Carb crunchers and calorie cutters


Did you know a White Castle Original Slider has fewer calories than a chocolate milkshake? We all crave fast food every now and again, but some menu options are undeniably healthier than others. Here we look at every major fast-food chain and point out the surprising main-meal menu items that will help you cut the calories.



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90 calories: KFC, Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast



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100 calories: Panera Bread, Ten Vegetable Soup

There are plenty of healthy options at Panera Bread, from oatmeal bowls and smoothies to soups and salads. If you’re heading there for lunch, a bowl of Ten Vegetable Soup comes in at only 100 calories. You may be tempted to order the bread bowl version of this soup, but definitely don’t go there if you’re watching your weight – it has 730 calories!



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140 calories: White Castle, The Original Slider

One of the country’s first fast food chains, many credit White Castle with inventing the slider. However, what people might not know is that the iconic item is probably the healthiest option on its menu. With fewer calories than a cinnamon donut, a chocolate milkshake and French fries, the Original Slider (a beef patty steam grilled on a bed of onions served with a pickle in a bun) contains just 140 calories.



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150 calories: Panda Express, Broccoli Beef

This food-court favorite might be known for its Orange Chicken, but if you want to bypass 490 calories, opt for the Broccoli Beef at only 150 calories. Pair it with a 90-calorie super green side to make this count as two veg portions, or turn it into a fiber-rich main meal with steamed brown rice.



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180 calories: Taco Bell, Soft Taco

If you’re looking for a low-calorie option, the soft taco (beef, lettuce, cheese with added tomato) makes a great light bite for 189 calories. However, if you want something to fill you up we recommend a Veggie Power Menu Bowl without sour cream. It contains rice, black beans, cheese, lettuce and guacamole for 430 calories.



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180 calories: Arby’s, Roast Turkey Slider



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190 calories: Dunkin’ Donuts, Veggie Egg White Wake-Up Wrap

Ignore the donuts at Dunkin’ Donuts and turn your tastebuds to the all-day breakfast menu instead. It has a wide variety of diet-friendly sandwiches including a Veggie Egg White Wake-Up Wrap for 190 calories. Looking for something indulgent for lunch that won’t break the calorie bank? The Kosher Grilled Cheese is a 420 calories and packs a punch of bone-building calcium.



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200 calories: Starbucks, Bantam Bagels

Everyone loves a buttery almond croissant from Starbucks but, along with 420 calories, each of those flaky morsels has 11g saturated fat – that’s half the recommended intake of this specific fat type, which raises your risk of heart disease. Swap it for a two pack of Bantam Bagels stuffed with vegetable cream cheese for only 200 calories. Gym-goers can opt for a reduced-fat Turkey Bacon Cheddar & Egg White Sandwich, which has 230 calories and 17g of protein.



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200 calories: Subway, Oven Roasted Chicken Protein Bowl

Lower calorie options on the menu at Subway include a Veggie Delite six-inch sub (190 calories). But for the best nutritional buck per bite, try the Oven Roasted Chicken Protein Bowl, loaded with veggies and topped with the amount of chicken on a “footlong”, but without the bread. With Parmesan but no sauce, it’s 200 calories and provides 60% of your Daily Value of vitamin A, plus a whopping 27g protein. Top tip: avoid ranch dressing which increases calories by over 50% to 360.



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220 calories: Domino’s, Chicken Caesar Salad

This global pizza chain is hard pressed for healthy options – and that’s why we love it. But, if you do want a lighter choice, pick the three pieces of Boneless Chicken (170 calories) or the Chicken Caesar Salad (220 calories, but go easy on the dressing). Otherwise, customize a small 10-inch thin pizza with marinara, ham, green peppers, mushrooms and onions (skip the cheese), for 560 calories. 



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240 calories: Wendy’s, Jr. Hamburger

Portion control is the key to keeping calories low at Wendy’s, with the Jr. Hamburger the lowest calorie meal on the menu at 250 calories. Regular-sized burgers such as the Dave’s Single (570 calories) are around double that, and they go up to an eye-watering 1,220 calories for the Big Bacon Classic Triple. There are some healthier options though – at 400 calories with dressing, a half-size Apple Pecan Chicken Salad offers the best trade-off when it comes to calories versus nutritional value.



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240 calories: In-N-Out Burger, Protein Style Hamburger



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240 calories: Burger King, Hamburger

If you’re looking for healthy fast food at Burger King, go for the Hamburger. The beef patty topped with pickles, mustard and ketchup on a sesame seed bun provides 13g of protein and only 240 calories. That’s about a third of the iconic Whopper. The hamburger is lower than you’d think in saturated fat too, with 3.7g per serving – that’s around 17% of the 22g that the average person eating a 2,000-calorie diet shouldn’t exceed.



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250 calories: Jack in the Box, Grilled Chicken Salad

This mainly West Coast and southwestern US chain may be known for its tacos and all-day breakfasts, but its healthy dining menu makes weight-watching a breeze. It includes a Grilled Chicken Salad for 250 calories (add 25-calorie Balsamic Vinaigrette to keep it slimline), Grilled Chicken Strips with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce (310 calories) and a wholegrain Chicken Fajita Pita with salsa (330 calories).



