How to Buy Healthy Fast Food

Is this really possible? To a degree, if you make careful selections. Some fast-food restaurants have responded to health concerns with revised menus, which include salads and meatless burgers. Even McDonald's recently announced a policy of moving toward beef produced without hormones and antibiotics. When you're out with the kids or on a road trip, we've got tips for quick and healthy noshing.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Opt for grilled, broiled or steamed entre'es over fried. Chicken, turkey and fish are leaner than ground beef.
2. Say no to special sauces, cheese, mayonnaise and bacon; they'll pack on the calories, fat and cholesterol.
3. Order regular or junior meals instead of supersize meals. If you have a big appetite, include a side salad with low-cal dressing.
4. Pick up a salad. Leafy greens, veggies and beans are great but be frugal with bacon bits, cheese, mayonnaise-based salads and creamy dressings. Avoid fried tortilla shells.
5. Hold the dressing in exchange for dessert--creamy salad dressings have more calories and fat in a single serving than a large cookie.
6. Drink water, skim milk or unsweetened iced tea instead of soda.
7. Expand your definition of fast food: sub sandwiches or wraps with lean meat (no cheese, no mayo), burritos (no cheese, no sour cream), Greek kebabs or pitas, and Japanese bento boxes (ask for low-sodium soy sauce) are tasty, convenient alternatives to the usual burgers and fries.
8. Stock up on "fast food" while grocery shopping: cottage cheese, yogurt, minicarrots (peeled and washed), and fresh fruit.

What to Look For:

• Grilled, broiled or steamed
• Regular or junior size
• Low- or no-fat dressings
• Fresh veggies
• Unsweetened drinks

Tips & Warnings

• A breakfast sandwich with an English muffin, egg and lean ham is pretty healthy. Croissants, biscuits, bacon and especially sausage patties are huge fat bombs.
• Pick a baked potato (hold the sour cream) for a good nutritional choice. French fries, however, do not satisfy the nutritional requirements of a vegetable serving and are very high in fat.
• A pizza with tomato sauce, veggie toppings and low-fat cheese is a relatively healthy meal.

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