Sometimes fast food is inevitable. It's convenient and, let's face it, delicious. So, you may as well know which menu options are best for you (or at least not the worst for you).
BuzzFeed Health asked four registered dietitians to choose the healthiest options at a variety of fast food restaurants. They looked for items that had enough protein and fiber to promote satiety while keeping an eye on overall calories, as well as fat, sodium, and added sugar. Of course, dietary goals and needs vary from person to person. These items are general suggestions for healthier fast food ordering.
Meet our panel of nutritionists:
• Abby Langer, Toronto-based registered dietitian
• Jessica Jones, of Food Heaven Made Easy and co-author of 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot
• Erica Giovinazzo, head coach and nutritionist at BRICK Los Angeles
• Ben Sit, Ontario-based registered dietitian and president of Evolved Sport and Nutrition
Alright, dig in!
1. McDonald's — Egg McMuffin with Ham
"This classic is reasonable in calories, low in sugar, and reasonable in saturated fat," Langer explains. "You might think I'd choose the oatmeal, but let this serve as a warning: that healthy-sounding item has 33 grams of sugar."
Nutrition Info:
300 calories
11 grams protein
15 grams fat (7g saturated)
580 milligrams sodium
30 grams carbohydrates (1 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar)
2. Starbucks — Egg and Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich
"I chose the egg and cheddar breakfast sandwich for its reasonable calories and sodium," Langer says.
Nutrition Info:
280 calories
14 grams protein
13 grams fat (5g saturated)
460 milligrams sodium
27 grams carbohydrates (2 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar)
3. Starbucks — Protein Bistro Box
"I also really love the protein bistro box, because of its variety," Langer says.
Nutrition Info:
370 calories
13 grams protein
19 grams fat (6 grams saturated)
460 milligrams sodium
37 grams carbohydrates (5 grams fiber, 18 grams sugar)
4. Chick-fil-A — Breakfast Burrito
"This breakfast burrito has a good balance of carbs, fat, and protein and it's also a solid amount of calories, which should help you feel satiated for at least a couple of hours," Jones says. "The only downside is that this dish is loaded with sodium — containing 1,100 milligrams in just one serving. To put that into context, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams a day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults. If you're watching your salt intake, you’re better off skipping this one."
Nutrition Info:
450 calories
30 grams protein
22 grams fat (8 grams saturated)
1,100 milligrams sodium
34 grams carbohydrates (4 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar)
5. Chick-fil-A — Greek Yogurt Parfait
"Even though it has 21 grams of sugar, some of that is naturally occurring in the milk and the fruit, and at least you get the benefit of fiber and antioxidants in the fruit," Langer says.
Nutrition Info:
230 calories
12 grams protein
9 grams fat (3.5 grams saturated)
85 milligrams sodium
28 grams carbohydrates (2 grams fiber, 21 grams sugar)
6. Taco Bell — Grilled Breakfast Burrito Fiesta Potato
"It's a source of protein, is reasonable in terms of calories, and is low(er) in saturated fat," Langer says.
Nutrition Info:
340 calories
10 grams protein
14 grams fat (3.5 grams saturated)
780 milligrams sodium
43 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar)
7. Tim Horton's — Homestyle Mixed Berry Oatmeal
"I’d recommend the berry oatmeal over the maple," Giovinazzo says, "As much as I love maple, since I’m from New Hampshire, it’s really just sugar. So go for the berries to get more vitamins out of your breakfast choice."
Nutrition Info:
210 calories
6 grams protein
3 grams fat (0.5 grams saturated)
220 milligrams sodium
44 grams carbohydrates (6 grams fiber, 14 grams sugar)
8. Tim Horton's — Vanilla Greek Yogurt with Mixed Berries and Almond Granola
"My suggestion for healthiest on-the-go breakfast options would be the yogurt and berries parfait with a bowl of the berry oatmeal," Sit says. "When both options are combined, you get more protein, healthy fat, and a bit of fiber from the yogurt to work on your short-term hunger signals. The fiber in the oatmeal will also help with long-term hunger signals."
Nutrition Info:
250 calories
14 grams protein
5 grams fat (0 grams saturated)
110 milligrams sodium
29 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber, 21 grams sugar)
9. Burger King — Egg and Cheese Croissan'wich
"The egg and cheese croissan'wich is reasonable in calories, adequate in protein, and just the lesser of many, many evils," Langer tells BuzzFeed Health. "Most of the items are sky-high in saturated fat and sodium. Yes, there's oatmeal, but it's low in protein and calories [which means it won't be very filling], and full of sugar."
Nutrition Info:
300 calories
11 grams protein
15 grams fat (7 grams saturated)
580 milligrams sodium
30 grams carbohydrates (1 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar)
10. Subway — Egg and Cheese
"Subway only offers a few breakfast choices, and with the exception of the sausage and cheese sandwich, the breakfast menu is pretty solid in terms of calories, saturated fat, protein, and sugar," Langer says.
6-inch Nutrition Info:
380 calories
19 grams protein
15 grams fat (5 grams saturated)
950 milligrams sodium
43 grams carbohydrates (2 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar)
11. Pret a Manger — Southwestern Hot Wrap
"The oatmeal isn't high enough in protein, but the southwestern hot wrap is amazing, if it's the one with whole eggs, not egg whites!" Langer says.
Nutrition Info:
340 calories
18 grams protein
14 grams fat (4g saturated)
670 milligrams sodium
40 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar)
12. Pret a Manger — Egg and Avocado Baguette
"This breakfast sandwich includes an egg, which offers a healthy dose of protein, and avocado, which provides good fats that will help you stay satisfied for hours," Jones says. "It's also low in sugar and has five grams of fiber per serving."
