Fast Food

The American lifestyle is getting more and more rushed. Everything has to move fast to keep up with our jam-packed schedules -- even our meals. Most families eat at a fast food restaurant at least once a week and many people find themselves "driving through" several times during the week. The convenience can't be beat, but there is a downside. It is affecting our children's weight and overall health.

Are there any good fast food choices?

Fortunately, the word is out that eating high fat, super-sized meals can lead to our kids gaining too much weight. Our kids are taking in extra calories from soda and high fat foods and it shows. Fast food restaurants now offer smaller portions, more grilled chicken selections, kids meals with a choice of fruit and milk instead of fries and soda, and creative salads with bottled waters. If there is no time to cook, you can order healthy items on the run.

Tips for ordering kid friendly food:

• Order the smaller portion sizes
• Pick milk or water instead of a soft drink
• Choose grilled chicken items more often
• Ask for mustard and ketchup instead of mayonnaise or order food plain and request condiment packets
• Use salad dressing sparingly or ask for the low-fat or fat-free varieties
• If you are taking the food home, order entrees only and prepare your own quick side dishes, served with milk, water, or other low sugar drink.

Making Healthy Fast Food Choices

Most restaurants offer a variety of healthy salads, with calories ranging from 200 to 400 calories before adding the dressing. If your kids like salads, encourage them to order a salad instead of a burger. Choose the low-fat or fat-free dressings. A full fat dressing packet can contain 200 to 300 extra calories!

When choosing a meal, try to pick one that has fewer calories and fat for your child. Although some of the choices may still be a bit high in calories and fat, compared to the typical kid's meal, these menu items are a big improvement. The McDonald's Happy Meal with a cheeseburger, fries and a soda contains 640 calories and 23 grams of fat. If your child is older and ordering a regular meal, such as a Quarter Pounder with cheese, medium fries and medium-sized soda, the calories jump to 1,070 with 41 grams of fat.

The food choices listed below are some of the lowest in calories and fat offered on the restaurant's menu.

Healthier Fast Food Options

 
Subway 
6 inch Veggie Delite      220 calories/3 grams fat 
6 inch Turkey Breast      280 calories/4.5 grams fat 
6 inch Ham                290 calories/5 grams fat 
Deli Turkey Sandwich      210/3.5 grams fat 

Taco Bell 
Taco - beef               170 calories/10 grams fat 
Soft taco - beef          210 calories/10 grams fat 
Tostado - regular         250 calories/10 grams fat 
Bean Burrito              350 calories/8 grams fat 
Cinnamon Twists           140 calories/7 grams fat 

McDonald's 
Hamburger kids meal with 
  apple dippers and milk  370 calories/13 grams fat 
Small hamburger           280 calories/10 grams fat 
Small cheeseburger        330 calories/14 grams fat 
Chicken McGrill           300 calories/4.5 grams fat 
Small fries               220 calories/11 grams fat 

Wendy's  
Kids meal with hamburger, Mandarin 
oranges and 1% chocolate milk     520 calories/11 grams fat 
Ultimate Chicken Grill            360 calories/7 grams fat 
Jr. Hamburger                     270 calories/9 grams fat 
Large Chili                       310 calories/10 grams fat 

Pizza Hut 
Hand tossed (1 slice, medium pizza) 
Veggie Lovers             220 calories/7 grams fat 
Supreme                   270 calories/11 grams fat 

Pan 
(1 slice, medium pizza) 
Ham                       260 calories/11 grams fat 

Thin and Crispy (1 slice, medium pizza) 
Cheese                    200 calories/8 grams fat 
Pepperoni                 210 calories/10 grams fat 
Veggie Lovers             180 calories/7 grams fat 
Pepperoni lovers          260 calories/14 grams fat 

Burger King 
Chicken Whopper sandwich  410 calories/7 grams fat 
Whopper Jr.               310 calories/13 grams fat 
Small hamburger           310 calories/13 grams fat 
Cup of Chili (no cheese)  210 calories/8 grams fat 
________________________________________________________ 

*All sandwiches listed above don't include mayonnaise or 
cheese unless specified.  

Where can I find complete menu and nutrition information?

Most large food chains publish nutrition analysis sheets that list all menu items, showing total calories, grams of carbohydrate, protein and fat, and sometimes, food group portion sizes. These materials are rarely on display. You'll have to ask for information at the counter or go online to the restaurant's Web site. The Web sites often include menus, nutrient breakdowns and easy to use calculators so you can see exactly what your children are eating and where you need to make changes.

McDonalds: http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat.html

Burger King: http://www.bk.com/Food/Nutrition/index.aspx

Wendy's: http://www.wendys.com/food/index.jsp?country=US&lang=EN

Pizza Hut: http://www.pizzahut.com/menu/nutritioninfo.asp

Taco Bell: http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition.htm

Subway: http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/MenuNutrition/index.aspx

Our busy lifestyles probably won't be slowing down any time soon. We need the convenience of fast foods sometimes, but we also deserve to have healthy choices. The industry is changing because the public is demanding it. Do your part by ordering the healthier choices, so that companies will continue to offer these foods in the future.