The best fast food if you're trying to lose weight

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The best fast food if you're trying to lose weight

You may try to avoid ordering fast food completely when you first start working on your weight loss goals. But when you’re in it for the long-term, you’ll likely find yourself in situations where it’s hard to avoid the drive-thru window. Instead of beating yourself up or completely derailing your health goals, take a fresh look at some of your favorite fast food menu items.

Hers reviewed 60 menu items from a variety of restaurants and ranked each one based on five health categories so you can find the choices that best support your nutritional needs.

Calories: Lowering calorie intake can help boost your metabolic health to lose weight. Even if you don’t count calories, it’s important to be mindful of them, especially when amounts vary so greatly on the fast food menu.
Protein: Research shows that consuming higher levels of protein in your diet can contribute to more successful weight loss.
Trans fat and saturated fat: Both types of fat are associated with weight gain. Limiting these fats and swapping out for unsaturated fat can help support a healthier weight.
Net carbs: We subtracted the amount of fiber from the amount of carbohydrates to come up with the net carb total for each menu item. That’s because higher fiber intake improves metabolic health, while lower carb intake can help with weight loss.
Sugar: Consuming higher levels of sugar likely leads to weight gain, along with other health concerns like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

The roundup includes three low-calorie entrees from the 20 largest fast food chains in the U.S. See where your favorites land on the list!

Key Findings

Grilled chicken items dominate the top of the list for losing weight, largely due to high protein content and minimal levels of fat, net carbs, and sugar.
Chick-fil-A and KFC rank highest for being weight-loss-friendly, with each restaurant having three items in the top 10.
Burgers are among the worst food choices when trying to lose weight. Seven of the bottom 10 menu items are burgers.
Pizza tends to have the lowest level of protein for those trying to increase their daily intake.

60 Low-Calorie Fast Food Items Ranked from Best to Worst For Losing Weight

Here is the full list of low-calorie fast food menu items. The healthiest picks rank at the top, while the least health options for losing weight move towards the bottom.

1. Blackened Tenders, 3-piece (Popeye’s)

2. Grilled Nuggets, 8-count (Chick-fil-A)

3. Kentucky Grilled Chicken Thigh (KFC)

4. Chick-fil-A Nuggets, 8-count (Chick-fil-A)

5. Kentucky Grilled Chicken Drumstick (KFC)

6. Crispy Tenders, 3-piece (Sonic Drive-In)

7. Kentucky Grilled Chicken Whole Wing (KFC)

8. Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips, 3-count (Chick-fil-A)

9. Chicken Nuggets, 6-piece (McDonald’s)

10. Crispy Chicken Nuggets, 6-piece (Wendy’s)

11. Black Pepper Sirloin Steak with Super Greens (Panda Express)

12. Chicken Nuggets, 4-piece (Jack in the Box)

13. Soft Taco with Chicken (Taco Bell)

14. Wok-Fired Shrimp with Super Greens (Panda Express)

15. Chicken Tenders, 3-piece (Arby’s)

16. Broccoli Beef with Super Greens (Panda Express)

17. Double Pepperoni Tavern Style Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Pizza Hut)

18. Crispy Tacos with Steak and Salsa (Chipotle), Crunchy Taco (Taco Bell), Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco (Taco Bell), and Wholesome Bowl (Chipotle) - TIED

22. Spicy Chicken Sausage Tavern Style Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Pizza Hut)

23. Burrito Bowl with Sofritas, Pinto Beans, and Salsa (Chipotle) and Chicken Fajita Pita (Jack in the Box) - TIED

25. Pesto Margherita Tavern Style Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Pizza Hut)

26. Cheese Hand Tossed Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Domino’s)

27. Original Crust Cheese Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Papa John’s)

28. Plant-Based Nuggets, 6-piece (Burger King)

29. Tuna Salad Sandwich, Half (Panera Bread)

30. Jalapeno Chicken Pocket (Starbucks)

31. Wake-Up Wrap with Bacon (Dunkin’)

32. Oven-roasted Turkey Sub (Subway) and Sweet Quarter Pound Pulled Pork Sandwich (Arby’s)

34. Oven-roasted Turkey and Ham (Subway)

35. Fresh Spinach & Tomato Alfredo Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Papa John’s), Pacific Veggie Hand Tossed Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Dominos’), Spinach & Feta Hand Tossed Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Domino’s), and Veggie Delite Sub (Subway) - TIED

39. Bacon Ranch Queso Wrap (Sonic Drive-In)

40. Hamburger (McDonald’s) and Spicy Falafel Pocket (Starbucks)

42. Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich, half (Panera Bread

43. Garden Fresh Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Papa John’s)

44. Chicken Fries, 6-piece (Burger King)

45. Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwich, half (Panera Bread)

46. Tomato & Mozzarella on Focaccia (Starbucks)

47. Corn Dog (Sonic Drive-In)

48. Egg & Cheese English Muffin (Dunkin’)

49. Bacon, Egg and Cheese English Muffin (Dunkin’)

50. Chicken Tenders, 3-piece (Popeye’s)

51. Jr. Hamburger (Wendy’s)

52. Jr. Cheeseburger (Wendy’s)

53. Classic Roast Beef Sandwich (Arby’s)

54. Cheeseburger (McDonald’s) and Hamburger (Burger King) - TIED

56. Popcorn Shrimp (Popeye’s)

57. Hamburger (Dairy Queen)

58. Hamburger (Jack in the Box)

59. Hot Dog (Dairy Queen)

60. Original Cheeseburger, Single (Dairy Queen)

Get the data.

