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If you're a high school or college athlete, we get it - fast food is good, convenient and cheap. It's also easy to get away with eating it because the athlete lifestyle is one of the most active in the world.
But, if you want to be the best athlete you can be then you need to include healthy nutrition into your plans! As delicious as a chocolate frosty or a Big Mac may be, there actually are healthy options at all fast food chains. We've broken down some cheap healthy fast food choices for you here:
You can check out their "Favorites Under 400" menu that includes their hamburger, cheeseburger, and grilled chicken sandwich. However, if you're looking to get full then stick with anything grilled and take a wrap over the bun. One last thing, leave the sauces behind - they're liquid calories!
Similar to McDonald's, most of the standard offerings are moderately healthy without condiments. Some good choices are the Whopper Jr., Tendergrill chicken sandwich or even the fish sandwich (again, leave the tartar sauce behind). Lastly, try to avoid fried foods on the side if you can and replace with a healthy dollar menu snack instead.
A good option at Wendy's is soup and salad, specifically with their chili. If that doesn't do it for you, the Jr. Hamburger has 9 grams of fat and the grilled chicken sandwich has 7 grams. Avoid the potatoes (baked or fried), they pack almost the same amount of calories and fat as the largest sandwiches.
At Chick-fil-A, we get the option of indulging in some low-fat dressings - thank goodness! Try the Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad or Southwest Chargrilled Salad with low-fat or fat-free dressing make good choices. Or try their Chargrilled chicken sandwich without sauces. Remember, leave behind the fried chicken and waffle fries!
Order off the Fresco Menu which has offerings under 350 calories, like their Fresco Chicken Soft Taco. In general, going for the grilled chicken options or vegetarian options will get you the protein without all the extra fat.
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The common theme here is to stick to the grilled chicken - and don't douse those dishes with sauces (they're just as bad as anything else on the menu). We know it's hard, but always drink water or diet drinks - sodas are just liquid calories!
Would tell you to avoid fast food altogether but we know that's not possible when you're hanging out with family and friends - just do the responsible thing and be proud of ordering the healthy fast food options. If eating healthy fast food was easy, everyone would do it.
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