How to Incorporate a Little Fast Food into a Healthy Diet Plan

What healthy eating can do for you? Will eating healthy help lose weight? Those are questions regarding a healthy eating plan. A healthy eating plan provides your body with the nutritional requirements it needs daily while being within your daily calorie goal for losing weight. But we know that fast food is not a regular part of a healthy eating plan. However, there will be times when you’ll be faced with the challenge of what to order when eating out at a fast food restaurant. It doesn’t have to be a disaster if you make smart choices.

Why healthy eating is important?

These tips will help you make the best of your eating out:

Order a smaller portion

Most fast food restaurants have a smaller portion items on their menu. For example, order a sandwich with single hamburger patty instead of two. Instead of ordering a large or even medium French fries, order a small serving. If you want a small meal, try ordering a kid’s meal instead.

Another good option is to skip the French fries and instead order a side salad with a light dressing. You can easily save a couple of hundred calories with just this small change, not to mention reducing your saturated fat intake.

Order without condiments or get them on the side

When you order a hamburger sandwich, have them leave off the cheese and any particular sauce they usually add. Instead, opt for ketchup or mustard. If your hamburger comes with veggies, ask for extra tomato, lettuce, and onion. They add a lot of bulk to a sandwich but only add a few calories.

Make smart substitutions

If you are faced with ordering an entrée made with fried chicken, ask for grilled chicken instead if it is available. Not only will you reduce your saturated fat content, but cut the calories too. When ordering a salad, ask for the dressing on the side; that way you can control how much of it you use.

Know the nutritional values before you order

Most of the fast food chain restaurants have the nutritional values of their items posted on their website. If you know you are going to a particular chain, look up their menu before you go. Have in mind what you’ll order before you get there.

If you did not have time to look at their online nutritional charts before you go, most fast food chains have nutritional brochures at each site. Skim through before ordering, so you can make a smart choice.

Eating fast food once in a while doesn’t have to sabotage your healthy eating plan if you prepare ahead and make smart choices and substitutions. Knowledge and preparation are the keys to a healthy diet.