It's no secret that fast food often gets a bad rap when it comes to health. The convenience and affordability of fast food are undeniable, especially in our fast-paced society where it sometimes feels like the only viable option. A survey by Cleveland Clinic revealed that nearly half of Americans eat fast food every week, highlighting its prevalence in our diets. But does this mean healthy eating is impossible when time is short? Not at all. With a few smart choices and modifications, it's possible to navigate the fast-food landscape and find options that align with your health goals.
Burger Basics: Leaner and Greener
This fast-food staple can pack in the calories, and all the grease can leave your belly feeling off. When a burger craving hits, order the leanest type of burger available. Stack your burger with as many veggies as you can to add nutrients and fiber. Always opt for grilled chicken instead of fried; many places offer a "crispy" option, but it's best to skip it. Skip the sauce (like mayo) and order without cheese to reduce unnecessary fat and calories.
Seafood Sensibly: Tread Carefully
If you’re looking for a taste of the sea when it comes to fast food, tread carefully. Tuna salad is usually packed with mayonnaise and is often beyond a normal day’s fat guidelines.
Salad Strategies: Building a Better Bowl
If fast food is on the menu, you probably didn’t have a salad in mind. But a number of fast-food restaurants are making salads these days. Some of the toppings on those salads can diminish their health potential. Ordering dressing on the side or bringing your own healthier version. (Tip: Dip your fork in the dressing before you dig in.
Burrito Bowl Bliss: Ditch the Tortilla
When it comes to these popular meals, it’s best to skip the tortilla and opt for a bowl instead. Start with lettuce as your base. Add brown rice and load up on veggies. Aim for lean meat, pinto beans or black beans for protein. Avoid getting double meat. Skip the sour cream and cheese or ask for a small amount. Or bring your own Greek yogurt to add on top.
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Fries and Condiments: Proceed with Caution
French fries are one of America’s favorite foods and a staple at many fast-food joints. Your best bet is to avoid anything fried. Condiments, dips and seasoning can wreak havoc on an otherwise healthy meal. Be mindful of how much you’re actually using.
Beverages: Rethink Your Drink
Soda and fast food seem to go hand in hand. But it’s no secret that soda isn’t good for us.
Low-Carb Options at Fast Food Restaurants
Though most items at fast food restaurants are high in carbs, there are several options that can fit into a low carb diet, including salads, bunless sandwiches, and burrito bowls. Sticking to a low carb diet when dining out can be hard, especially at fast food restaurants. That’s because these meals are often based on bread, tortillas, rice, and other high carb items. Still, most fast food restaurants offer some good low carb options, and many items can easily be modified to fit your lifestyle.
Submarine Sandwiches: Opt for the Bowl
Submarine sandwiches are very high in carbs. A typical sub has at least 50 grams (g) of carbs, most of which come from the bun. Some restaurants allow you to order your sub in a bowl rather than on a bun, which can significantly reduce the carb content of your meal.
Here are the carb counts for a few sub bowl options at Jersey Mike’s:
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- Turkey breast and provolone: 8 g of carbs, 2 g of which are fiber
- Club supreme: 9 g of carbs, 2 g of which are fiber
- Chicken salad: 9 g of carbs, 3 g of which are fiber
- California club: 13 grams of carbs, 6 g of which are fiber
You can order your meal this way from many other sub sandwich shops as well, including Subway. Simply request that it be prepared as a salad with olive oil and vinegar for the dressing.
Chicken: Grilled over Fried
Fried chicken is high in fat because the chicken absorbs a large amount of oil during frying. Heating vegetable oils to high temperatures also produces harmful compounds that may increase oxidative stress and your risk of heart disease, cancer, and other health problems. In addition, fried chicken from restaurants like Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) contains about 3 to 11 g of carbs, depending on the specific cut.
Grilled chicken is a lower carb option, which is available at many fast food franchises. Each piece of grilled KFC chicken contains 0 g of carbs.
As for side dishes, green beans contain 5 g of carbs per serving, 3 g of which are fiber. Coleslaw is another low carb choice, with 14 g of carbs per serving, 4 g of which are fiber.
Coffee and Tea: Carb-Free Refreshments
Coffee and tea are carb-free beverages. They’re also high in caffeine, which may help improve metabolic rate, brain health, and physical performance while reducing your risk of many chronic health conditions. If you like milk in your coffee or tea, many places offer half-and-half. A single-serving container (15 g) has about 0.5 g of carbs.
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Heavy cream has slightly fewer carbs and is sometimes available. However, it contains about 50 calories per tablespoon (tbsp), or 15 milliliters (mL), compared to 20 calories for half-and-half. Some coffee houses also offer soy or almond milk. Unsweetened versions of these milk substitutes provide minimal carbs per 2-tbsp (30-mL) serving.
Chipotle: A Customizable and Healthier Choice
Chipotle is a popular Mexican fast food restaurant. Many people consider it to be healthier than other chains, as it uses high quality ingredients and emphasizes animal welfare and sustainable farming practices. Chipotle also makes it very easy to create low carb meals.
A salad with meat or chicken, grilled vegetables, fresh tomato salsa, and guacamole contains 18 g of total carbs, 8 g of which are fiber. This meal also provides about 35 g of high quality protein.
