When it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, the best option is always to prepare your own food at home. That way, you know exactly what you’re putting into your body, and you can make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need to thrive and slim down (if that’s your goal). However, you won’t always be able to do that. In fact, sometimes you’re going to find yourself pulling up to a fast food drive-thru to get a cheap meal in a pinch. And when the time comes, it’s important to know what the best options are for your overall health.
To discover one of the best fast food meals for weight loss, we spoke to Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet. She told us that whenever Chick-fil-A is an option, you should go with their Grilled Market Salad. Learn more about this tasty, nutritious, and convenient meal below.
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Chick-fil-A’s Grilled Market Salad
While Chick-fil-A may be known for their fried chicken sandwiches and their delicious nuggets (plus unbelievable hospitality), they also have their fair share of healthy, grilled items on the menu. That includes the Grilled Market Salad, which Richards recommends making your go-to fast food meal for whenever you’re on the road and still want to eat as healthy as possible.
“Chick-fil-A’s Grilled Market Salad is loaded with nutrient-rich ingredients including grilled chicken breast served on a fresh bed of mixed greens, topped with crumbled blue cheese and a mix of red and green apples, strawberries and blueberries,” she tells us. The best part? All of that comes in at just 330 calories and 13 grams of fat, all while packing in a substantial 29 grams of protein. Nice!
In addition to being low in calories but high in protein, it’s also worth noting that the toppings on this salad offer up a ton of health benefits. “This salad is full of antioxidants from the apples, strawberries, and blueberries,” Richards points out. “These are low-sugar fruits that are rich in nutrients but low in sugars.” Additionally, “grilled chicken breast and blue cheese are good, healthy sources of protein.” Not to mention delicious.
But the benefits of this grilled chicken salad don’t stop there. Unlike many fast food salads, Chick-fil-A’s doesn’t come with a fattening, cream-based dressing. Instead, it’s completed with a Light Balsamic Vinaigrette, which Richards says is a “reasonably healthy option.” However, it does contain added sugar and orange juice concentrate, so it’s best not to use too much of it. For this reason, she recommends you “ask for the dressing on the side to control your calorie intake.” Noted!
Of course, you may find yourself in need of a quick bite without a Chick-fil-A in sight–or maybe chicken just isn’t your thing. At the end of the day, the important thing to remember is to choose food that’s nutritious, protein-packed, and as fresh as possible. But let’s be realistic: no one is perfect, and desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures. Honestly, if you go as far as to resist ordering french fries, that’s a major health win in our book. Just make healthy choices whenever possible. Your body will thank you for it!
