Fast Food 4-1-1: Chili's

photo by ben+maggie

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While not technically a "fast food" restaurant, Chili's is very popular and has some whopping, high-calorie offerings that everyone should know about. So I'm going to take some artistic license and give my picks and pans from their menu.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonald's Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Worst Choices*
Awesome Blossom w/Seasoned Sauce**	2710	203	194	24	15
Texas Cheese Fries w/Jalapeno Ranch Dressing	2070	160	73	85	8
Caesar Salad w/Chicken and Caesar Dressing	1010	76	39	38	7
Country Fried Steak w/Sides	1890	107	148	99	7
Chicken Crispers	1880	130	133	67	8
Fajita Chicken Quesadilla	1830	95	151	86	12
Grilled Shrimp Alfredo Pasta w/Garlic Toast	1540	84	123	77	6
BBQ Ranch Burger w/Fries	1540	97	103	60	7
Best Choices
Guiltless Salmon***	480	14	31	54	10
Margarita Grilled Chicken****	690	18	81	48	9
Firecracker Tilapia	540	14	63	37	6
Pita - Chicken Fajita	450	17	35	43	3

* There are so many items on the menu with more than 1500 calories and with more than 100 g of fat per serving that I lost count. I've included a few items from several menu categories, i.e. Starters, Salads, Chicken, etc.

** According to Men's Health magazine, this is the worst appetizer in the ENTIRE COUNTRY from a nutritional standpoint. Yikes!

*** The Guiltless Grill items are all pretty good choices.

**** I'm biased about this one. It's my favorite thing on the menu.

I like Chili's as much as the next guy and there are some decent choices on the menu. But there are also some land mines lurking, as well.

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• Fast Food 4-1-1: Starbucks
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Fast Food 4-1-1: Burger King

photo by jwrb

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	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Worst Choices*
Triple Whopper w/Cheese**	1230	82	52	71	3
BK Quad Stacker	1000	68	34	62	1
Double Whopper w/Cheese	990	64	52	52	3
Best Choices
Hamburger	290	12	30	15	1
Cheeseburger	330	16	31	17	1
Extras
King sized French Fries	600	33	69	6	6
Medium Chocolate OREO Sundae Shake	960	32	154	13	3

*All menu items are listed in their unadulterated form. You can cut down on fat and calories by leaving off the sauce, which is invariably mayo-based.

** Even w/o cheese, the aptly named triple whopper packs 1100 calories.

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Fast Food 4-1-1: Starbucks

photo by andrewmartin

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Ok, ok, so Starbucks is not technically fast food, but lots of people, including me, frequent them and they are fraught with danger for those looking to make healthy choices. Most of the drinks contain plenty of calories, fat, and sugar and they pass under the radar because few people consider how many calories can be shoved into a drink.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Worst Choices
Strawberries and Creme Frappucino w/Whipped Cream (Venti)*	750	15	135	10	2
Eggnog Latte	630	30	69	21	0
Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha	710	26 (5 g Trans Fat!)	109	14	0
Best Choices**
Coffee	5	0	0	1	0
Cafe Americano	25	0	4	1	0
Various Tazo Iced Teas***	130	0	31	0	0

* The highest calorie drinks are all Frappucinos. I only listed this one because it is the absolute highest calorie item on the menu, but all other Frappucino flavors have very similar numbers.

** The best choices are simple coffee drinks. If the drink contains milk, choose skim or lowfat milk. Use less sugar or an artificial sweetener.

*** The Tazo teas are sweetened with sugar, but given the other choices on the menu, I don't think they are a bad choice.

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Fast Food 4-1-1: KFC

photo by steve webel

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Nothing says "health" like fried chicken. Is it possible to pick a worse place than KFC? Before crunching the numbers, my initial thought is, can you get anything healthy at KFC?

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
KFC Worst Choices
Chicken and Biscuit Bowl	870	44	88	29	7
Chicken Pot Pie*	770	40	70	33	5
Popcorn Chicken - Large	550	35	30	29	3
Boneless Teriyaki Wings	500	21	50	28	3
Extra Crispy - Breast**	440	27	15	34	0
KFC Best Choices
KFC Snacker Buffalo Sandwich***	260	8	31	15	1
KFC Snacker Honey BBQ Sandwich	210	3	32	14	2
Original Recipe - Breast w/no skin and no breading	140	2	1	29	0
KFC Extras
Potato wedges	260	13	33	4	3
Biscuit	220	11	24	4	1
Cole Slaw	180	10	22	1	3

* The chicken pot pie has 14 grams of trans fat. I have never seen any item with that much of the worst kind of fat possible. Trans fat will lower your good cholesterol, increase the bad cholesterol, flip you the bird, and come over and kick your dog just for good measure.

