A Registered Dietitian’s Guide to Eating Fast Food

Obviously, it is best to eat home cooked foods as much as possible. You have more control over the ingredients in your meals and therefore have more control over the overall nutritional profile. My best dietitian advice is to try your best to continue to build the habit of planning ahead, making most of your meals at home, and reducing the frequency that you dine out. But life can be hectic and no matter how we try, there will still be times when we need to grab something quick. Here are some of my dietitian-approved options for fast food in the Fargo/Moorhead area.

Things to keep in mind when having to grab fast food:

·       You are ALWAYS going to be dealing with high sodium foods when dining out. There is really no getting around it. I did not include sodium in my nutritional breakdown in this post, but just know it is high.

·       If at all possible, look up the food you are ordering on the company’s website or your nutrition tracking app. The total calories are listed on the menu for any chain restaurant, but that does not give you an idea of the macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) breakdown of the foods.

·       You can always customize to fit your needs. If you see that the shredded cheese is adding a lot of extra calories and you feel you would still be satisfied with the flavor if you use less, ask for it.

·       If your meal is higher in calories, fat, carbohydrates, or sodium than your meals usually are, it’s OK! We can always make adjustments to other meals to account for that in the rest of the day or week. I mean it when I say this is an “all foods fit” approach.

·       If you really want the fries, GET THE FRIES, and eat intuitively. Build the rest of your meal in a healthy way and continue to check in with yourself to see if you are full. If you are full before your fries are gone, throw them away or give them to someone else in your family, knowing you will be able to have fries next time you go. Not getting the fries will continue to perpetuate feelings of deprivation and will most likely result in overconsuming them in the coming days or weeks.

Tips for creating a healthy meal:

•      Start with your lean protein first and build around that. Protein leads to feelings of fullness and provides sustained energy after meals.

•      Add vegetables. Vegetables add bulk to your meal with foods that are naturally lower in calories and higher in fiber.

• Choose high fiber carbohydrates, if possible. Think whole grains, beans, starchy vegetables.

•      Choose grilled options instead of fried, reducing fat and overall calories.

•     Try to reduce overall calories by eliminating or asking for “light” servings of high fat add-ons like cheese, sour cream, mayo, butter, bacon, etc.

•    Get sauces and dressings on the side so you have control over how much you need to make your food satisfying and flavorful.

To get you started with some ideas, here are a few of my personal favorites!

*All the places listed here have their nutritional information available online and many have online nutrition calculators that will calculate the nutrition for your personal order when placing the order online or planning your order before you go. I have included links as well. MyFitnessPal and other nutrition tracking apps will usually have restaurant menus available as well. Just type the food chain name into the search and you should be able to find most of their menu there.

**The options listed are my personal choices based on my individual calorie, macros, and goals. They may need some adjustment to fit individual needs.

McAlister’s Deli - Nutrition Calculator

·       Savannah Chopped Salad – Cal 480, Fat 16g, Pro 40g, Carb 43g

·       BYO Sandwich ½ Grilled Chicken on 9-grain bread (provolone, spicy mustard, tomatoes, and mixed greens) and Fire Roasted Vegetable soup – Cal 400, Fat 9g, Pro 30g, Carb 49g

Wendys – Can customize your order and see your nutrition on the website. Wendy's Menu

·       Apple Pecan Salad – Cal 530, Fat 27g, Pro 31g, Carb 44g

Taco Bell - Nutrition Calculator | Taco Bell®

·       Cantina Chicken Bowl – Cal 490, Fat 24g, Pro 25g, Carb 44g

Chick-fil-A – Nutrition information Nutrition and Allergens | Chick-fil-A

·       8 ct Grilled Nuggets (honey mustard, BBQ or Sriracha sauce), Small Waffle Fries, Kale Crunch Salad – Cal 660, Fat 24g, Pro 33g, Carb 59g

Panera - Can customize your order and see your nutrition on the Panera website.

·       ½ Balsamic Chicken Greens with Grains Salad and cup of Autumn Squash Soup – Cal 510, Fat 16g, Pro 25g, Carb 51g

·       ½ Green Goddess Cob Salad and Cup Chicken Noodle Soup Cal 560, Fat 24 g, Pro 31g, Carb 24g

Qdoba – Nutrition information

·       Street Style Chicken Tacos – Cal 540, Fat 25, Pro 33g, Carb 46g

·       BYO Burrito Bowl (Chicken, “light” serving brown rice, pinto beans, corn salsa, fajita veggies, “light” shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa roja, cilantro, lettuce) – Cal 515, Fat 18g, Pro 37g, Carb 53g

Chipotle – Chipotle — Nutrition Calculator

·       BYO Burrito Bowl (Chicken, ½ serving brown rice, pinto beans, light cheese, tomatillo-red chili salsa, fajita veggies, romaine lettuce)

·       3 BYO Tacos (soft flour tortilla, steak, fajita veggies, tomatillo-green chili salsa, light cheese, romaine lettuce) Cal 495, Fat 18g, Pro 32g, Carb 52g

Crisp & Green – CRISP & GREEN Nutrition & Allergen Guides

·       Wild Child Bowl – Cal 520, Fat 24g, Pro 36g, Carb 45g

·       C’est la Viche – Cal 390, Fat 21g, Pro 22g, Carb 32g

·       Bold and the Buffalo Bowl – Cal 520, Fat 28g, Pro 33g, Carb 36g

Culvers – Can customize your order and see nutrition on the Culvers website.

·       Grilled Chicken Sandwich, steamed broccoli – Cal 390, Fat 8g, Pro 44g, Carb 53g

Power Plate Meals – Power Plate Meals Their menu changes, but all calories and macros are listed for each meal. This is a great grab and go option if you have access to a microwave.

Hornbacher’s Salad Bar – BYO salad and soup. All calories are listed, but macros are not. You will need to estimate and plug into a food tracking app to get a better idea of your meal.

Most people struggle to know how many calories they should eat in a day and what their breakdown of macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) should look like. Our SECA Body Composition Analysis scale can accurately calculate your daily calorie needs and I can provide individualized macronutrient recommendations based on your goals. I can provide you recommendations as well as teach you how to track your foods and learn more about intuitive eating for sustainable weight loss! Click here to schedule a visit with us at North Dakota Center for Weight Management.

Best of health,

Elise Smith, Registered Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer