Lose Weight Eating Fast Food For Breakfast vs For Lunch or Dinner vs As A Snack ... and 1 more
Edited by Donna, Eng, VC
You can lose weight eating junk food by eating choices below 400 calories.
It is possible to lose weight eating fast food as long as you choose single foods or meal combinations that are in the 300 to 400 calorie range. This restricts you to eating 900 to 1200 calories a day, which is enough of a limitation to have most people to lose one to two pounds a week. However, keep in mind that most junk foods are not that nutrient-dense and can be high in fat, sugar and sodium.
The suggestions below list options from popular fast food restaurants for each meal that are less than 400 calories and that have the least sodium and fat.
Method 1: For Breakfast
Black coffee is allowed with a junk food breakfast becuase it has 11 calories or less per serving.
Eat just one of these selections with a black coffee or tea for breakfast every day. These options are listed in order from most preferable to least preferable in terms of how low-calorie and healthy the fast food breakfast item is for you. However, be aware that when it comes to nutrition, there is a kind of fast-food irony that exists, which is that foods that tend to be low in calories tend to be super-high in sodium and sometimes added sugar. Both sodium and sugar can trigger metabolic disorders, bloating and weight gain.
- 1This is probably one of the best diet choices of all fast food breakfast items, because it is relatively low in cholesterol, lower in sodium at 480 mg and contains 5 grams of fiber.Get a Subway Egg White and Cheese Muffin Melt at 150 calories per serving.
A fast-food sandwich made with egg white is a healthier breakfast choice for dieters. - 2However, keep in mind that a hash brown is very high in fat and starch and has a high glycemic level. So although it can be a temporary fix for hunger at breakfast, you might feel a bit tired shortly after eating it because the starches in the potato break down into pure sugars that some bodies have trouble processing properly.A single McDonald's hash brown is only 150 calories per serving.
A fast food hash brown is oily but low in actual calories. - 3The yogurt parfait is a good source of protein, calcium, fresh fruit and fiber but, like most junk food breakfast offerings, it is a bit high in sugar and sodium.Get a Fruit N' Yogurt Parfait from MacDonald's at 160 calories per serving.
A fast food fruit and yogurt parfait is healthy because it is low in calories but contains calcium, protein and fresh fruit. - 4This is a signature diet food at Starbucks that is lower in sodium than most breakfast foods at 560 grams and that contains 13 grams of quality low-fat protein.Order a Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich from Starbucks at 180 calories per sandwich.
A fast food breakfast made with low fat turkey bacon is better for your waistline. - 5Be aware that although this is a relatively low-fat choice, it is also incredibly high in sodium. Skipping the hot sauce for this breakfast sandwich is highly recommended, so you don't add even more sodium to the equation.Order a Sausage and Egg Burrito at Wendy's at just 280 calories per burrito.
A sausage and egg burritto can be a healthy choice because it is high protein. - 6This cake is very low in sodium at 330 mg but it is also a little low in protein at only 4 grams. It also contains a bit of saturated fat at 3 grams, which is a bit harder for your body to turn into fuel, so it is stored in your tissues instead.Eat a Reduced Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake from Starbucks at 290 calories per piece.
A reduced fat cinnamon treat can be a healthy breakfast choice if you are on the run and trying to stick to your diet. - 7This breakfast item is high in cholesterol and quite high in sodium at 870 grams but it is still below the 400 calorie mark in terms of breakfast offerings.Order a Ham Omelet Sandwich from Burger King at 290 calories per sandwich.
- 8It contains only 12 grams of fat but it is quite high in cholesterol and sodium. To lower the sodium level drastically, order the Egg McMuffin without the ham.Eat a McDonald's Egg McMuffin (with ham) at 300 calories per sandwich.
- 9The cranberries and apple in this muffin endow it with 5 grams of fiber, which helps clear out your colon and arteries. It is quite low in sodium but contains a lot of cholesterol at 60 grams.Order a Reduced-Fat Cranberry Apple Muffin from Starbucks at 310 calories per muffin.
Eating a reduced fat cranberry apple muffin helps you get the fiber you need to lose weight. - 10Skip the margarine packet and you are getting 10 grams of protein, no cholesterol and 600 mg of sodium, which is low sodium count for a fast food breakfast sandwichOrder a Blueberry Bagel from Dunkin' Donuts at 330 calories per bagel.
