Healthy Fast Food Options
I know, I know, you might be skeptical at that title. I’m not a huge fan of fast food in general, since I don’t think it takes that long to whip up dinner, but I know that sometimes life just gets in the way. Whether you’re traveling, stuck at an office without good cafeteria options, or just having one of those days where you need to pick up dinner on the way home, there really are some healthy fast food options out there. Follow a few simple tips, and you’ll be good to go.
I pulled together a few meals from popular chain restaurants that you’ll find in most cities. These are really more of the kind-of-a-step-up-from-fast-food-places, because I can’t in good conscience recommend anything from a true “fast food” spot. Sorry, McArches, you’re not fooling me with those “salad” options you have.
Tips for Healthy Fast Food Options
- Load up on raw veggies wherever you can! They fill you up, and are nutrient dense.
- Leave out the extra bread or wraps, or opt for whole grains like brown rice or wheat bread.
- Keep an eye on sauces and spreads which can quickly turn a healthy meal into something you might want to avoid.
- Check the menu ahead of time so you don’t have to make a quick decision in the drive thru line!
Panera Bread
Panera has some really great healthy food options! I recently tried the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with a cup of vegetable soup. It was my first time having the quinoa salad but it was delicious! They also have tons of salads with chicken on them, so if you’re not vegetarian you have even more options. I also love the black bean soup and the Greek salad. (Just make sure you get your dressing on the side so you can control how much to add!) You can also swap out the baguette for an apple! (P.S. I made a Panera Modern Green Salad Copycat that is spot on!)
CAVA
I actually did a whole fast-casual feature on CAVA because I love it so much! They’ve rapidly expanded across the country so it’s much easier to get your hands on these bowls! Start with a base of greens or a combination of grains and greens and then add toppings until your heart is content! They also have the nutritional info available if you order online, which makes it easy to know exactly what you’re getting!
Jimmy John’s
This was one of my favorite spots in college, and it will always have a special place in my heart. I love this place for a quick lunch, because not only do they offer a delicious vegetarian sub, they also offer lettuce wraps! This means less bread & more veggies! If you get the vegetarian sub without mayo as a lettuce wrap, you’ve got a super-veggie packed lunch! You might even have some room for Skinny Chips, the baked version of their kettle chips. I know some people actually like mayonnaise (I literally hate it) but I’m telling you, the guacamole spread gives you all the creaminess you need!
Chipotle
I was telling someone about how much I loved the healthy options at Chipotle, and they literally rolled their eyes at me, telling me that there was no way those huge burritos could be good for you. But the bowl option is fantastic, and the salad option is even better. If you opt for a bed of lettuce instead of a bed of rice, you’ll save tons of calories, and with all the delicious salsas they offer, you’ll still have plenty of flavor! I like to get lettuce, black beans, peppers and onions, tomato salsa, corn salsa, and guacamole. That huge bowl clocks it right around 450 calories. Not bad, right? This is also vegan and gluten free, so it’s a great option for those with food allergies!
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Similar to Chipotle, this build-a-bowl spot has great options! Step one, get the salad bowl. Step two, pile your lettuce with black beans, grilled peppers, grilled onions, guacamole, tomato salsa, corn salsa, fresh jalapenos, and cilantro! The southwest vinaigrette dressing is deliciously spicy, so you can drizzle a bit of that on top or load up on salsas from the salad bar. If you like things spicy, try the Carolina Reaper salsa. That one has a kick and it was one of my favorites!
Genghis Grill
Ok, so it’s not exactly fast food, but this build-your-own-bowl is sort of like the stir fry equivalent of Chipotle. Similar to Mongolian BBQ (which is what we had in Ohio) this place can offer you some healthy options if you know what you’re looking for. You’re given a bowl that you can load up with anything your heart desires. It does require a little self-control, to focus on adding in veggies rather than some of the other more tempting toppings.
What’s your favorite fast food spot?
I looove Jimmy Johns. Their bread is too tasty for me to say no to most days, but if you take out the mayo it’s not too bad calorie wise. And they’ll give you double veggies for no extra charge 🙂
I love those ideas for Chipotle!
absolutely loved this post because even some major fast food chains are offering healthier/grilled options. Chipotle is also one of my favorite. Whenever I go to any fast food places, I try to stick to their grilled options and get dressings/add ons on the side and substitute fruits/salads if i can.
AHHH I love Chipotle! I think its so funny how a place has such potential with their salads but many people fall down the trap of ordering burritos or quesaritos. Like you, when I travel I try to pick items on the menu with the most veggies, or customize my order to my veggie-liking.
It’s definitely easy to think that some things are healthy at fast food restaurants when they’re actually not. These are great options!
This is the toughest thing for me when I travel. I always find a chipotle at least once during the week when I’m away for work (I go for the bowls too!) or a place where I can get brown rice and vegetables. Whole Foods has been one of my go-tos recently. I mean, most times when you eat out there is going to be added sodium, fat ect…but for one meal, every once in a while, I think they are good options 🙂 Happy weekend!
Actually, that bowl from Chipotle is horrible. The sodium content in a veggie bowl is something like 2500mg and that’s without the guac. There is NOTHING at Chipotle that is nutritionally redeeming. I’d never go to a Jimmy John’s and we haven’t been to Genghis Grill yet but I would imagine both are just as bad as Chipotle.
Hey Sean! Sodium is definitely something you have to watch out for! The bowl I eat actually isn’t nearly that high in sodium, and if that’s something you’re concerned with, I’d recommend going for just one salsa. If you get the bowl I described with the tomatillo salsa instead, it only has 845 milligrams, and that’s including the guacamole. (Still a little high, but not bad compared to your other options!) Here’s the nutritional calculator on the website: http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/menu/nutrition_calculator/nutrition_calculator.aspx
I think the term “healthy” is not black-and-white. Healthy is going to mean different things to different people. For example, Liz mentioned calories in the post, Sean mentioned sodium in the comment, and while neither of these are “wrong” neither defines the term “healthy”. For me, “healthy” translates to nutritious, in the sense that the food in questions is rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, water, etc. That being said, I don’t think it is fair to judge the health value of a food item without first clarifying what defines healthy.
That’s such a good point, Sarah! Healthy is a pretty broad term, and I was particularly focusing on calories, fat, protein, etc. But you’re right, it depends on how we define it! It’s definitely tricky to find nutrient dense food at fast food chains, so it’s extra-hard with something like this! I think the most important thing is for people to make informed choices. The more they know, the more they can make the right choice for their body.
Love these options! You left out Chicfila…the fast food chain people think is healthy. 😉
Haha true! We used to have one at work but they replaced it with a restaurant that has some healthier options! Their protein shakes are awesome!
My boyfriend goes on and on about chipotle and genghis grill. It makes me jealous because we live an hour away from those! He works 2 minutes away so he gets to go on lunch. Food jealousy… I get it bad.
Great tips Liz!