Many people think when dieting you automatically need to give up eating fast food. Fortunately, if you arm yourself with fast food nutrition facts, you can learn how to make healthy decisions while at the drive thru.

One of the scariest things about fast food nutrition facts is the high saturated fat and sodium content. If you are counting calories, you could eat your entire daily allowance with just one meal if you are not careful while eating fast food.

Here are some general guidelines to help you make healthy choices while eating at fast food restaurants:

1. Get a Salad: A salad can pack in some hidden fats and calories if you go overboard with the dressing, but is generally a healthy choice since it does include veggies. A grilled chicken salad with spinach and a moderate amount of low or no fat dressing is the smarter choice over a hamburger. If you really want a hamburger, get a small side salad instead of the fries.

2. Watch sugar: For years people have joked about the “Big Mac, Super Sized Fries and a Large Diet Coke” but it does in a way make sense. While a Big Mac and fries should be out of the question, getting a diet soft drink, unsweetened tea/coffee, or water will help you avoid extra fat, calories, and sugar. Also watch out for things like milkshakes and yogurts as they have a tendency to be high in sugar. If possible, ask for whole grain bread or tortillas. (Unfortunately many fast food places do not have whole grain anything!)

3. Take time to eat: Eating fast food usually means you are in a hurry. If at all possible, stop the car to eat and eat slowly – this will help you with portion control and keep you from mindlessly eating even if you’re no longer hungry. You can always save the leftovers for later.

4. Remember to Balance the Food Groups: You should try to get a serving of protein, vegetables, grain, and dairy at each meal. French fries do not count as a vegetable! Having one serving on each will help your body get the right nutrition, so be sure just because you are at a fast food restaurant you don’t forget these things!

5. Read the Fast Food Nutrition Facts Ahead of Time: Most fast food places now have their nutritional information on their websites as they are trying to be healthier and advocate good nutrition. Take some time to look at these fast food nutrition facts before going and compare what fits your dietary needs. To help you with this, we’ve listed some of the most popular fast food chains below.

Arby’s
Burger King
Jack in the Box Fast Food Nutrition Facts
KFC Fast Food Nutrition Facts
McDonalds
Subway
Taco Bell Nutrition Calculator
Wendy’s Fast Food Nutrition Facts

By following these tips and briefly studying the fast food nutrition facts, you can eat out at fast food restaurants in moderation and not blow your diet. Have any other fast food diet tips to add to our list? Share them in the comments below.