the big. This switch on your own can preserve 200 energy or a lot more.

Pick out healthier facet dishes

Take gain of the healthier facet dishes supplied at lots of rapidly-food places to eat. For illustration, as an alternative of french fries decide on a facet salad with very low-unwanted fat dressing or a baked potato. Or increase a fruit bowl or a fruit and yogurt choice to your meal.

Other healthier choices contain apple or orange slices, corn on the cob, steamed rice, baked potato chips or a broth-based soup.

Go green

Pick out an entree salad with greens and grilled chicken or shrimp. Pick out a dressing you like but be careful with the amount of money. Use 50 % the deal or preserve the salad dressing on the facet to handle the variety of energy from extra unwanted fat and other unwelcome substances, this sort of as extra salt and sugar.

Watch out for high-calorie salads, this sort of as these with deep-fried shells or these topped with breaded chicken or other fried toppings. Also skip extras, this sort of as cheese and croutons, which immediately boost your calorie count.

Choose for grilled products

Fried and breaded foodstuff, this sort of as crispy chicken sandwiches and breaded fish fillets, are high in unwanted fat and energy. Pick grilled or roasted entrees — this sort of as chicken breast or lean roast beef.

Watch what you consume

A lot of beverages are high in energy. For illustration, a big typical soda, which is 32 ounces (960 milliliters), can have as lots of as 400 energy. Rather, buy diet program soda, water, unsweetened iced tea, sparkling water or mineral water.

Also, skip the shakes and other ice product beverages. A big shake can have a lot more than 650 energy.

Have it your way

Bear in mind, you you should not have to settle for what arrives with your sandwich or meal — not even at rapidly-food places to eat. Inquire for healthier selections and substitutions. And preserve your eye on portion sizing.