A low-sodium blueberry bagel with nothing on it is a good choice for a quickie fast food restaurant. - 11These hotcakes also are lower in sodium then most breakfast foods at 590 grams of sodium.Eat an order of McDonald's hotcakes, which clock in at 350 calories as long as you eat them without the prepackaged butter or syrup, which are pure fat and sugar.
You can have fast food hot cakes as long as you skip the butter and syrup. - 12This muffin is high in fiber at 7 grams and very low in sodium at 290 grams but it is also quite high in fat at 9 grams. The healthy ingredients and lack of sugar in this muffin make up for it's higher calorie content.Order a Low Fat Bran Muffin from Starbucks at 360 calories per muffin.
A low fat bran muffin is still quite high in calories, but a better choice of a fast breakfast meal than some other selections. - 13This dish, which contains salsa, beans, chicken and lettuce is a superb source of protein at 42 grams and very high in fiber at 14.5 grams. It is also very low in fat. However, this dish is way too high in sodium at 1,160 mg and should be a last resort as a low-calorie choice for breakfast.Order a Chicken, Pinto Bean and Veggie Salad at Chipotle at 365 calories per dish.
A bean, veggie and protein salad can be a great fast food choice.
Method 2: For Lunch or Dinner
Some fast food salads can help you lose weight, especially if you skip the dressing.
Lunch and dinner are generally interchangeable fare at most fast food restaurants, so the best options, listed from least calories first are collected here. For best results, skip a meal altogether and have a fresh salad that you have made yourself at home instead. However, if you must eat fast food, these are the options that are least likely to harm your health.
- 1This choice is high in protein and low in fat. However, it is also very high in protein. If you want to lower the calories even more, ask for it without sour cream and do not add any hot sauce or other condiments.Have a Grilled Steak Soft Taco at Taco Bell, which is only 150 calories per taco.
A grilled soft steak taco is a good fast food choice for lunch, especially if you have just one. - 2Although this dish is high in sodium at 1200 mg per serving, it is low in fat and saturated fat and the beef is a good solid source of protein.Order the Broccoli Beef with Mixed Veggies at Panda Express at 190 calories per bowl.
Although high in sodium, broccoli with beef is a good low-calorie source of protein and calcium. - 3This is a good choice of a low-fat, fast food salad and it is low in sugar as well. However, it is also a bit low in protein and very high sodium, which can cause bloating and weight gain.Have a Wendy's Asian Cashew Chicken Salad with the Light Spicy Asian Chili Vinaigrette at 210 calories per bowl.
Fast food cashew chicken salad is low in calories but high in sodium. - 4This is a burger with cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and onions that is high in protein, lower in sodium at 529 mg and that only contains 6 carbohydrates. It is an ideal choice for anyone on a high protein low carbohydrate diet.Order a Hardee's Low Carb Thickburger at 220 calories per wrap.
Low carb burgers are wrapped in lettuce instead of bread. - 5This sandwich is lower in sodium than most, but it still contains 670 mg of sodium, which is a bit high. It is also low in fiber. However, it is low in fat and quite high in protein at 17grams.Order an Arby's Junior Turkey and Cheese Sandwich at 220 calories per sandwich.
Ordering junior versions of regular sandwiches or off the kid's menu can help save you calories. - 6Holding the cheese on this sandwich saves you at least 350 calories in fat. This fast food diet choice does contain 13 grams of sugar and it is also high in sodium at 850 grams. However, this is forgiven because it also comes with many fresh ingredients that contain vitamins such as tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce.Order Subway's six-inch Turkey Breast and Ham on Nine Grain Toast and Hold The Cheese is a healthier option at 220 calories.
Holding the cheese when you order a submarine sandwich can help save 300 to 400 calories in fat. - 7This sandwich is quite low in sodium at 460 mg and it contains I gram of protein. It is also a bit high in carbs at 26 grams but still a good choice because of it's low sodium count.Have a Burger King Hamburger without cheese at 230 calories per burger.
A hamburger without cheese is a better choice than a cheeseburger when ordering at a fast food restaurant. - 8This dish is high in fiber, because it contains beans and celery but it is also very high in sodium and sugar, which can raise your blood sugar if you are a diabetic or have a metabolic disorder.Order a Large Rich and meaty Chili at Wendy's, which only has 250 calories per bowl.
