Dining Out-Healthy

Drive-Thru Salad Do's

Some fast-food salads pack more fat than a cheeseburger. Use the calorie-cutting tips below.

At McDonald's: Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken

345 calories, 16.5g fat, 5.25g saturated
Bacon makes it seem naughty, but the portion keeps it nice -- if you use only half the dressing.

At Wendy's: Mandarin Chicken Salad with Grilled Chicken Fillet

385 calories, 18g fat, 2.25g saturated
Almonds supply lots of crunch, so nix the noodles and use half the Oriental dressing.

At Burger King: Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad

390 calories, 20g fat, 4.5g saturated
Three cheeses and garlic croutons -- yum! Just opt for the light Italian dressing.

At Taco Bell: Chicken Fiesta Taco Salad

420 calories, 16g fat, 5g saturated
Say adios to the tortilla shell and this cheesy bowl becomes a safe bet.

At Quiznos: Black & Bleu Flatbread Salad

340 calories, 10g fat, 5g saturated
Skip the flatbread, and this stick-to-your-ribs salad (steak and blue cheese!) gets a thumbs-up.

Restaurant Guide

Panera Bread: Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (410 calories)
Half Asiago Roast Beef Sandwich and half Classic Cafe Salad (450 calories)

Domino's Pizza: 2 slices of 14-inch large grilled chicken and veggie pizza (430 calories)

2 Slices Hand-Tossed Ham & Pineapple Pizza
Water or Diet Soda
Total Calories: 400

Olive Garden:

Pasta e Fagioli and Venetian Apricot Chicken (510 calories)
Linguini alla Marinara
Side Salad Low-Fat Dressing, 2 ounces
Water or Diet Soda Total Calories: 376

P.F. Chang's: Lemon Pepper Shrimp, small Spicy Green Beans and 1/2 cup steamed brown rice (432 calories)

Chili’s

Chicken Fajita Pita (350 calories)

Black Beans With Pico de Gallo (120 calories)

The Chili’s Guiltless Cedar Plank Tilapia

Chili’s Guiltless Honey-Mustard Salmon.

Classic Chicken Fajitas- Skip the sour cream and cheese -- add the pico de gallo

Margarita Grilled Chicken

Applebee’s

California Shrimp Salad With a Half Portion of Creamy Avocado Dressing (550 calories)

Onion Soup au Gratin (150 calories)

Ruby Tuesday

Top Sirloin (359 calories)

Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Salad (112 calories)

Best Choice Fast Food Guide

McDonald's

Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal (4 piece chicken McNuggets, small fries, and 12-oz. beverage) - 500 calories
One regular hamburger - 250 calories
Hamburger Happy Meal with Apple Dippers and 1% milk as side choices - 460 calories
McChicken sandwich - 360 calories
Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait - 160 calories

Burger King

BK Veggie Burger - 420 calories
BK Veggie Burger (no mayo) (340 calories) and small fries (230 calories) - 570 calories
4-piece chicken tenders - 170 calories
Whopper Jr. Sandwich (no mayo) - 310 calories
Garden salad with Ken's Border Ranch Dressing - 125 calories

Arby's

Martha's Vineyard Market Fresh Salad (no dressing) - 277 calories
Martha's Vineyard Market Fresh Salad with Light Buttermilk Ranch dressing - 389 calories
Market Fresh Mini Turkey & Cheese Sandwich - 235 calories

Wendy's

Small chili (220 calories) and a plain baked potato (270 calories) - 490 calories
Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich - 370 calories
Mandarin Chicken Salad and small soda - 310 calories
Roasted Turkey and Basil Frescata - 420 calories
Roasted Turkey and Basil Frescata without pesto - 350 calories
Kids' size fries - 280 calories
Jr. cheeseburger - 240 calories

Subway

Tip: Stick with 6-inch subs to keep portions in check. Hold the oil and mayo!

6" Oven Roasted Chicken Breast with swiss cheese and light mayo - 410 calories
Veggie Delite Salad - 60 calories
6" Veggie Delite - 230 calories
6" turkey breast sub - 280 calories
6" Bourbon chicken sub - 350 calories
Grilled chicken breast and baby spinach salad - 140 calories
6" roast beef sub - 290 calories

Taco Bell

Tip: order regular menu items "Fresco Style" and save a lot of calories and get some extra veggies too (salsa is substituted for cheese and sauce).

Two "Fresco Style" Ranchero chicken soft tacos - 340 calories
One spicy chicken soft taco - 190 calories
Taco salad (no shell) - 420 calories

KFC

Tip: Avoid "crispy" recipe chicken as it is higher in fat. The Snacker sandwich line is good for portion control. There are some healthy vegetable sides here too.