Wouldn’t it be nice if healthy, diet-friendly meals could be whipped up in a few seconds so you could eat them on the go? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could get a few servings of veggies without a massive dose of calories or a huge amount of prep time. It would be great if there were drive-thru meals for weight loss that you could actually believe were good for you.
While you likely shouldn’t rely on drive-thru meals for weight loss, the truth is that if you make the right choices at the right locations, you can actually enjoy one now and again. There are certain fast foods you can pick up in a hurry without damaging your progress toward your weight goals.
As long as you don’t use these drive-thru meals for weight loss too often, you can easily work them into your day now and again:
1. Chick-fil-A – Grilled Chicken Sandwich with a Fruit Cup. This is actually a pretty healthy sandwich provided you make the right requests. If you order it on a whole grain bun and ask for it without the mayo and creamy sauce, you’ll be able to enjoy both the sandwich and the fruit cup in 400 calories with only 3.5 grams of fat and with 30 grams of protein. Just make sure you don’t have this too often because it is very high in sodium (1120 mg), it contains 55 mg of cholesterol and is low in fiber (6 grams).
2. KFC – Grilled Chicken Breast with Corn on the Cob and Mashed Potatoes. High in protein (41 grams) a reasonable amount of fat (10 grams), this meal has 430 calories and should be quite filling, to boot.
3. Wendy’s – Small Chili and Plain Baked Potato. It may not sound like much when you order it but when you combine them to make a baked potato topped with chili, you’re on to something. Plus, you can have it all with a huge 12 grams of fiber but a moderate 460 calories.
4. Jack in the Box – Chicken Teriyaki Bowl. This isn’t necessarily the ideal meal, but if you find yourself at this restaurant, it’s one of the best choices you can make. It has a good amount of protein at 25 grams, but it’s huge in sodium (1461 mg) and is starting to run a little high in calories at 585. With only 4 grams of fiber, it’s not helping much in that area, either. However, it is a satisfying meal and as long as you drink water as your beverage choice, it shouldn’t do much damage if you have it on occasion.
5. McDonald’s – Southwest Salad with a Fruit n’ Yogurt Parfait. The salad is among the best options you can get at any fast food place. This particular grilled chicken salad provides more protein (34 grams) and fiber (7 grams) than those offered at many other restaurants. Be sure to go for the grilled chicken, not the fried, and opt for a light dressing. It is only 480 calories.
6. Burger King – Veggie Burger with a Garden Salad. Ideally, you should order it without the cheese or mayonnaise if you want the fewest calories. You’ll enjoy 22 grams of protein along with 450 calories.
7. Subway – Veggie Delite Sandwich with Tomato Orzo Soup. A filling meal with only 360 calories and 14 grams of protein.
