by Matt Weik
You can be the most prepared person on the planet, but I bet there will be a time (if it hasn’t already happened) where your bad fortune places you in the situation where you need food, and you don’t have any. Fast food might actually be a good quick meal for you. Now before you start pumping the brakes, hear me out.
Just because fast food gets a bad rap for being unhealthy, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some healthy food options out at many locations to consider. This article will showcase a few options to have in your back pocket if you’re ever placed in the scenario. The options and conclusions mentioned below are the opinion of the author.
1. Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap
It’s hard to find a more delicious chicken wrap out in the fast food market. It’s my recommendation that you skip to dressing that comes with it and save yourself the calories. On its own, this is a great tasting wrap. However, most people prefer the taste of some type of dressing/sauce with their wrap, so if you had to choose one, I’d go with the fat-free honey mustard if you MUST have something on your wrap. Note: the breakdown below includes the fat-free honey mustard dressing.
The Breakdown:
-470 calories
-12g fat
-64g carbohydrates
-10g fiber
-33g protein
2. Chick-Fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Fruit Cup
Notice how I didn’t mention fries? That’s because you don’t need them. And in actuality, the fruit cup that you get at Chick-Fil-A is very good. The grilled chicken sandwich is a tough sandwich to beat. Most of the sandwich and nugget options at locations involve fried chicken, at Chick-Fil-A, you can get a healthy grilled chicken breast between a whole grain bun. Get your sandwich plain and without any mayonnaise or condiments on it. You get your size choice with the fruit cup and I’d recommend you go ahead a pick up the large size. Grab a cup of water and you’re good to go. This is probably my favorite healthy fast food meal of all time when I was on the road.
The Breakdown:
-400 calories
-3.5g fat
-65g carbohydrates
-6g fiber
-30g protein
3. McDonalds Southwest Salad with the Fruit n Yogurt Parfait
To show McDonalds a little love (which doesn’t happen often), I will give them some props on their Southwest Salad. This salad has a good amount of grilled chicken in it and as long as you skip the dressing, you’ll have yourself a healthy alternative to just about anything else on their menu. Again, for this meal, skip the fries and grab a Fruit n Yogurt Parfait. I don’t think we really need to talk about McDonalds’ French fries, if you have questions, go watch the documentary Super Size Me.
The breakdown:
-480 calories
-11g fat
-61g carbohydrates
-7g fiber
-34g protein
4. Chick-Fil-A Chick-n-Minis Breakfast
So, you ran out the door because you were going to be late for work, but the whole drive into the office your stomach was growling something fierce. You need food—bad. You see a Chick-Fil-A in the complex on the right so you quick pull in and hit the drive through. Shoot, what do you order? Think fast. Boom! Chick-n-Mini’s for the win! While this breakfast sandwich isn’t the biggest you’ll find, it’s your best option for a quick breakfast to toss down the pipe during your commute. You’ll find your stomach will be happy and so will you since you not only stopped your hunger, but you also made it to work in time so your boss didn’t have to write your tardy tush up.
The breakdown:
-260 calories
-10g fat
-30g carbohydrates
-1g fiber
-14g protein
5. Burger King Veggie Burger and Garden Salad
I didn’t want to leave out our non-meat eating friends. For you, I found a great option at Burger King. Not many major chains have a great meatless selection, but Burger King is hooking you up with the Veggie Burger and Garden Salad. I’m not going to lie, I’m not a big fan of meatless options if given the choice, but I broke down and tried the veggie burger and it was actually really good. I’ve had soy and tofu burgers in the past and they were not my thing, but this veggie burger from Burger King is tasty. I will recommend that you pass on the mayonnaise and get it without any. For the side salad, go ahead and grab yourself some light Italian dressing and you’re good to go with your meatless meal.
The breakdown:
-450 calories
-12.5g fat
-52.5g carbohydrates
-10g fiber
-26g protein
As you might see from the above choices, many of them came from Chick-Fil-A. While I don’t have any affiliation with them and was not paid for my choices, it’s my opinion that you’re going to find it hard to beat the menu that they have in terms of healthy food options. When I was traveling every week for my job, I was constantly looking for a Chick-Fil-A to eat at. They are quick, have healthy food options, are priced reasonably, the locations are well kept and clean, and the staff is always friendly. While some of that has nothing to do with a healthy meal, I like to think of Chick-Fil-A as the total package. The experience I’ve had at their locations across many states has me giving them two thumbs up.
I hope you found this article helpful and are able to remember some of these meals so you can implement them should you find yourself in a pinch where you need a quick bite to eat, but don’t want some cheap fast food meal that is going to blow your macros out of the water and have you regretting your decision.
