6 Ways to make fast food healthier

Even a true Fit Girl has her fast food cravings sometimes. But what if we told you that you can make these meals a lot less unhealthy with a couple of tips. This way you can reduce the amount of fats and carbs and still enjoy your fast food meal.

Truth is, it's really hard to follow a healthy diet and eat fast food regularly at the same time. Some foods which are quite nutritious, lose all of their good effects when they're sold in fast food restaurants. They usually go for the cheapest version of food like bread, meat and dairy. For example, cheese is a good source of protein and calcium. Unfortunately it's not when it's on top of your pizza. Cheese used in fast food restaurants are highly processed. Bummer!

Luckily this doesn't mean that you need to say goodbye to fast food for good. Eating your ultimate, unhealthy guilty pleasures every once in a while could help you to stay on track. You could make a few adjustments which will make them a bit healthier. Today I'll give you a couple of tips which will help you on your way!

7 ways to make fast food healthier

1. Small portions

Most of the time it's possible to choose a small, medium or large portion. Do you want to make the healthiest choice? Go for small. Big burgers often contain about 800 calories while smaller ones contain up to 300 calories. The difference of 500 calories almost equals a regular healthy meal. Also go for the smallest portion of your side dish.

2. Grilled food

Grilled food is always a lot healthier than fried food. So when you need to choose between crispy fried chicken or a grilled chicken burger, pick the second option. This way you will take in a lot less calories and saturated fat. Luckily grilled food is very delicious as well!

3. Adjust the meal

It's always possible to adjust your meal a bit when you order food. Don't be afraid to let the restaurant know! You could ask them to serve the dressing separately. This way you can measure it out yourself. Tip: Honey mustard sauce is one of the healthiest options when it comes to dressings. It's very delicious as well!

4. Note the side dishes

A fast food meal usually comes with an unhealthy side dish. With a dish like fries, potato wedges, coleslaw or onion rings the amount of calories will increase enormously. You could make a wiser choice by picking a light salad as a side dish. You could even go for a small fruit dish on the side. A burger is quite big so it doesn't necessarily need to be accompanied by fries. This will save you about 500 calories.

5. Soda

A lot of drinks contain an incredible amount of sugar and calories. Next to that they also contain a lot of acid which is bad for your body and teeth. Milkshakes are also not great as they are full of saturated fats. When you go to a fast food restaurant just for the food, choose a bottle of water to drink. Light or diet versions of soda also contain a lot of acid, unfortunately.

6. Noodles

When you choose to eat takeaway this doesn't necessarily mean you have to pick pizza, burgers or fries. Nowadays there are a lot of restaurants that make great wok recipes. These are healthy and really delicious. These noodles are often prepared with a lot of vegetables and meat/fish. You could also go for a vegetarian version.

What are your tips to make fast food a bit more healthy? Please share them in the comments. :)