The Healthiest Fast Food Options at 12 Popular Chains, According to Dietitians

Two registered dietitians break down the smartest order at 12 familiar fast food chains for Better Report, and we break down their picks.

The drive-thru is part of life, and pretending otherwise hasn’t helped anyone eat better. The healthiest fast food order is usually buried between stuff on the menu that wrecks your afternoon — the trick is knowing what to look. To find the smarter pick at 12 popular chains, Better Report asked registered dietitian nutritionists Talia Follador and Vanessa Imus to give their picks. The one downside they both noted was that even the better choices at fast food chains still tend to run high in sodium.

What Makes a Fast Food Order “Healthier”

Plenty of people write off fast food entirely, then default to the exact same combo meal when they’re hungry and in a rush. A better order isn’t really all that complicated. You’re looking for solid protein, some fiber, a reasonable calorie count, and an eye on the sodium and added sugar that most tend to ignore.

In general, aim for a meal landing somewhere around 20 to 40 grams of protein and a few grams of fiber, ideally without crossing 800 to 1,000 milligrams of sodium. Most menus have at least one pick that clears this bar.

The Healthiest Pick at 12 Chains

Talia Follador, RDN, who spoke with Better Report, notes that almost every fast-food meal blows past sodium targets, so while none of these are perfect, the goal is building a plate with protein, carbs, fat, and a little fiber. The list below pulls from Follador and Imus’s recommendations and pairs each pick with current nutrition data from the chains’ official menus, with the numbers rounded for ease.

• Taco Bell — Cantina Chicken Bowl: Roughly 490 calories, 25 grams of protein, and 11 grams of fiber, with 1,150 milligrams of sodium. Imus likes the bean-and-veggie base because most people don’t hit their fiber goals, even if Taco Bell as a whole leans sodium-heavy.
• Panda Express — Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Cub Meal. About 400 calories, 28 grams of protein, and 700 milligrams of sodium. Follador likes Panda Express because you can build a balanced plate more intentionally than at most chains. Watch the sauces, which can pile on sodium and sugar fast.
• McDonald’s — McDouble: Roughly 390 calories, 22 grams of protein, and 920 milligrams of sodium. Imus’s choice if McDonald’s is the only option around. She notes the menu skews low on fruits and vegetables, but the McDouble keeps calories in check while delivering enough carbs and protein to satisfy.
• Wendy’s — Small Chili: Around 280 calories with 22 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, per Imus. Imus says the fiber and protein make it filling enough to carry you to your next meal. But sodium does come near 780 milligrams.
• In-N-Out — Lettuce-wrapped Protein-Style Cheeseburger + Fries: The burger alone is about 330 calories and 18 grams of protein. Follador recommends pairing it with fries so the meal carries enough carbs to actually keep you full, and because In-N-Out’s simple menu means fewer curveballs in what you’re actually ordering.
• Jimmy John’s — Slim 2 on Wheat: About 430 calories, 33 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 850 milligrams of sodium. Follador likes the Slim 2 for the protein-to-carb balance. The bigger Jimmy John’s trap is sodium with many sandwiches surpassing 1,000 milligrams.
• Chick-fil-A — Grilled Nuggets (8-count) + Kale Crunch Side + Fruit Cup: The trio runs around 310 calories with 29 grams of protein and 440 milligrams of sodium from the nuggets alone. Imus calls Chick-fil-A unusually friendly to a real meal thanks to the produce-forward sides.
• Carl’s Jr. — Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich: About 390 calories, 30 grams of protein, and 990 milligrams of sodium. Follador likes the protein-to-carb balance here. The double cheeseburger has less sodium if that’s your concern, though it brings more fat and less protein.
• Subway — Baja Chicken Protein Pocket: About 330 calories, 24 grams of protein, and 750 milligrams of sodium. Imus considers Subway one of the healthier chains because of how much you can customize. She recommends you load up on every vegetable they’ll give you.
• Burger King — Crispy Chicken Salad + 4-Piece Nuggets or Small Fries: The salad without dressing is around 440 calories with 27 grams of protein. Follador notes Burger King leaves more room to customize than a lot of chains, but sodium adds up across the meal. A hamburger plus small fries is a touch lower on sodium if that’s your priority.
• KFC — Grilled Chicken Thigh + Mashed Potatoes (no gravy): The thigh is about 17 grams of protein and 420 milligrams of sodium; mashed potatoes without gravy add about 110 calories. Follador likes the grilled option for keeping sodium lower than the fried side of the menu. If sodium isn’t your top concern, the grilled breast brings more protein. But worth noting that grilled chicken availability varies by KFC location, so call ahead.
• Popeyes — 3-Piece Blackened Chicken Tenders + Coleslaw: The tenders alone come in at about 170 calories, 26 grams of protein, and 550 milligrams of sodium, which is a rare lean Popeyes order. Follador pairs them with coleslaw to keep sodium and fat in check.

The Takeaway

A healthier fast food meal almost always means looking for protein and fiber, watching sodium, sizing the portion properly, and not adding caloric drinks on top of everything else. Skip the sugary drink, add a fruit cup or side salad where you can, ask for sauces and dressings on the side, and you’ll be able to better control what you’re putting into your body, even in a drive-thru hurry. Balance is more important than finding a perfectly macro-friendly low-calorie salad in a pinch.

Bottom Line

Smarter swaps are out there and they can significantly improve an otherwise unhealthy fast food choice. Plus, you don’t have to memorize a nutrition textbook to find them. That said, menus and nutrition numbers do change, so it’s worth a quick check on the official app before choosing a spot. And even the best pick on a menu is best as an occasional meal as sodium tends to run high across the board, no matter how lean the meal is otherwise. Order with a little intention, and the drive-thru won’t feel as scary to your wellbeing.