Fixing Fast Food

Think you can’t get a decent meal at the red and yellow drive-thru grease factory on the corner? You can. It just takes a little imagination and a clear understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish with your eating choices. Then the options present themselves.

Here’s what you want to keep in mind:

• You are trying to maximize nutrient density, which is a concentration of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber grams per calorie.
• Veggies should be the primary focus, then lean protein, then fruit and finally grains (whole grains, ideally).
• Protein should be as lean as possible (the less oil, skin and fat, the better).
• Produce should be “naked” if possible - no sugary syrup with the fruit or butter-laden veggies.
• Whenever possible, start with water to make sure you’re properly hydrated and are not eating, in part, because you’re thirsty. No soda (duh!).

Here are my recommendations for modifying a fast-food meal for the most healthful experience possible:

Hamburger Joint – A small salad with skinless chicken is a great start. Ask for lemon (sometimes they have it for tea) and squeeze it on the salad to moisten. Then use less than half the Italian/vinaigrette dressing packet. Add a regular burger but lose the top of the bun and limit the ketchup. Have as much mustard as you like.

Chicken Shack – Grilled or baked bird is the way to go here and strip the skin if you’re serious about trimming your waistline. Fries may be lower in fat than the mashed potatoes, especially since you can wrap them in napkins and soak up a bunch of the oil before you eat them. But be sure and get a veggie – ideally green. You may need to use the napkin trick on this part, too. Veggies should be the biggest part of the meal, then the chicken, then the starch.

The Bell Across the Border – Tortilla soup and a steak taco with lots of lettuce and tomato but limited cheese is a good choice. But a bean and cheese burrito also is pretty harmless. You can add lettuce and tomatoes for a more nutritious, filling version.

Asian Express – Begin with chicken salad and hot and sour or egg-flower soup. Then add a veggie such as sautéed string beans and finally another protein dish with no fried batter and minimal sugary sauce. Sushi is even better, as long as there isn’t a bunch of mayo in your roll.

Sandwich Shop – My favorite is a roast beef sandwich with lots of produce and no mayo. But you can make it even better by eating only half and adding chili or veggie soup.

Coffee House – has a breakfast spinach feta wrap with egg whites on whole wheat that rocks and is complemented nicely by a low-fat latte. It also has a “protein plate” — small wheat bagel, peanut butter, hard-boiled egg, apple and cheese slices, as well as some pretty healthy paninis. Other coffee places still offer mostly dessert-type food but some are coming along slowly, following Starbucks’ lead.

Gas Station Mini-Mart – My meal of choice at a place like this is a V8, beef jerky and some modular, lower-sugar breakfast cereal like Frosted Mini-Wheats. I know it’s pretty salty but a bottle of water to start will help to temper that (and fill you up on less food). And the sugar on the cereal is less than you might think.

So the next time you’re tempted to get whatever you're in the mood for because “I can’t get any healthy food here anyway,” you know better.

The rest is up to you!