Fast Food Healthy Options

The kids are screaming for a Happy Meal, your mouth's watering but you can't possibly go there and let yourself be sucked in by this "a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips" food. Or maybe you can -  because our main fast food venues are catering for us more nutrition conscious consumers by marketing healthier alternatives. Here we suss the healthy options out; for both nutrition content and taste.

Mc Donalds

McDonalds have made many changes to their menu and offer a Penne Pasta Salad with Italian style chicken at a mere 266 calories. It has less than 5% fat and that includes the dressing. This looks gorgeous and has big chunks of chicken so, unlike some chicken salads, you won't have to play that exciting game of spot the chicken!

If chicken doesn't flap your wings, why not go for the Feta Cheese and Pasta Salad for 239 calories (dressing not included).

They also offer a fruit bag at 42 calories, that you can swap for chips to make a more nutritious Happy Meal.

For a great snack try their new strawberry yoghurt burst at 35p for just 21 calories (I haven't made a typing error, it is a silly but fabulous 21 calories!)

Watch out for the additional dressings, they bump those extra hidden calories up. Ranch dressing is a whopping 251 calories, Caesar dressing an extra 143 calories and Balsamic dressing is 105 calories.

Burger King

Burger King is the ultimate king of healthy options. They have launched a range called Lighter Alternative (LA) which offers an LA Chicken Sandwich for 322 calories. Having tried this I can tell you it is a mouth wateringly tasty, succulent and filling and just what the diet ordered - guilt free and better nutrition than a greasy burger!

A warm Flame Grilled Chicken Salad for less than 140 calories can substitute the burger you've been longing for all day and a garden salad at less than 35 calories will boost the nutrition value

Burger King's French dressing is only 8 calories per serving, the yummy Tomato and Basil dressing only 19, the Honey and Mustard dressing is 32 calories, while the Caesar dressing is 161 calories. All of these, bar the Caesar dressing, are low in calories and can add that extra oomph into your crunchy salad.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

KFC are slowing following in the footsteps of these other fast food venues by offering a warm chicken salad for 256 calories without the dressing, and for an extra 32 calories you can add the low fat vinaigrette. They also offer a side dish of corn on the cob for only 150 calories.

Verdict

For me, there's no comparison with what Burger King has to offer for both taste and nutrition. They are making a positive statement with their lighter alternatives and seem to be sticking to it. I can't wait to see what else they come up with.

McDonalds seem to be getting there and have great snacks and the salad is good, although calorie wise it can't beat Burger King or KFC.

KFC still needs to do some brushing up on good nutrition, and expand its range of healthy options, but like they say - it is finger lickin' good!