** While the Extra Crispy Breast had the highest calories and fat of any piece of chicken, the thigh is a close second. I would suggest getting the OR Breast and peeling off the skin and breading.

*** As a class, the KFC Snacker Sandwiches had the best, i.e. least worst, nutritional numbers of the entire menu. If you are kidnapped and find yourself in a KFC by no choice of your own, pick one of these.

Salads? Who knew that KFC had salads? I didn't bother putting them on the list, because, honestly, who is going to buy a salad at KFC? The salads are mostly decent choices, just watch out for the salad dressing packets. The Creamy Parmesan Ceasar has a whopping 260 calories and 26 grams of fat per packet.

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Fast Food 4-1-1: Sonic

photo by cornfusion

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By special request, today's post gives the lowdown on what are the best choices at Sonic.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Sonic Worst Choices
Super Sonic Cheeseburger w/Mayo	970	63	56	45	4
Super Sonic Jalapeno Cheeseburger	860	52	53	45	3
Chili Pie	940	64	72	25	6
Chicken Strip Dinner	920	43	97	36	9
Sonic Best Choices
Jr. Burger	320	16	29	15	2
Grilled Chicken Salad*	310	14	19	28	4
Corn Dog**	250	15	23	5	2
Sonic Extras
Large Onion Rings	720	41	79	9	5
Extra Long Chili Cheese Coney	600	33	54	24	4
Large Peanut Butter Shake	1120	63	128	18	0

Wow. Just...wow. I think I've been to Sonic three times in my life. I just can't do the whole, car hop, thing. Of all the fast food nutrition information that I've looked at in writing these posts, Sonic is, BY FAR, the worst fast food establishment to find a decent, relatively healthy meal.

* The Santa Fe Chicken Salad has only slightly higher calories, so it's also a decent choice.

** Ok, that's all I need to see. When one of the healthiest items on the menu is a freaking corn dog, I see no reason to go there. Looks like I've done good to avoid Sonic.

Fast Food 4-1-1: Wendy's

photo by novon

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Yeah, yeah, I know, another burger place. Wendy's is my personal favorite of the fast food burger chains and here are my best and worst choices on the menu.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Wendy's Worst Choices
Triple w/Everything and Cheese	980	59	38	70	2
Baconator	830	51	35	57	1
Chicken Club Sandwich	540	25	49	33	2
Southwest Taco Salad w/Everything	680	39	48	34	9
Wendy's Best Choices*
Mandarin Chicken Salad, no noodles, 1/2 almonds, 1/2 dressing	220	12.5	27	24	4
Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich	320	7	36	28	2
Jr. Hamburger	230	8	26	13	1
Small Chili	220	6	23	17	5
Wendy's Extras
Large Fries	540	26	69	7	7
Medium Chocolate Frosty	430	11	74	10	0
My Favorite Wendy's Meal**
Small Chili	220	6	23	17	5
Baked Potato	270	0	61	7	7
Side Salad	35	0	8	1	2
1/2 Low Fat Honey Mustard Dressing Packet	50	1.5	10	0	0

* These are my picks from the sandwiches and salads. Chicken Caesar Salad is a good choice, too, just leave off the croutons and only use 1/2 the dressing packet. The Jr. Cheeseburger has similar numbers as the Jr. Hamburger...a little more fat and calories, but still not too bad. The small chili is the best item on the entire menu. It is low in fat, high in fiber, high in protein, and not terribly high in carbs and it's pretty tasty to boot. All of this for only 99 cents.

** Great, inexpensive, filling meal. All of these items are on the 99 cent menu, so you're looking at about $3.25, tax, title and license. I just get water with it, by the way.

If I'm really in a pinch and find myself at a fast food burger place, Wendy's is my first choice. Stick with the value menu and you can get a decent meal with lots of healthy variety at a great price.

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Fast Food 4-1-1: Taco Bell

photo by TW Collins

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Continuing with the Fast Food 4-1-1 series of posts, here are my selections, both good and bad from Taco Bell. I'm trying to pick a selection of fast food restaurants that have different types of foods. I could do every burger place on the face of the earth and I'd probably come up with similar choices. If you have a favorite fast food restaurant that you would like me to post about, let me know. Now, on to the chart.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Taco Bell Worst Choices
Fiesta Taco Salad*	840	45	80	30	15
Grilled Stuft Burrito - Beef**	680	30	76	27	9
Nachos BellGrande	770	44	77	19	12
Taco Bell Best Choices
Pintos 'n Cheese	150	6	19	9	7
Spicy Chicken Soft Taco	170	6	20	10	2
Crunchy Taco	170	10	13	8	3
Taco Bell Extras
Grilled Steak Soft Taco - FRESCO	160	4.5	20	10	2
Grilled Steak Soft Taco - Regular	270	16	20	12	2

Something you may not know about Taco Bell (I didn't until I read the Nutrition Info on the web site) is that most items can be ordered Fresco-style. If you order an item Fresco-style, cheese and sauce will be replaced by a fat-free tomato salsa, lowering calories and fat content, in some cases, dramatically. Try it the next time you "make a run for the border".

