We often rely on fast food for its affordability and convenience—when you’re in a rush getting out the door or are exhausted after a long day, cruising through the drive thru is one way you can make your life easier. However, from added sugar to saturated fat to heavy preservatives, it obviously isn’t the most nutritious option.
With that being said, the key to a maintainable healthy lifestyle is balance. Everything can be enjoyed in moderation, and sometimes it’s more feasible to get something quickly so you can keep on schedule with your day. Even if you have fast food as a meal every now and then, having context around the ingredients in each menu item is essential for making healthy choices.
There are lots of ways that added sugar and saturated fat can sneak into the menu items at fast food restaurants, but are there any common mistakes that you could be making when ordering? We asked Aletta Mayorga, a registered dietitian and Director of Nutrition Science at SmartyPants Vitamins, what tips she has for navigating the menu at your favorite fast food restaurant if you want to keep nutrition in mind. While there are obvious menu items that are less nutritious than others, one thing that Mayorga warns people to be wary of are the products that aggressively market themselves as “healthy.”
“Perhaps the biggest mistake I see people make is assuming salads are always healthy choices. True, we should all be eating more vegetables and yes, there are a few genuinely good fast food salads out there,” she explains, “However, to increase appeal for salads among the non-plant-lovers, most fast food restaurants emphasize toppings like cheese, bacon, and plenty of dressing. While these create a real party for your taste buds, they lack the nutritional value that a true vegetable-forward salad would offer.” When you load salads up with extra add ons like these, it may defeat the purpose of making the “healthier choice” in the first place. If you’re getting a salad at a fast food restaurant, make sure that toppings like cheese and dressing are on the side so you can control how much is included.
When you do find yourself hitting up a drive thru, what are some things to keep in mind? “It is all about finding that balance between feeling satisfied (foods that bring us joy, or social foods) and feeling nourished (healthy whole foods that physically fuel us well),” says Katelyn Greenleaf, RD, owner of NuLeaf Nutrition. The main thing that Greenleaf recommends is finding healthy swaps when possible—like choosing chicken instead of beef for a low fat animal protein, ordering a baked potato instead of french fries, and water instead of soda.
At the end of the day, leading a healthy lifestyle is all about balance. Making room for the foods you enjoy, and being sure to get in all the nutrients you need, is a skill that takes time to refine. Knowing the ingredients, calories, and nutrition content of the food you eat, even at a fast food restaurant, is a helpful tool in this. While you may think that a salad is the obvious healthy choice, that may not be the case. Being sure to ask for toppings on the side and opt for healthy swaps when possible are two ways you can be intentional with what you’re ordering so you can properly nourish your body.
