Making your dinner after a long, hard day at work can be dreadful. With such busy lifestyles, most of us tend to depend on fast food for our daily nutrition. Despite being quick, easy, and delicious, these food choices hardly help in maintaining a healthy diet.

Fast food is usually loaded full of saturated fat, calories, and high sodium content – the trio that leads to multitudes of diseases including obesity, cardiovascular malfunction, and increased blood pressure. It can block arteries to restrict blood flow and make us lethargic and slow.

Although indulging in a Big Mac or Whopper even now and then is usually fine, if you’re regularly visiting the drive-thru, you might want to consider some healthy fast food options.

Yes, you heard it right. Fast food can be healthy too, let us show you how you can switch up your order to get low-calorie, grease-free food from your favorite joints.

Here are 8 surprisingly healthy fast food options to try out today.

• Oatmeal at Starbucks

Who doesn’t love a quick stop at the Starbucks around the corner for breakfast before work? It has become somewhat of a ritual for us now.

To make for a healthy breakfast, order an oatmeal bowl with your coffee the next time, instead of that sugar-loaded chocolate chip cookie or muffin. It’s a great way to get some morning protein and fiber in your system. They also let you choose from a variety of toppings like berries, dried fruit, and nuts – so you can control how sweet you want your oatmeal bowl.

While oatmeal doesn’t look like something special, its nutritious properties will amaze you. It lowers cholesterol levels, stabilizes blood sugar, and protects your heart. The high antioxidant content makes it the best, balanced breakfast ever.

• Chik-fil-A’s Grilled Chicken Nuggets

These one-bite pieces of boneless chicken serve as a great, quick snack option. They are marinated with a delicious blend of spices and grilled instead of deep-fried, making them healthier than traditional nuggets (only 170 calories!). These nuggets are juicy, tender, and high in protein. We suggest pairing them with a side of steamed veggies for a complete meal.

You can also have a look at other healthy options at Chick-fil-A. They have an entire menu that is completely free of trans fats!

• Wendy’s Juni Hamburger

Hamburgers and healthy? Who would have ever thought such a thing was possible!

Well, Wendy’s has done it and done it deliciously. Keeping true to its title of being the third-largest hamburger chain in the world, they created a great healthy fast food option that is low in salt and gives you a good amount of fiber.

Pairing the Juni Hamburger with lettuce, onion, and tomato and adding on a side of salad with a delicious vinaigrette and apple splices makes for a wholesome meal that amounts to just 460 calories in all.

• McDonald’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich

A true nostalgic favorite, McDonald’s stepped up to meet the healthy fast food challenge too; offering an artisan grilled chicken sandwich that amounts to 380 calories with 37 grams of protein. This sandwich is not only healthy but also serves as a good option for a light lunch.

Be sure to pair it with a serving of apple slices instead of fries to keep your meal healthy! There are a bunch of salad options available at McDonald’s too now; you can have a look here.

• Steak Burrito Bowl from Chipotle

If you’ve had enough of grilled chicken but want to stick to your healthy diet, here is another great beef option for you. The Steak Burrito Bowl combines delicious slices of beef paired with beans, veggies, pinto, and topped with salsa for a burst of flavor. It amounts to a total of 310 calories and has just 2.5 grams of saturated fat!

To make a minimum calorie meal, skip the white rice, guac, and cheese (sad, we know but A LOT healthier.)

• Subway’s Tuna Salad 

We all go to Subway when we’re in the mood for some low-calorie deli meats. While they may not have a high-fat content, they are still sneakily full of preservatives which are horrible for your body.

To avoid fat and preservatives, opt for a Tuna Salat Sub at your next Subway run. It is delicious, light on the stomach, and can be piled full of veggies to make a wonderful, fresh lunch.

For the best healthy sub, get a six-inch nine-grain wheat bread and add on cucumbers, olives, and some avocado (plus whatever other veggies you prefer). Enjoy your meal with a glass of iced tea (unsweetened of course!) All of this easily comes under 500 calories.

• Burger King’s MorningStar Veggie Burger

Who said vegetarian food couldn’t be flavorful and filling? Burger King, with its delectable veggie burger, is here to prove us wrong.

The patty in this burger is full of fiber and textured vegetable protein, amounting to 21 grams with 0 trans fat. If you love cheese, this is the perfect place for you to add it on without going over the calorie limit just avoid the mayo and you’re good to go. Skip on the fries and get apple slices instead of a crunchy and sweet end dessert.

• Protein Style Burger from In-N-Out

No fast food list (healthy or otherwise) is complete without In-N-Out. While mostly known for its meaty burgers and high-calorie loaded fries, this fast-food favorite does host some healthier options too.

In-N-Out allows customization of your order. So, you can easily get rid of those carb-filled buns and have them replaced by some fresh and crunchy lettuce. This brings down the calorie content to just 275 cal with 17 grams of fat – quite a steal we must say.

Final Words 

If you’re considering trying to make your diet healthier, don’t fret over lack of options or food getting “boring”. Most restaurants nowadays offer healthier protein options and amazing salad bowls that not only meet your required nutrition content but are also packed of flavor. Just take your time with the menu and do some research on calorie content before placing your order.

To learn more about a delicious, low-calorie diet; visit our website for some mouthwatering substitutes!