Fast food: Every college girl’s enemy. It’s cheap, its quick, it’s easy and it’s everywhere. Especially in Burlington, N.C. Growing up, fast food was allowed only on the most special occasions in my family. There’s a reason for this – eating fast food is not good for you! But realistically, as college students constantly on the go and in need of a quick meal, we’re going to eat it. This doesn’t mean we’re going to eat it everyday, but there will be those morning when we find ourselves at Bojangles or nights at Qdoba. And that’s perfectly fine. You can go about eating fast food on those days when you just need it (because we all have days when we need it) without feeling too, too guilty about breaking your promise with yourself to eat healthier. Here are some tips for eating healthier when you do choose to eat fast food.
Grilled, Not Fried
When getting a chicken sandwich, opt for grilled rather than fried. It’s an easy change that can result in a lot less fat consumption. Chick-fil-A’s Chicken Sandwich, which is fried, has 430 calories and 17g of fat, while its Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich has 290 calories and just 4g of fat. McDonald’s Premium Crispy Chicken Classic Sandwich has 510 calories and 22g of fat, while the Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich has 350 calories and 9g of fat. You do the math, that’s a big difference between grilled and fried.
Water, Not Soda
This one seems obvious, but you can cut calories easily by choosing to drink water rather than soda. For example, 20 fl oz of Coke has 240 calories and 65g of sugar. Enough said.
Cut the Fries
If you’re looking to cut calories, cut fries from your meal. They add a significant amount of calories and fat. A small size of Chick-fil-A’s Waffle Potato Fries has 300 calories and 16g of fat, and a small size of MCDonald’s fries have 230 calories and 11g of fat. For many of us, fries are our favorite part of fast food (guilty), so if you’re craving them, get them on their own or with another small side.
Cut the Carbs
When possible, go for the no-bread option. Qdoba and Moe’s have the “go naked” option for their burritos and Chipotle has Burrito Bowls. The flour tortilla adds about 200 calories to the meal. McDonalds, Wendy’s and other fast food places have been adding a lot of salads to their menus, so try them out.
Cut the Sauce
When ordering, try asking for your food without sauces to cut some calories. Chick-fil-A sauces can be up to 110 calories per pack, and we often go through two of those in a meal. Don’t over do it on the sauces and you’re already making your meal healthier.
Fast food is hard for us college girls to avoid, but if you know how to eat the right fast food, you’re making it easier for yourself. Just make that extra effort to go for healthier options when eating fast food, and it’s bound to go a long way.
Enjoy!
Sources
Coca-Cola.com
Chick-fil-A.com
McDonalds.com
Qdoba.com
Chipotle.com
Moes.com
Wendys.com