A bowl of fast food chili is a good choice of diet food if you are on the run. - 9Although ridiculously high in sodium at 1,150 mg, it also contains a very high amount of protein at 34 grams as well as raw lettuce.Have the KFC Chicken Caesar Salad with fat-free ranch dressing at 255 calories per bowl.
A fast food chicken ceasar is high in protein. - 10It contains chicken, hummus spread, a whole wheat pita and grapes, which makes it a more nutrient-dense choice than most anything else offered in a fast-food environment. It is also very low-fat and contains a satisfying 20 grams of protein.A bit higher in calories than some choices for lunch or dinner, the Starbucks Chicken and Hummus Bistro Box is 280 calories per box.
A Starbucks Bistro box is an excellent choice for lunch because it meets the nutritional criteria for healthy weight loss. - 11However, be aware that this snack, although low in calories is very high in sodium because it contains bacon and cold eggs.Order a half of a portion of Wendy's BLT Cobb salad with light ranch dressing, which contains only 280 calories per bowl.
A half portion of a faast food BLT Cobb salad can help you lose weight. - 12It is relatively low in fat at 6 grams, but a bit low in protein at 17 grams. This sandwich is also a bit higher in sugar than most at 14 grams. However, it also contain chicken and fresh lettuce tomatoes and onions. This sandwich wrap comes with two sauces that help elevate the sodium level of your fast-food lunch to 880 mg, but you can lower that by dispensing with the sauces all together.Order a Quizno's Small Honey Bourbon Chicken Grilled Flatbread sandwich, which is only 290 calories per wrap.
A chicken grilled flatbread sandwich is a good low-fat, low-sodium choice for lunch or dinner if you eliminate the sauces. - 13Cheeseburger Deluxe at 300 calories per burger.. This is a cheese burger that is lower in sodium than most at 720 grams and it also contains 15 grams of protein. Order it without cheese and you are eating a burger that is only 200 calories.Order a Wendy's Jr.
If you must order a cheeseburger, order the smaller junior version to avoid packing in the calories. - 14This is a battered chicken piece that is rolled up into a wrap with beans and rice. It is high in sodium and fat but it is still healthy because it contains a good amount of protein, B vitamins and fiber.Have a Loaded Chicken Wrap at Popeye's at 310 calories per wrap..
A loaded chicken wrap contains B vitamins and protien. - 15Without the mayonnaise, this sandwich is high in protein at 31 grams and very low in fat but it also quite high in sodium at 750 mg.Order a Burger King Tender grill Chicken Sandwich and hold the mayo at 320 calories per sandwich.
Ordering a tendergrill sandwich without mayonnaise is a healthier fast-food choice for lunch. - 16This is a surprising low-fat meal that contains 44 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. However it is also quite high in sodium at 800 mg. To lower the sodium content and the calorie count, consider having just the chicken breast with nothing else.Order a KFC Grilled Chicken Breast With a Side of Corn and A Side of Green Beans at 340 calories per plate.
A single fried chicken breast without any sides is lowest in sodium. - 17This sandwich scores points for having a lot of flavor and providing you with 25% of your daily iron requirements, but it is very high in sodium and only contains 15 grams of protein.Have a Tim Hortons BLT at 350 calories per sandwich.
A BLT is very high in sodium but also high in iron. - 18It is lower inside at 810 mg and contains 15 grams in protein. It contains a bit more fat and sugar than other diet fast food choices for lunch.Have a Chipotle Chicken Loaded Griller from Taco Bell at 350 calories per sandwich.
A loaded grilled chicken is high in protein but contains a some sugar and fat - 19It is high in protein, at 23 grams, but it is also incredibly high in sodium at 970 mg, which or most people constitutes the entire allowed daily allowance. You may have a bit of mustard and also lettuce, tomato and onion on the bun to make it more nutritious, while at the same time adding minimal calories.Have a Arby's Roast Beef Classic or lunch or dinner at 360 calories.
An Arby's roast beef sandwich is very high in protein but also very high in sodium. - 20This is about as high in calories as you can get eating junk food without gaining weight. The grilled chicken is a lean choice and the peppers help boost your metabolism so you can lose weight. However bloating could be a problem when you eat this food because it contains 1100 grams of sodium. One solution might be to eat just one slice of this pizza (1/2 of a take-out servings) and cut your calories down to 195 calories per slice.Have two medium slices of Domino's Grilled chicken and Jalapeno Pepper Pizza at 390 calories.
A grilled chicken and jalapeno pizza slice is a lower fat option.
