How to maintain your diet integrity through the holidays into the New Year.

We all have good intentions when it comes to eating especially during the holidays and through the annual New Year’s resolution commitments that follow.

But a growling stomach, limited time and a small budget create the urge for fast food. Sometimes you find yourself with no other choice but to pull into the drive-thru at Wendy’s Mickey D’s or KFC.

A busy workday, an empty refrigerator and a tired body have the best of us indulging in the convenience and satisfaction that only a burger and fries can satisfy.

What’s a guy to do?

In recent years the fast food industry has become aware of its bad reputation for promoting sugar, fat and salt. They have launched some new products for healthy eating that make it easier to make healthier choice.

Here is a sampler from some of the top fast food restaurants and convenience stores. These are foods—although not ideal, can help you to maintain a reasonable calorie intake and not clog up your arteries and fill out your jeans.

BREAKFAST

Dunkin Donuts

Good Choice
New egg white flatbread sandwiches – under 200 calories
Plain Bagel (320 calories) with light cream cheese(110 calories) and coffee(0 calories)
Egg cheese English muffin sandwich (280 calories 9 g fat)

Poor Choice
Banana Walnut muffin (540 Calories 25 g fat)
Reduced Fat blueberry muffin (440 calories 12 g fat)
Reduced Carb bagel (380 calories 12 g fat)
Multigrain bagel (380 calories 6 g fat) with cream cheese (190 calories 17 g of fat)

McDonald’s

Good Choice

2 scrambled eggs (160 calories 11 g fat)
Hash brown (130 cal 8 g fat)
Traditional Egg muffin (300 calories 12 g fat)

Poor Choice
Deluxe breakfast (1190 calories 61 g fat 101 carbs)
Hot Cakes with margarine and syrup provided (600 calories 17 g fat 104 carbs)

Convenience Stores (WAWA, 7-11)

Good Choice
Fresh fruit cup (75 calories 4 oz) Lite yogurt ( 90 calorie) Fat free cottage cheese12 oz. (210 calories 0 fat)
Single serving Cheerios (100 calories) 4 oz skim milk( 40 calories) and Biscotti (100 calories)
Protein bar (240 calories ) Coffee with milk (30 calories)

Poor Choice
Blueberry Cake donut (380 calories 18 g fat)
Ham and cheese Bagel melt ( 485 calories 13 g fat)

LUNCH AND DINNER

McDonald’s

Good Choice
Cobb salad with grilled chicken (270 calories 11 g fat) and low fat Balsamic dressing (40 calories3 g fat)
Grilled chicken sandwich with no mayonnaise or dressing (320 calories 10 g fat)
Reduced Fat vanilla ice cream (150 calories)

Poor Choice
1/4 pounder double with cheese (770 calories 47 g fat)
Large fries ( 520 calories 25 g fat)
Cobb salad with Crispy Chicken(fried 370 calories 21 g fat) Newman’s Creamy Caesar (190 calories 18 g fat)

KFC

Good Choice
Tender roast Chicken sandwich without sauce (270 cals 5 g fat)
Corn on the Cobb (90 cals) Green beans (132 cals)

Poor Choice
Chicken Pot Pie (830 cals 48 g fat)
Large chicken Popcorn (660 cals 44 g fat)

Burger King

Good Choice
Garden salad with grilled chicken and low-fat honey Dijon dressing(270 calories 9 g fat)
Grilled chicken whopper without mayo (270 cals 6 g fat)

Poor Choice
Double whopper with cheese (1070 cals 70 g fat)
Value fries ( 334 cals 17 g fat)

Wendy’s

Good Choice
Mandarin Chicken salad (150 cals ) fat free dressing (80 cals) - add optional almonds (130 cals 12 g fat and crispy noodles 60 cals 2 g fat)
Side order of Chili (200 cals 6 g fat)

Poor Choice
Big bacon classic burger (580 cals 29g fat)
Chicken club (470 cals 19g fat)

Convenience Stores (WAWA, 7-11)

Good Choice
Healthy choice Roast beef sandwich with mustard or honey mustard sauce (162 cals 2 g fat)
Garden salad with fat free dressing ( 190 cals ) fat free dressing (40 cals)
“Soup at hand” portable tomato soup (100 cals)
Lite yogurt (90 cals)

Visit www.nutritiondata.com if you would like more information on nutritional data for these and many other restaurants. Or go to the websites of each chain and click on or search for “nutrition.”

If you are looking for a program to help you lose weight and feel better schedule a free consultation with me to talk about your goals and challenges.

Jim Hart
Author of The Fat to Muscle Challenge, Personal Training Secrets for Men over 40, and Good to Go: A Recipe Book of Portable Foods.