WASHINGTON – With the new year coming, a lot of us are vowing to eat healthier. But can you do it at a fast-food restaurant?
It’s possible, but it can be tricky.
Some people think the snack or dollar menu is a good option to find healthier or lower-calorie food. Yet some of these choices have a big calorie count.
Men’s Health Magazine took a look at the biggest offenders and found Arby’s “Mighty-Mini,” a type of slider, packs a hefty 380 calories and 40 grams of carbohydrates.
“That’s not a snack, that’s a mini-meal,” says Men’s Health editor Paul Kita.
He says eaters should be wary of the fruit smoothies sold at fast-food places. Yes, they are made with real fruit, but they also contain other ingredients that can make them diet-busters.
“For instance, a McDonald’s 16-ounce fruit blueberry-pomegranate smoothie sounds great. Right? But it has 260 calories and 62 grams of carbohydrates,” says Kita.
Another item to watch out for is Burger King’s “satisfries.” They may have 30 percent fewer calories than regular fries, but Kita cautions, “they are still 100 percent junk food.”
So what would he order at a fast-food restaurant? Well, even a guy who edits articles on diet and nutrition gets a burger craving every now and then. Kita suggests subbing a side salad or baked potato for those fries, but adds it’s okay to indulge occasionally.
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