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250 calories: McDonald’s, Hamburger



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260 calories: A&W, Chicken Tenders

This all-American chain is known for its root beer, burgers and cracking specials like Sriracha Cheese Curds. But what do you order if you’re trying to be healthy? A plain hot dog is 310 calories, but three hand-breaded chicken tenders are the lowest calorie option at 260 calories – and with 40g of protein they should be filling too. To keep it light and healthy, choose BBQ sauce as the dip (40 calories) and team with a 3oz serving of coleslaw (100 calories).



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280 calories: Dairy Queen, Chicken BLT Salad – Grilled

Not short of decadent desserts and drinks, Dairy Queen isn’t bad for dieters either. Alongside pies and milkshakes it offers some pretty good healthy options. A corn dog is only 240 calories, but we’d go for the Chicken BLT Salad (with grilled, not crispy chicken), which is 280 calories as it provides 34g of protein (over five times more than the corn dog) and a couple of veggie servings.



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280 calories: Carl’s Jr., Charbroiled Chicken Salad

If calories are your main concern, take a look at the 280-calorie Charbroiled Chicken Salad at Carl’s Jr., made with charbroiled chicken breast, red onion, tomato, a four-cheese blend, and croutons on a bed of iceberg lettuce. But if you don’t want to do without a burger bun, the Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich is an acceptable 370 calories.



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310 calories: Shake Shack, Chicken Dog

Heading to the home of the ShackBurger? There’s only one thing to order if you’re counting calories – a Chicken Dog. The chicken, apple and sage sausage in a hot dog bun is 310 calories. If you don’t fancy that, a regular beef Hot Dog (390 calories) isn’t too bad either, but adds 80 calories if you have it with cheese sauce. A portion of Double Down fries is a whopping 1,910 calories – definitely one to avoid if you’re watching your waistline. 



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310 calories: Popeyes, Loaded Chicken Wrap

Buttermilk biscuits, buckets of crispy fried chicken and comforting sides might be Popeyes’ thing, but take a closer look on the menu and there are a few healthier choices. You could order one spicy or mild Bonafide chicken leg for 160 calories, three Blackened Tenders for 170 calories or six nuggets for 225 calories. For a bigger meal, the Loaded Chicken Wrap for 310 calories is the star. Add fiber and vitamin C by also ordering the green beans – just 55 calories for a regular portion.



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320 calories: Chick-fil-A, Grilled Chicken Sandwich

It’s known for its fried chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, but if you’re looking for lighter options at Chick-fil-A, you’re in luck. Eight grilled nuggets clock in at 130 calories compared to 250 when breaded and cooked in oil. For something more substantial, we like the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with a multigrain brioche bun, lettuce, tomato and lemon-herb marinated chicken breast. It’s 320 calories, similar to a Market Salad with grilled chicken filet but no dressing.



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320 calories: Sonic Drive-In, Original Pretzel Dog



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325 calories: Chipotle, Salad

As much as you might crave a comforting burrito, the healthiest option at Chipotle is a build-your-own salad bowl. To clock in at 325 calories, choose a combination of steak or sofritas (a meat substitute), black beans or pinto beans, fajita vegetables and tomatillo green-chili salsa. Tempting as it may be, avoid a side of chips and queso blanco as it adds 780 calories!



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355 calories: Whataburger, Bacon Taquito



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390 calories: Denny’s, Veggie Sizzlin’ Skillet

For maximum veggies and minimum waistline impact go for Denny’s Fit Fare® Veggie Skillet, which comes with red-skinned potatoes, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, tomato, scrambled egg whites and salsa. It’s high in protein and fiber, is gluten-free and has just 390 calories.



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390 calories: Culver’s, Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Known for its ButterBurgers and fresh frozen custard shakes, Culver’s is one of the Midwest’s favorite chains. But those looking for healthier options needn’t miss out. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich is only 390 calories. It also supplies 14% of your daily recommendation of anemia-protective iron, and only 2g of cholesterol-raising saturated fat. The ButterBurger Single is also 390 calories, but higher in saturated fat, at 7g.



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470 calories: Five Guys, Grilled Cheese

It’s not easy to be healthy at Five Guys as even its Little Burgers contain a minimum of 540 calories (before bacon or cheese are added) – and don’t even get us started on the “little” fries (530 calories). For a comforting choice that also has a pile of bone-building calcium, we’d opt for the grilled cheese (470 calories). Toppings are free and there are some healthy, low-calorie ones you could add, including grilled mushrooms (20 calories), grilled onions (10 calories) and tomato (10 calories).



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560 calories: Pizza Hut, The Veggie Lover’s six-inch pizza

Ignoring appetizers and sides (because if you wanted chicken wings you’d probably go to KFC), the healthiest option at Pizza Hut is a six-inch Personal Pan Pizza. The Veggie Lover’s personal pan, a tomato, mushroom, red onion, green pepper and black olive pie, comes in at 560 calories. It’s also the lowest sodium option, but still has 50% of your daily recommendation (too much sodium can raise blood pressure). Hawaiian Chicken is another relatively healthy option at 600 calories.



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29/29 SLIDES