*Similar numbers for the Chicken Fiesta Taco Salad. Skip it, especially with the shell.

**All Grilled Stuft Burritos have similar numbers. For a smaller item, that's an awful lot of calories and fat.

A redeeming quality, if you can call it that, of Taco Bell is that you can order a portion-controlled amount of food since each item tends to be a smaller item. Stick to the healthier, smaller items, order things "Fresco", and don't order 12 things and you can actually do OK here.

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Fast Food 4-1-1: McDonald's

photo by hundrednorth

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Is it possible to get a healthy meal at the archetype of fast food restaurants, McDonalds? Well, to use the word *healthy* might be a stretch but there are always better and worse choices that you can make at *any* restaurant, even ones that are considered unhealthy. Here are my picks and pans from Mickey D's, and as always, I've included the Big Mac for the sake of comparison.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
McDonalds Worst Choices
Deluxe Breakfast Regular Biscuit w/o syrup & margarine	1070	55	109	36	6
Deluxe Breakfast Large Biscuit w/o syrup & margarine	1140	59	115	36	7
Double Quarter Pounder w/Cheese	740	42	40	48	3
Premium Crispy Chicken Club	660	28	63	39	4
Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips (5 pc.)	630	33	46	39	0
Premium Crispy Chicken Ranch	600	23	64	35	3
McDonalds Best Choices
Southwest Salad w/Grilled Chicken	320	9	30	30	7
Egg McMuffin**	300	12	30	18	2
Regular Hamburger	250	9	31	12	2
McDonalds Extras
Large Fries	570	30	30	6	7
Large Vanilla Shake	740	18	128	17	0

Well, the worst choices were easy because the calorie counts and fat content really stuck out. As you can see, the venerable Big Mac is not nearly as bad as it could be.

The best choices were a bit tougher to make. I selected only one of the available salads to highlight on the chart, but all of the salads available had similar nutritional numbers...just get the grilled chicken, not the crispy chicken. The regular hamburger is really not a bad choice considering some of the other options, and neither is the regular cheeseburger. The cheese on the cheeseburger nets you an additional 50 calories and a few more grams of fat, but I would still consider it a decent choice. The real key to the low numbers on those two sandwiches is their size. They are much smaller than most of the sandwiches available, and they don't contain a mayo-based sauce, which helps keep the calories and fat under control.

**For the third "best choice", I included my best choice of the breakfast items. The english muffin had a lower calorie count, but I would rather have some additional protein from the egg, so I picked the Egg McMuffin. It was the best choice of many crappy breakfast choices, but it's far from a good choice. My advice...go somewhere else for breakfast. McDonald's really doesn't have any healthy breakfast options.

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Fast Food 4-1-1: Subway

photo by davidrlewis

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Sometimes you just don't have time to cook and you have no choice but to stop at a fast food restaurant to pick up a meal. Now what? Which selections are the best and which are the worst from each restaurant. The Fast Food 4-1-1 series is an attempt to show not only the best choices from the menu, but the worst. This week's highlighted restaurant: Subway.

Subway has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the healthiest choices in the fast food world. I mean, if it worked for Jared, how can it possibly be wrong? From the perspective of good choices, there are plenty, so first let's highlight the sneaky, not-so-good choices. Because Subway has so many options, I am including the nutrition information for six-inch subs only. If you go with the salad option and get the "sandwich" on lettuce, instead of bread, you save about 200 calories.

All worst choices will be compared to the archetype of fast food bad choices, the Big Mac. Now I don't hold a grudge against McDonalds, I'm just picking on them because more people on Earth have had one of these, than those who have not. After all they have sold "billions and billions" of them.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Subway Worst Choices
Chicken and Bacon Ranch Sandwich	580	30	47	36	6
Meatball Marinara Sandwich	560	24	63	24	8
Tuna	530	31	44	22	5
Subway Best Choices
Veggie Delight	230	3	44	9	5
Turkey Breast	280	4.5	46	20	5
Turkey Breast and Ham	290	5	47	18	5
Subway Worst Condiments
Ranch Dressing	120	13
Mayo	110	12
Chipotle Southwest Sauce	96	10

If you are in a pinch and you find yourself looking for something quick to grab for a meal, Subway is probably one of the best choices out there. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that everything on the menu is healthy...no matter what Jared says.

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