10 Fast-Food Favorites Made "Healthy" Slideshow
The Big Mac
According to the USDA calorimeter, cutting the Big Mac sauce from the Big Mac eliminates nearly 100 calories (563 to 468). To go one further, the next time you go to McDonald's, ask for your Big Mac without cheese — that's another 100 calories gone from your meal.
McGriddle
For those unfamiliar with the intricacies of this breakfast combination, a McGriddle consists of two pancakes sandwiching sausage, egg, and cheese, a total of 560 calories according to the USDA. For a significant calorie reduction, simplify your breakfast sandwich and choose only one of these fillings. A sausage McGriddle is 421 calories. A McGriddle with only egg brings you down to 340. Make sure to ask for it without the liquid margarine.
The Whopper
A Whopper without cheese brings you down to 678 calories from 790. A tablespoon of mayonnaise is 103 calories, so leave that out for another significant reduction (to 575 calories). That's about as far as you're going to get with the triple Whopper (pictured).
Frosty
Wendy's iconic chocolate milkshake is not so bad on its own, it's their specialty Frosties that pack the punch. For example, a small caramel Frosty shake has a booming 680 calories — have it as a large and that's 1,020 calories in dessert alone! Stick to the tried and true: A junior Frosty is only 170 calories.
Nachos BellGrande
Taco Bell's tower of nachos smothered in beans, sour cream, cheese, ground beef, and diced tomatoes totals 770 calories. Most of these calories are in the cheese and sour cream. Even reduced-fat sour cream has almost 200 calories per 100-gram serving. For low-calorie creaminess and flavor, substitute guacamole (35 calories), or salsa (5 calories) for the cheese and sour cream.
KFC Chicken Meals
Analyzing KFC chicken was a surprisingly intricate process. Calorie counts varied according to the part of the chicken (breast versus wing or thigh), or style of fried chicken. The extra crispy chicken has significantly more calories than the original recipe (compare an extra crispy breast at 568 calories to an original recipe breast at 444). Stick to wings or drumsticks for the lowest calorie counts. For sides, choose green beans, corn, or mashed potatoes.
Pizza Hut Pizza
Pizza Hut already has a "Fit n' Delicious" line of pizzas such as the green pepper, red onion, and diced tomato pizza at 150 calories per slice. For traditional pizzas, choose the thin n' crispy slice instead of stuffed crust, hand-tossed, or personal pan pizzas. The lowest calorie slices are veggie lovers, or ham and pineapple at 240 calories, followed by cheese, pepperoni, or mushroom at 260 calories.
The Big Carl
"Big" is an understatement regarding this iconic burger. The two patties with Carl's Jr. classic sauce, two slices of American cheese, and lettuce and tomato on a toasted sesame bun adds up to 930 calories. As with its counterpart the Big Mac, eliminate the cheese and sauce; that brings it down to 560 calories.
DQ Blizzard
This fast food ice cream treat is a weight explosion waiting to happen. Even mini blizzards pack at least 400-plus calories. Dairy Queen's nutritional information is disappointing compared to the details provided by other fast food chains, so our advice is to stick to the banana split mini-size blizzard and do your best to customize it at the drive-thru. Take out some of the toppings, such as fudge syrup (133 calories per two tablespoons according to the USDA), to carve down the calories even more.
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich
The 430 calories in Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich are not a lot compared to what's in many other fast food specialties, but it provides a perfect example of how altering the way something is cooked can cause a dramatic change in calories. The sandwich is a simple construction of breaded chicken patty, pickle, and bun. The calories are in the chicken itself, not any of the optional extra toppings. Take a look at the chain's char-grilled chicken sandwich at 290 calories instead. If you want the classic version, keep it simple and, for the lowest possible calorie count, don't add any sauces or condiments.