35 Healthy Fast Food Options – Best Healthy Orders at Fast Food Restaurants

If you need to grab a quick meal on the go but don’t want to totally blow your healthy eating plan, it’s still possible to do that while you hit your favorite fast food drive-thru. “Many fast-food chains offer healthier options to meet everyone’s dietary goals,” says Amy Fischer, M.S., R.D.N., registered dietitian with the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab. By introducing more veggie-forward meals like salads and bowls, many chain restaurants now offer plenty of options that go beyond the typical cheeseburger-and-fries fare. This is awesome for folks who are trying to make healthier choices, and provides better options for people who live in areas where fast food chains are the main affordable option.

No matter where you are chowing down, Fischer says to keep these tips in mind for healthier ordering:

• Start by loading your meal with as many healthy vegetables as possible, whether that means adding extra peppers to your pizza, asking for mushrooms on (or in place of!) your burger or scooping some salsa onto your burrito bowl. Veggies offer an amazing array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
• It’s a smart idea to opt for whole wheat or whole grain bread or rice options to sneak in some extra fiber.
• Set your sights on menu items that feature lean proteins like grilled chicken or turkey, and of course veggies.
• Aim to stick to one fat source—whether that’s cheese, avocado, sour cream or cream cheese. Be one and done whenever possible.
• Try ordering salad dressing or other condiments on the side so you can better control how much you use.
• Some chains even have ordering hacks that can help you add more nutrition to your meal without you having to think of the tweaks yourself. For example, ask for your Taco Bell order “fresco” to nix a dressing, cheese or sour cream.
• Since healthier fast food orders may still contain more sodium, fat or added sugar than a home cooked meal might, this might be a good day to skip the sugary beverage and dessert.

Below are some of the “healthiest” fast food orders you can find at McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Chipotle and more. We want to stress that there is no such thing as “bad” foods in our opinion (we also think terms like “cheat day”, “guilt-free” and “treat yourself” in relation to food can be problematic). Our goal here is not to tell you how to think, eat or live — nor is it to pass judgment on how you choose to nourish your body. Good Housekeeping has been exploring how we think about weight, the way we eat and how we try to control or change our bodies in our quest to be happier and healthier. We have a whole series about these topics, which you can learn more about.