Protein and fiber play key roles in appetite management. For instance, they can increase the production of the gut hormones peptide YY (PYY) and cholecystokinin (CCK), which tell your brain you’re full and help prevent overeating.
Though vinaigrette is available, generous servings of guacamole and salsa make salad dressing unnecessary. Additionally, Chipotle has a helpful online nutrition calculator that allows you to see the exact carb content of your meal.
Bunless Burgers: A Classic Low-Carb Option
A bunless burger wrapped in lettuce is a standard low carb, fast food meal. It’s high in protein, essentially carb-free, and available at many fast food burger establishments. If lettuce wraps are unavailable, you can ask to omit the bun instead.
You can further customize your burger by adding the following low carb toppings or additions, depending on availability and personal preferences:
- Cheese: 2.4 g of carbs per slice of American cheddar
- Bacon: 0.2 g of carbs per slice
- Mustard: 0.3 g of carbs per teaspoon (5 g)
- Mayo: 0.1 g of carbs per tbsp (14 g)
- Onions: 1.3 g of carbs per slice (14 g)
- Tomato: 0.8 g of carbs carbs per slice (20 g)
- Guacamole: 1.3 g of carbs per tbsp (15 g)
Buffalo Wings: Choose Wisely
Depending on how they’re prepared, buffalo wings can be a low carb option at pizza places and sports bars. Traditionally, buffalo wings are covered in a spicy red sauce made from vinegar and hot red peppers. An order of three drummettes (105 g) typically has just 2.6 g of carbs.
By contrast, other sauces can add a significant number of carbs, especially sweet types, such as barbecue, teriyaki, and anything made from honey. Sometimes the wings are breaded or battered and fried, which is especially common for boneless wings. Therefore, be sure to ask how the wings are made and order yours with no breading or batter.
Buffalo wings are also usually served with carrots, celery, and ranch dressing. Although they’re higher in carbs than many other vegetables, carrots are fine to eat in small quantities. A half-cup (61 g) of carrot strips contains about 6 g of carbs, 2 g of which are fiber.
Bacon and Eggs: A Simple and Satisfying Breakfast
Sometimes the simplest breakfast option can be the most delicious, such as bacon or sausage and eggs. This traditional breakfast combination is available at most fast food restaurants and contains a minimal amount of carbs.
A 2015 study in young women with overweight found that eating sausage and eggs for breakfast helped reduce appetite, lower blood sugar and insulin, and reduce calorie intake at lunch compared to a low protein, higher carb breakfast.
However, keep in mind that cured bacon and sausages are processed meat products, which have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. For this reason, most health professionals advise against a high intake of these foods.
Arby’s: Go Breadless
Arby’s is one of the largest fast food sandwich chains in the United States. Though the Roast Beef Classic is its original and most popular item, Arby’s has many other options, including brisket, steak, ham, chicken, and turkey. Any of these can be ordered without the bread for a tasty low carb, high protein meal.
Antipasto Salad: An Italian Delight
Fast food Italian restaurants are best known for high carb foods like pizza, pasta, and subs. Antipasto salad offers a delicious, low carb alternative. This salad is traditionally served as an appetizer, consisting of assorted meats, cheese, olives, and vegetables topped with an olive-oil-based dressing. However, it can be ordered in a larger portion as an entrée.
An entrée-size serving (402 g) of antipasto salad with ham, cheese, fish, and vegetables is rich in protein and contains 15.6 g of carbs per serving, 4.4 g of which are fiber.
Subway Salads: Customizable and Convenient
Subway is one of the most popular fast food sandwich shops worldwide. In recent years, the chain has been offering chopped salads that can be customized with the protein and vegetables of your choice.
Some satisfying options include:
- The Philly (steak and cheese): 13 g of total carbs, 4 g of which are fiber, and 24 g of protein
- Titan Turkey: 11 g of total carbs, 4 g of which are fiber, and 25 g of protein
- Elite Chicken and Bacon Ranch: 14 g of total carbs, 5 g of which are fiber, and 30 g of protein
The salads all include peppers, tomatoes, onions, olives, and cucumbers. Consider adding avocados, which are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and fiber. Eating them at lunch may even lead to lower calorie intake at your next meal.
Burrito Bowls: Mexican Without the Tortilla
Many people regard burritos as a favorite food. They typically contain meat, vegetables, rice, and beans wrapped in a large flour tortilla. This results in a meal that can easily pack more than 70 g of carbs.
However, almost every Mexican restaurant allows you to leave out the tortilla and other high carb items. This is known as a burrito bowl or “bare” burrito.
A burrito bowl from Qdoba made with ground beef, guacamole, lettuce, fajita vegetables, and fresh salsa is a delicious and satisfying meal that provides just 13 g of carbs.
McDonald’s: Rethinking the McMuffin
McDonald’s is the most popular fast food chain in the world, with more than 38,000 restaurants worldwide as of 2025. Though it’s best known for burgers like the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder, its Egg McMuffin and Sausage McMuffin breakfast sandwiches are also very popular. These breakfast entrées consist of an English muffin with one egg, a slice of American cheese, and ham or sausage. Each sandwich contains around 30 g of carbs.
Moderation is Key
Even when you’re making healthier fast food choices, you don’t want to overdo it.