Nutrition Info:
420 calories
13 grams protein
25 grams fat (3.5 grams saturated)
620 milligrams sodium
38 grams carbohydrates (5 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar)
13. Wendy's — Artisan Egg Sandwich
"This choice is okay in terms of calories, saturated fat, and sugar," Langer says.
Nutrition Info:
360 calories
20 grams protein
19 grams fat (8 grams saturated)
760 milligrams sodium
29 grams carbohydrates (1 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar)
14. Dunkin' Donuts — Egg and Cheese English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich
"This is calorie-, sodium-, and protein-appropriate," Langer says. "It isn't as loaded with sodium as the other options."
Nutrition Info:
300 calories
13 grams protein
13 grams fat (5 grams saturated)
440 milligrams sodium
32 grams carbohydrates (7 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar)
15. Au Bon Pain — Egg Whites, Cheddar, and Avocado on a Skinny Wheat Bagel
"There were a few items on this menu I thought were decent choices, but my favorite was the egg white, cheddar, avocado sandwich on a skinny wheat bagel," says Jones. "You'll get a dose of protein, good fats, and energy-fueling carbs with this sandwich. The added bonus: nine grams of fiber per serving, which is 36% of your daily value."
Nutrition Info:
360 calories
19 grams protein
23 grams fat (12 grams saturated)
590 milligrams sodium
25 grams carbohydrates (9 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar)
16. Au Bon Pain — Two Egg and Bacon Sandwich on a Skinny Wheat Bagel
"Pretty much any of the skinny bagel options are good, except for the sausage options, which are too salty and too fatty," Langer says.
Nutrition Info:
340 calories
22 grams protein
20 grams fat (9 grams saturated)
690 milligrams sodium
22 grams carbohydrates (6 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar)
17. Panera — Avocado, Egg White & Spinach Breakfast Power Sandwich
"I chose this option because it included a balance of protein, carbs, and veggies," Jones says. "The protein in the eggs and fat in the avocado will help you stay satiated. This sandwich also includes a serving of veggies and contains a whopping seven grams of fiber, which is always a plus."
Nutrition Info:
410 calories
12 grams protein
14 grams fat (6 grams saturated)
590 milligrams sodium
52 grams carbohydrates (7 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar)
18. Jack in the Box — Breakfast Jack
"The Breakfast Jack is not excessive in calories and it has a good balance between carbs and protein," Jones says. "The only catch is that this breakfast item is pretty high in sodium, so try to minimize any processed food intake later in the day, especially if you are limiting your salt intake."
Nutrition Info:
350 calories
16 grams protein
18 grams fat (6 grams saturated)
840 milligrams sodium
30 grams carbohydrates (1 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar)
19. Caribou Coffee — Egg White and Turkey Bacon Sandwich
"I would go with the egg white and turkey bacon sandwich," Sit says. "This is because the higher protein content, moderate fat level, fiber, and low carbohydrate content of this breakfast sandwich will do a better job of keeping me full in the short- and long-term, so I don’t end up overeating."
Nutrition Info:
330 calories
17 grams protein
13 grams fat (7 grams saturated)
610 milligrams sodium
36 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber, 7 grams sugar)
20. Caribou Coffee — Blueberry Almond Oatmeal
"The blueberry almond oatmeal gives a little more variety than the classic, with the healthy blueberries," Giovinazzo says.
Nutrition Info:
340 calories
16 grams protein
8 grams fat (.5 grams saturated)
210 milligrams sodium
54 grams carbohydrates (9 grams fiber, 13 grams sugar)
21. Peet's Coffee — Tomato and Quinoa Quiche
"The tomato and quinoa quiche is a little high in saturated fat, so I’d watch how much saturated fat I had during the rest of the day," Giovinazzo says. "But otherwise, the eggs, some cheese, and quinoa make this a nice choice for breakfast."
Nutrition Info:
330 calories
10 grams protein
26 grams fat (15g saturated)
400 milligrams sodium
14 grams carbohydrates (1 grams fiber, 1 grams sugar)
22. Pete's Coffee — Blueberry Yogurt Parfait and Simply Oatmeal
"I would get both the blueberry Greek yogurt parfait and the simply oatmeal as a combo because they're high in protein, modest in fiber, and low in fat," Sit says. "The Greek yogurt is great for both short-term and long-term hunger, while the oatmeal has fiber to also help ward off long-term hunger."
Blueberry Yogurt Parfait Nutrition Info:
240 calories
16 grams protein
1 grams fat
200 milligrams sodium
44 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber, 24 grams sugar)
simply Oatmeal Nutrition Info (with blueberries, toasted almonds, and brown sugar):
355 calories
9 grams protein
11 grams fat (2g saturated)
25 milligrams sodium
58 grams carbohydrates (8 grams fiber, 27 grams sugar)
23. Quiznos — Ham and Egg Sub
"Any of the plain egg and cheddar, or egg and cheddar with ham, sub or flatbread options are fine," Langer says. "But if you get stuff on a biscuit, that will skyrocket both the calories and the sodium."
Nutrition Info:
360 calories
19 grams protein
13 grams fat (5 grams saturated)
860 milligrams sodium
39 grams carbohydrates (1 gram fiber, 5 grams sugar)
24. Quiznos — Egg and Cheddar Grilled Flat Bread
"Of the menu items, the egg and cheddar grilled flatbread is probably your best choice," Jones says. "It's the lowest in sodium on the breakfast menu (though it's still technically high in sodium.) It also has a nice dose of protein at 15 grams per serving. The downside is the five grams of sugar (which I'm assuming is added) and the fiber content is minimal at one gram per serving."
Nutrition Info:
330 calories
16g protein
15g fat (6 g saturated)
660mg sodium
31g carbohydrates (1g fiber, 5g sugar)