Eating Fast Food While Losing Weight: Trends and Insights

Which Fast Food Items Have the Most Calories?

Even when looking at the lowest calorie options across the board, some items have much higher caloric content than others.

Fast Food Items With the Most Calories

Wholesome Bowl (Chipotle): 460 calories
Chicken Tenders, 3-piece (Popeye’s): 450 calories
Bacon, Egg and Cheese English Muffin (Dunkin’): 400 calories

Fast Food Items With the Least Calories

Kentucky Grilled Chicken Whole Wing (KFC) and Pesto Margherita Tavern Style Pizza, Medium, 1 slice (Pizza Hut): 70 calories
Double Pepperoni Tavern Style Pizza, Medium, 1 slice; Kentucky Grilled Chicken® Drumstick; and Spicy Chicken Sausage Tavern Style Pizza, Medium, 1 slice: 80 calories
Grilled Nuggets, 8-count (Chick-fil-A): 130 calories

Which Fast Food Items Have the Most Protein?

Finding the right balance between protein and calories can go a long way in feeling full longer throughout the day.

Hers

Fast Food Items With the Most Protein

Chicken Tenders, 3-piece (Popeye’s): 38 grams
Wholesome Bowl (Chipotle): 35 grams
Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips, 3-count (Chick-fil-A): 29 grams

Fast Food Items With the Least Protein

Pesto Margherita Tavern Style Pizza (Pizza Hut): 3 grams
Double Pepperoni Tavern Style Pizza and Spicy Chicken Sausage Tavern Style Pizza (Pizza Hut): 4 grams
Original Crust Cheese Pizza (Papa John’s): 5 grams

Which Fast Food Items Have the Most Trans Fat?

The vast majority of menu items on the list contain zero trans fat, but four options have a full gram, including: Chicken Tenders, 3-piece and Popcorn Shrimp from Popeye’s and the Original Cheeseburger Single and Hot Dog from Dairy Queen.

Which Fast Food Items Have the Most Net Carbs?

Unsurprisingly, sandwiches and burgers dominate the high-carb list.

Fast Food Items With the Most Net Carbs

Tomato & Mozzarella on Focaccia (Starbucks): 46 grams
Bacon, Egg and Cheese English Muffin (Dunkin’): 38 grams
Egg & Cheese English Muffin (Dunkin’), Oven-roasted Turkey Sub (Subway), and Oven-roasted Turkey and Ham Sub (Subway): 37 grams

Fast Food Items With the Least Net Carbs

Four items on our list contain no carbs: Chicken Fries, 6-piece (Burger King), Kentucky Grilled Chicken® Drumstick (KFC), Kentucky Grilled Chicken Thigh (KFC), and Kentucky Grilled Chicken® Whole Wing (KFC).

Methodology: How Scores Were Calculated

In order to rank the best fast food items for losing weight, Hers analyzed the three lowest calorie entrees at 20 U.S. fast food restaurants with the highest revenue. The list includes McDonald’s, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Dunkin’, Burger King, Subway, Chipotle, Domino’s, Panera Bread, Panda Express, Pizza Hut, Sonic Drive-In, Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, KFC, Dairy Queen, Arby’s, Jack in the Box, and Papa John’s.

Hers evaluated three low-calorie items on each restaurant’s permanent menu (excluding salads) based on the following nutrition metrics: calories, protein, trans fat, saturated fat, net carbs, and sugar. We used a 2x multiplier for calories and a 3x multiplier for protein and trans fat.

Tips for Eating Fast Food While Trying to Lose Weight

When you’re pulling up to the drive-thru, keep in mind a few guidelines that can help you stay on track with your weight goals.

Choose grilled options over fried: Grilled foods tend to have lower levels of calories, fat, and even carbs since there’s no breading. Plus, fried foods can be inflammatory so you may notice that you feel a lot better when you order grilled chicken.
Skip the combo meal: Adding fries and a soda to your order can quickly double or even triple your calorie consumption. While you definitely want to eat the right amount of calories for you, it’s better to have them come from high-protein or high-fiber sources.
Watch the extras: It’s easy for your order to end up with more calories than you expected thanks to hidden add-ons. Extras like cheese, mayonnaise, and dipping sauces can alter the final nutritional value of your meal, so be mindful of what’s actually in your bag.

This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.