These Are Some Of The Healthiest Fast Food Meals In Canada & It's Not Just A Bunch Of Salads
Do you love fast food but can't seem to shake the feeling that it might not be your healthiest option?
Major fast food chains such as McDonald's and A&W have worked hard in recent years to add healthier items to their menus, so you can actually get a fast meal these days without feeling terrible afterward.
And if you're not a fan of salads, there are other more appetizing healthy options like wraps, sandwiches, and sweet potato fries.
Here are some of the healthiest meals you can get at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, A&W and Pizza Hut in Canada.
McDonald's
McDonald's has many healthier options on their menu that taste good and are affordable too.
If you were hoping to grab breakfast from McDonald's, getting an Egg McMuffin might be your best and healthiest option. The breakfast item is 290 calories and consists of a large egg topped with Canadian bacon and a slice of cheddar cheese on a toasted English muffin. And if you pair that with cantaloupe or pineapple chunks, you've got yourself a well-rounded meal.
For later in the day, McDonald's has many lower calorie options compared to a Big Mac, which is 570 calories.
If you lean more towards the chicken side, the lowest-calorie item on the menu is a 4-piece Chicken McNugget bag with 170 calories. But if you want something more filling, the Ranch Chicken Snack Wrap with Grilled Chicken would be a great place to start, with 260 calories.
The Snack Wrap from McDonald's comes with seasoned chicken, lettuce, cheese and ranch sauce wrapped in a white flour tortilla.
If you're craving a McChicken (480 calories), maybe opt for the Grilled Chicken Sandwich (400 calories) from McDonald's instead. The difference between the two isn't much, but a grilled sandwich is healthier than a fried one any day.
Burger King
While you might not associate Burger King with healthy foods, sometimes a burger doesn't have to be high in calories. At BK, you can grab a hamburger and it's 241 calories for the whole thing. The hamburger is a flame-grilled beef patty with crunchy pickles, yellow mustard and ketchup on a toasted sesame seed bun.
Another option would be to grab BK's Veggie Burger, and it's not only for vegetarians. The Veggie Burger (330 calories) is a flame-grilled soya burger topped with lettuce, tomatoes, white onions, and ketchup served on a toasted sesame seed bun.
Now, maybe putting your hand in a bag of French fries might not be the way to go, even though they are delicious, but you do have some lighter options available at Burger King.
The 4-piece Chicken Fries are white meat chicken coated in light crispy breading and seasoned with herbs and spices. They're shaped like fries and are easy to dip into sauces, plus they are 170 calories!
A&W
Similar to McDonald's, A&W has a bunch of healthier choices at different times of day that will feed your soul at a lower calorie cost.
If you're craving a good fast-food breakfast, then grabbing a Breakfast Wrap is your best option. With 230 calories, the wrap has an egg, smoked bacon, and ketchup in a flour tortilla. But if that seems too boring then grabbing a Cheese & Egger is your next best bet. The breakfast sandwich is around 360 calories and comes with a cracked egg, topped with cheddar cheese and served on your choice of a toasted English Muffin (340 calories), Sesame seed bun (360 calories), or their limited-time croissant (360 calories).
Let's talk about lunch and dinner now.
A&W has sweet potato fries that you can pair with any burger of your liking, making for the perfect healthier fast food meal. But, again, looking at calories alone, the Buddy Burger is the way to go.
The Buddy Burger from A&W consists of a 1.6 oz beef patty topped with grilled onions, ketchup, mustard and Teen sauce, served on a freshly toasted bun, and it's a total of 334 calories.
Also, even though the sweet potato fries are technically healthier, they are higher in calories. Regular-sized Russet Thick-Cut Fries from A&W are 340 calories compared to the 360 calories found in sweet potato fries of the same size.
Wendy's
Wendy's Canada has a whole bunch of salads and they actually look so good. They've got a Parmesan Caesar Salad (540 calories), Cobb Salad (670 calories), Apple Pecan Salad (540 calories), and a Taco Salad (690 calories).
If you're looking for something a little more heartwarming, Wendy's has a chili with onions, celery, green peppers, tomatoes, ground beef and more. This menu item can range from 240 to 340 calories depending on your chosen size.
If you're craving a burger, Wendy's Jr. Hamburger (250 calories) is another option you might want to consider. It might be small, but it's a beef burger with pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard on a toasted bun.
Wendy's Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap (420 calories) is another great fast food option that might be more filling and consists of grilled chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese and romaine. It's drizzled with a creamy ranch sauce and wrapped in a warm tortilla.
Pizza Hut
At Pizza Hut, patrons can find a lot more than just pies and even if you want a cheesy pizza, the sides can be healthier than you might think.
The fast food chain has a nutrition table on its website that lays out how many calories every meal is, as well as all the toppings, and it's pretty extensive.
Most of the 6-inch Personal Pan Pizzas from the fast food chain are less than 230 calories no matter what the toppings are, and if you get a Caesar Salad with the dressing, which is around 149 calories, on the side, it'll make for a low-calorie meal.
So, if you're ever craving fast food but don't want to eat a heavy high-calorie meal, use this list to help you choose more nutritious and calorie-conscious meals.
It's also worth noting that low-calorie meals don't always mean healthy, but it does mean they will contribute less towards your daily calorie intake and allow you to eat more nutritious meals for the rest of your day.
Enjoy eating consciously, Canadians!
