People love the taste of fast food. It’s sweet, salty, fatty and delicious. It’s also fast and easy when it comes to a meal on the go or when you’re not in the mood to cook. But are there any McDonald’s foods that are actually good for you? Can you go to one of those locations and leave without feeling that you’ve done something horrible to your body or your diet?
There have been cases of people who have exclusively eaten McDonald’s foods for months and who have managed to lose weight. However, they are the exception and they clearly made strategic choices.
Those individuals were also dedicated to at least 45 minutes of cardio exercise every single day.
Still, most doctors will tell you that there aren’t really many McDonald’s foods that are actually good for you. For the average person – which probably includes you – eating there should be kept to the occasional treat instead of a daily or regular habit.
The key to having a fast food treat now and again is to know the McDonald’s foods that are actually good for you. That way, you can enjoy something tasty without the guilt or the negative impact on your weight loss.
Keep in mind that things aren’t always what they seem at McDonald’s. There are salads with more sodium than a Big Mac and a chicken sandwich – a go-to item for health conscious people – can have twice the calories of a double hamburger in it.
To help you to make the right choice during your next visit, consider the following possibilities:
An Egg McMuffin – Not necessarily healthy as a meal, but it could be worse. It contains 300 calories, a solid 17 grams of protein, 31 grams of carbs, 13 grams of fat (5 grams of which are saturated) and 750 milligrams of sodium. It’s not exactly a balanced meal but when compared to the other breakfast items this is your best choice. Just choose the egg-only sandwich without the sausage or bacon.
The Premium Southwest Salad – This salad leaves them all behind at 160 calories, 8 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat (3 of which are saturated), 18 grams of carbs, and 190 milligrams of sodium Choose Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette as a dressing and you’ll be topping it off with only 40 more calories.
Fruit slices – choose a healthier side dish than the fries with the apple slices or mandarin slices. If you do need to go for the fries, choose a small size for 340 calories, 4 grams of protein, 44 grams of carbs, 16 grams of fat (2.5 grams of which are saturated) and 190 milligrams of sodium (provided you request them without salt).
To help your body to burn through that treat just a little bit faster, take PhenBlue a half hour before your meal.