Fast Food You Can Eat on a Heart-Healthy Diet

If you are like most people, you have a busy life and do not have time to make sure that all your meals are heart-healthy. This often results in people choosing fast food restaurants for their meals. Luckily, eating fast food does not have to be bad for you. There are tricks you can use which will not interrupt an otherwise heart-healthy diet.

Tips

Eating hamburgers seems to be the worst thing you can do for your health. It doesn't have to be. According to Clevelandclinic.org, it is not the actual meat in the burger that is so bad for you; it is all the extras that come with the burger. Here is some advice from the site that you should follow for a fairly healthy burger: "Choose a single patty, preferably 3-4 ounces in size; choose from the children's menu or pick a junior size; skip the cheese; skip the mayonnaise or special sauce and try ketchup or mustard instead."

Keep in mind also that chicken and fish burgers are not necessarily better than a hamburger, especially if they are fried and breaded. Always choose a burger that is grilled and try to pick turkey or chicken above hamburgers. If you absolutely have to have a breaded and fried fish burger, pick a side dish that consists of fresh produce such as a green salad. And if you must have a dressing, select one that is either low-calorie or fat-free. Be sure not to add extra salt to any of your items.

If you like KFC, stick to unbreaded, skinless chicken breast, honey BBQ chicken sandwich, green salads or mashed potatoes with nothing added on. When it comes to Asian fast food, you want to focus on egg drop, miso, wonton or hot and sour soup; anything stir-fried, steamed, roasted or broiled; steamed or baked tofu; brown rice; rice vinegar; wasabi; ponzu sauce; and veggies such as edamame and cucumber. Mexican fast food's healthy choices include soft tacos, black beans, shrimp salad, or grilled "fresco" steak burritos. When you eat pizza, choose ones with thin-crust, extra veggies and less cheese.

Watch portions. Do not super-size anything. Instead, focus on chewing each mouthful sufficiently and savor it. You may find that you do not need as much food as you had originally thought.

Drink water. This will certainly make a difference in both calorie intake as well as in all the additives your body usually have to digest. If you hate water, then get used to drinking diet sodas or ice tea. Stay away from milkshakes.

Do not be afraid to customize your order. Tell the clerk that you do not want dressing on your burger. Always get your salad dressing on the side and always ask for low-calorie versions. Stay away from tartar sauce, sour cream and mayonnaise.

Realize that all of these rules may be broken at the same time if it happens only a few times a year. Moderation is key to everything.