Method 3: As A Snack
Some fast food snacks are lower in calories than you think.
Fast food places are all about temptation and if you cannot resist being at a fast-food counter because you absolutely must give into a craving, these are some of the healthier, low-calorie snacks you should choose in order to make sure that you will lose weight.
- 1However keep in mind that this item contains a lot of processed cheese, so it is very high in sodium, which is not good for your blood pressure and can cause bloating.Have a Beefy Mini Quesadilla at Taco Bell which only contains 210 calories per quesadilla.
A beefy mini quesadilla is high in sodium but very low in calories.
2
Have an Arby's Junior Roast Beef sandwich at 210 calories per mini-sandwich
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An junior sized roasted beef sandwich is a good snack choice because it is high in protein and lower in sodium.
3
Have a small order of fries at McDonald's at 230 calories per packet
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A small fries can help handle a craving for salt and fat while at the same time being less than 300 calories.
4
Order a six-piece snack box of Chicken McNuggets at 280 calories per box
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Chicken nuggets are low in calories, especially if you skip the dipping sauces.
5
Order up a Starbucks Tomato and Cheese Savory Square at 280 calories per square
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A tomato and cheese square is high in sodium and cholesterol.
6
Order a KFC Snack at 290 calories per mini-sandwich
. Method 4: As A Dessert or Treat
Choosing a low-fat, low-calorie treat can be a challenge.
Desserts and treats tend to be impulse buys or the result of a craving. Here are your best choices for a fast-food treat that is below 300 calories.
- 1Be aware that is treat is quite high in sugar and sodium and that it is also high in cholesterol, which can clog arteries and cause the liver to malfunction over the long term.Have a vanilla ice cream cone at Burger King at 160 calories per cone.
- 2This dessert treat is a bit high in sugar and sodium, but it does contain some calcium, which is good for bones and the nervous system.Have a vanilla ice cream cone from McDonalds and consume 170 calories per cone.
- 3The fact that it is flourless makes this a low carb treat but it is still, like most fast food desserts quite high in sodium and sugar.Have a Flourless Chewy Chocolate Cookie at Starbucks at 170 calories per cookie.
- 4Chocolate Frosty, which is only 200 calories per serving. This is half the size of the regular frosty and it owes its low calorie and sugar count to the fact that it contains a great deal of crushed ice.Order a Wendy's Jr.
- 5Be aware that this is a high glycemic food that could have an impact on your blood sugar and that it also contains quite a few additives and colorants that are not the best for your general health.Eat a McDonald's Apple Pie at only 250 calories per pie.
- 6It is made with real fruit and blended with a great deal of ice, making it a good low-fat choice, even at 16 ounces. However, this drink is, like most fast food drinks, quite high in sodiumOrder a McDonald's Orange Mango Smoothie, which is 250 calories per serving.
- 7Be ware that this treat is very high in sodium and sugar and can sabotage your weight loss goals.Have either a chocolate Fudge or Caramel sundae from Burger King at 280 calories per serving.
- 8This is high in sugar and sodium but it is considerably lower in ingredients that are harmful to your health than many other types of sweet treats.Have a Strawberry Sundae at McDonalds at only 280 calories per serving.
- 9Although oatmeal is high in fiber and quite good for you in terms of being a good source of protein, this cookie is also quite high in fat and saturated fat.Buy a Starbuck's Oatmeal cookie at 290 calories per baked good.
Tips and Tricks
Be sure to drink a lot of water when you are on a junk food diet.
- Drink at least ten glasses of water a day when you are trying to diet by eating fast foods because you are going to need to flush quite a bit of sodium out of your system
- Take a good quality multivitamin and mineral complex while you are on this diet to offset any malnutrition that could occur as the result of consuming only junk food
- Drink a glass of water into which you have stirred a fiber supplement or flax seeds to keep your intestines in good shape
- Be sure to exercise every day for at least an hour a day to keep your bowels moving and your cells at peak respiration so that any chemicals or additives in the junk food are expelled quickly from your body through breath, sweat and elimination
- Do not consume diet drinks with any fast food orders as they contain sweeteners, chemicals and colorants that are poisonous to the liver and the kidneys and that cause bloating and weight gain
- The fewer condiments you put on any type of fast food, the more you will be cutting carbs, sodium and empty calories from your fast food meal.
- Ordering off of the kid's menu can help you lose weight.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
