How You Can Cut Calories From Fast Food

             From the moment you walk through the door it's safe to say you're fighting a losing battle. Fast food chains aren't famed for their healthy options. Nonetheless there's plenty to get by on.

First things first, cut out the chips. They're one of the highest sources of saturated fat out there, and you could just about stuff yourself with chicken instead and get better results. Fortunately, most chains offer substitution deals on their meals now, chips for beans or corn on the cob, for instance. Straight away you've shaved about 400 calories off of your meal, and it only gets better from there.

Now, fried chicken isn't healthy. Frying isn't healthy at the best of times, and most fast food outlets are using so much oil they might even be responsible for the fuel crisis. If you must eat fried chicken, go for a drumstick. Prices are the same and they have a smaller surface area, which means less deep-fried badness. A KFC drumstick comes out at about 140 calories, with 8g of fat, 2g of it saturated. It's hardly good for you, but a couple of those with beans and corn might even let you stay under 500 calories for a surprisingly filling meal. You're not going to set any records in the field of healthy eating, but it's better than nothing. Or it's better than chips, at least.

If you have to pick a fatty side try the coleslaw. The medium tubs most places give you might even out at 200 calories, just under if you're lucky. But coleslaw is pretty much just cabbage and carrots, both of which are stuffed with handy vitamins, potassium and fiber. Again, you could do better, but at least you're not doing worse, right?

Moving back to chicken, it's not always served on the bone. There are plenty of nuggets and sandwiches floating around out there, Now, if you're happy to eat a small meal nuggets might suffice, they usually come in at around 220 calories for four, and with a diet drink and non-fried side you might just get away with it at under 500. For something more filling there are usually friend and grilled sandwiches going spare. Firstly, pick the grilled option, obviously. Try and stick to one with less mayonnaise and bread if at all possible. Bear in mind fried options often are generally smaller, to try and even the calories out in the menu. Grilled is still the healthier choice, though.

Fast food isn't healthy. We all know it, as much as the advertising campaigns would have us think otherwise. But you don't have to go hungry after a long day's work, or eat alone when your friends are finished. Think about your meals, and you'll usually find a sensible option among the chaff.

Mira has been working on fitness and writing about her experiences for years, from exercise techniques to the best weight loss supplements. She's now a featured contributor to sports equipment supplier Muscle Finesse

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