The Healthy Fast Food Diet - 15 ways to eat healthy at fast-food restaurants

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15 ways to eat healthy at fast-food restaurants

Use these tips to cut 500 calories (or more!) from your diet everyday. You’ll stop gaining weight—and actually lose a pound a week without any effort or sacrifice…

1. Down-size. Order the "kids' meal" every once in a while to avoid super-sizing your body. A Whopper Junior at Burger King will fill you up without all the extra calories of the full-size Whopper.

2. Cut down on soft drinks. Sodas are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet. Choose water, skim milk, or unsweetened ice tea, instead.

3. The magic number is 500. That’s the number of calories your entire meal should contain (600 for men). It’s hard for your body to process any more at one time (unless you’re an athlete), so anything over that number gets converted into fat and stored in your fat cells.

4. “Slender-size”™ your meals. Skip the bacon, cheese, and mayo and you save 100 calories each. Load up on extra lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles which will satisfy your hunger on fewer calories. Bacon bits are okay, but.

5. Go easy on the dressing. Salad dressings are HIGH in fat. Always order the low-calorie variety. Instead of pouring it on your salad, dip your empty fork in it before scooping up a mouthful. You’ll eat much less.

6. Share your fries. French fries are pure calories—up to 600 calories (that a full meal’s worth) per serving. If you MUST have them, order the smallest size and share them with a friend.

7. Skip the fatty desserts. Avoid turnovers, pies, and dough sticks in favor of low-fat ice milk or sorbet. McDonald’s offers a yummy Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait (without granola) that contains a scant 130 calories.

8. Get a healthful “side.” KFC offers beans and corn on the cob. Wendy’s still sells baked potatoes and chili. Fill up on these low-calorie side orders instead of ordering a belly-busting main attraction.

9. Order less than you think you want. You’ll probably be just as satisfied on less food. If you aren’t, you can always go back for more.

10. Don’t order “combo” meals. They are usually huge servings and loaded with calories—so they’re really not much of a bargain.

11. Toss half the bun. White buns are empty calories and your insulin reacts as if you just ate pure sugar. Be sure to toss the bottom half; that’s where most of the grease resides.

fried1 12. Avoid fried foods. The fat that gets soaked up contains way too many calories. Even worse: Most fried foods are loaded with trans-fats which are terrible for your arteries. Order baked or grilled whenever possible.

13. Soup up. People who eat soup first, consume far fewer calories during the next course. Soup really fills you up—just avoid the creamy, cheesy varieties.