What is the healthiest fast food item to eat? A Guide to Better Choices

October 12, 2025 •

3 min read

A 2018 study in Advances in Nutrition found the average fast-food meal can contain over 800 calories, exceeding a typical dinner's caloric needs. Faced with these options, the question of what is the healthiest fast food item to eat? becomes critical for making smarter dietary decisions on the run.

Quick Summary

It is possible to make healthier fast food choices by prioritizing grilled over fried foods, opting for salads with light dressing, and customizing orders with lean proteins and extra vegetables. Small adjustments to your meal can significantly reduce calories, fat, and sodium content.

Key Points

Prioritize Grilled Over Fried: Opting for grilled or roasted meat instead of fried or breaded drastically reduces calories and fat content.
Customize Your Order: Take advantage of customization options to add more vegetables and reduce high-calorie toppings like cheese and creamy sauces.
Choose Smart Sides: Swap french fries for healthier options such as a side salad with light dressing, fruit, or a plain baked potato.
Control Your Portions: Avoid 'super-sizing' your meal and stick to smaller, standard portion sizes to manage calorie intake effectively.
Hydrate Wisely: Choose water, unsweetened tea, or other zero-calorie drinks over sugary sodas and milkshakes to avoid excess calories and sugar.
Salads Aren't Always Healthy: Be wary of salads loaded with crispy chicken, cheese, bacon, and creamy dressing, as they can have more calories than a burger. Choose grilled protein and light vinaigrettes instead.

The quest to find the single healthiest fast food item is a bit of a trick question. The answer isn't a single menu item, but rather the nutritional quality of your choices and how you customize them. While most fast food is designed for quick convenience, not nutritional density, modern menus offer plenty of opportunities to make healthier choices by focusing on lean proteins, fiber, and watching out for hidden calories from sauces and fried toppings.

General Rules for Healthy Fast Food

Making smart choices at a drive-thru requires a strategic approach. Before even looking at specific menu items, consider these general guidelines to steer your meal in a healthier direction:

Choose Grilled Over Fried: This is the most crucial swap. Grilled or roasted proteins have significantly fewer calories and less fat than their fried or breaded counterparts.
Load Up on Veggies: Adding extra lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other vegetables boosts fiber and nutrient content without adding significant calories. Many places now offer this option freely.
Go Light on Sauces and Dressings: Creamy dressings and special sauces are often high in saturated fat and calories. Ask for dressings on the side and use a smaller amount, or opt for oil-based vinaigrettes, mustard, or ketchup instead.
Watch Your Sides: Swap fries for a side salad with light dressing, a baked potato, fruit, or steamed vegetables. These alternatives dramatically lower calories and increase nutrient intake.
Skip Sugary Drinks: Opt for water, unsweetened iced tea, or diet soda instead of high-sugar beverages like regular soda or milkshakes.
Portion Control: Avoid large or "super-sized" meals. Order regular or junior-sized items to keep portions in check.

Healthier Choices at Popular Chains

Many chains now offer menu options that can be adapted for a healthy diet. Here are some of the best picks from popular fast-food restaurants:

Chipotle

Burrito or Salad Bowl: A bowl gives you maximum control over your ingredients. Opt for brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, and grilled chicken or sofritas. Top it with salsa and guacamole for healthy fats, and go easy on the cheese and sour cream.
Three Chicken Tacos: Choose a corn tortilla with grilled chicken, fajita veggies, lettuce, and salsa for a lower-calorie and satisfying meal.

Chick-fil-A

Grilled Chicken Sandwich: The grilled chicken sandwich on a multigrain bun with lettuce and tomato is a strong choice. It offers lean protein without the deep-fried calories.
Grilled Chicken Nuggets: The grilled nuggets are an excellent protein-rich option with far less fat than the classic fried variety.
Market Salad: This salad combines grilled chicken, mixed greens, fruits, and nuts for a nutrient-dense and filling meal.

Subway

6-Inch Oven-Roasted Turkey or Rotisserie-Style Chicken Sub: Choose multigrain bread and load it with an abundance of fresh vegetables like spinach, green peppers, and tomatoes. Stick to mustard, vinegar, or light mayo for a low-fat, high-protein meal.
Veggie Delite Salad: A vegetable-packed salad with minimal dressing is a very low-calorie, high-fiber choice.

Wendy's

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad: This salad, featuring grilled chicken, apples, cranberries, and nuts, is a tasty and healthy option. Ask for light dressing on the side.
Small Chili: A bowl of chili provides a hearty, protein-rich, and fiber-packed meal with fewer calories than many other items on the menu.

Nutritional Comparison: Smart Swaps at the Drive-Thru

Below is a comparison to illustrate the impact of simple substitutions on your meal's nutritional profile. Specific nutritional values can vary by location and preparation.


Item	Calories	Fat (g)	Protein (g)	Sodium (mg)
Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich	390	11	28	770
Chick-fil-A Classic Chicken Sandwich	440	18	28	1400
Chipotle Burrito Bowl (Chicken, Brown Rice, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies, Salsa)	~585	~31	~43	~1000
Chipotle Chicken Burrito (White Rice, Cheese, Sour Cream)	~800+	~40+	~40	~1500+
Wendy's Small Chili	290	12	17	810
Wendy's Baconator	960	66	61	1840

Conclusion

There is no single best answer to what is the healthiest fast food item to eat?, as the best choice depends heavily on your specific dietary needs and customization. However, by embracing mindful ordering—prioritizing grilled, roasted, or steamed foods; loading up on vegetables; and limiting high-calorie, high-sodium sauces and sides—you can easily navigate fast-food menus to find nutritious and satisfying meals. Thinking about your food as a balance of lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats, even in a fast-food setting, is the key to maintaining a healthy diet on the go. For more in-depth nutritional information, always consult a restaurant's official website or a trusted health resource like Verywell Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fast food salads can be a healthy option, but it depends on the toppings and dressing. To keep it healthy, choose grilled chicken over crispy, go light on cheese and croutons, and opt for a low-fat or vinaigrette dressing on the side.

Many fast food places now offer healthier breakfast options. For example, the Egg White Grill at Chick-fil-A, oatmeal from Starbucks, or a basic Egg McMuffin from McDonald's can be good choices.

To make a standard burger healthier, choose a single-patty hamburger, ask for no cheese or mayo, and load it up with extra lettuce, tomato, and onions. Skip the fries and choose a side salad or apple slices instead.

Yes, a burrito bowl is often a better choice because it eliminates the high-carb flour tortilla. You can customize it with brown rice, black beans, lean protein, fajita veggies, and salsa while controlling the portion size of high-fat items like cheese and sour cream.

Many chains now offer plant-based options. Good choices include the Chipotle Sofritas bowl, Subway Veggie Delite, Taco Bell Bean Burrito (Fresco style), or a simple baked potato from Wendy's.

Fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle and Panera Bread are often ranked higher for health due to their fresh ingredients and customization options. However, even traditional chains like Chick-fil-A, Subway, and Wendy's offer solid healthier choices.

To reduce sodium, avoid items that are fried or have heavy sauces. Ask for condiments on the side and use them sparingly. Skipping cheese and bacon can also significantly lower the sodium content.