Depending on your will power and your determination, I think diets can be a tricky thing in college. Personally, I find diets to be impossible. I crave salads about once a year and my idea of a vegetable is pizza, because I heard somewhere that the government is calling it one nowadays. I find myself eating three meals a day, but instead of a healthy breakfast being one of them, I have lunch, dinner, and then, end the day with some sort of late night dinner at 2 a.m. after a night of studying or going out. More often than not, this second dinner ends up being fast food. I realize that unless I change this (or quit putting off working out until next year), the sophomore 60 is going to become a new cliché…that I inspired.
A fellow HC member told me about “Eat This, Not That” which is both a Twitter and a website. It helps you find what are the best and worst to get at all your favorite restaurants. It breaks everything down to calories and then an overall grade depending on other factors such as sodium. From their lists, I compiled some of the best items to get at fast food restaurants. The restaurants are even in order from best overall quality to least, so you know how many other healthy options will be available at the restaurant.
Even if you don’t change your eating habits entirely at first, start with changing a drink or skipping out on the grease-soaked fries. Regardless, you always have this list to consult (I’d even recommend printing it out and sticking it in your wallet) for healthy alternatives.
Chick-fil-A
Drink: Diet lemonade (small)- 25 calories
Side: Harvest nut granola- 60 calories
Entrée: Chargrilled chicken garden salad- 170 calories
Dessert: Cheesecake- 310 calories
Wendy’s
Drink: Sweet tea- 100 calories
Side: Caesar side salad- 70 calories
Entrée: Ultimate chicken grill sandwich- 320 calories
Dessert: Junior vanilla frosty- 150 calories
Taco Bell
Side: Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes- 290 calories
Entrée: Beef soft taco- 170 calories
Dessert: Caramel apple empanadas- 290 calories
McDonald’s
Drink: Cappuccino with sugar free vanilla syrup (small)- 100 calories
Side: Apple dippers- 35 calories
Entrée: Cheeseburger- 300 calories
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie- 160 calories
Domino’s
Side: Garden fresh salad- 70 calories
Entrée: Crunchy thin crust pizza (2 slices)- 310 calories
Dessert: Cinna stix- 120 calories
Burger King
Drink: 2% milk- 120 calories
Side: BK fresh apple fries- 25 calories
Entrée: Cheeseburger- 340 calories
Arby’s
Drink: 2% milk- 130 calories
Side: Applesauce- 90 calories
Entrée: Arby’s Melt- 320 calories
Dessert: Apple turnover with icing- 340 calories
Del Taco
Drink: Macho diet coke- 5 calories
Side: Chips and salsa- 160 calories
Entrée: Chicken Taco Del Carbon- 150 calories
Dessert: Churro with cinnamon and sugar- 180 calories
Pizza Hut
Drink: Diet Pepsi- 0 calories
Side: Tomato basil soup- 180 calories
Entrée: Fit n’ delicious diced red tomato, mushroom, & jalapeno pizza (1 slice)- 150 calories
Dessert: Cinnamon sticks (2 pieces)- 170 calories
Chipotle
Side: Black beans- 120 calories
Entrée: 3 crispy tacos with carnitas, black beans, lettuce & salsa- 450 calories