9 Healthy Fast Food Menu Items That Still Taste Amazing

Healthy fast food might sound like a joke, but we're not kidding! When you're eating healthy, it only makes sense that you’d want to spend your cheat day gorging on some Starbucks. But you don’t want to totally spoil those good habits, right? Fast food isn’t the best when it comes to fresh ingredients and nutrients, but sometimes you just NEED to indulge. So when you find you can’t fight those greasy, salty cravings, here’s a list of options from your go-to fast food joints to make sure your treat yo’self day is at least kind of healthy.

Chipotle Burrito Bowl

You can order a burrito bowl to save on carbs and calories, but just because your meal is resting on a bed of lettuce instead of a tortilla, doesn’t automatically make it good for you. The cheese and sour cream are where the calories really add up at Chipotle, so load up on extra veggies instead of all that dairy (or let the guac be your indulgent ingredient instead.) You can also give yourself an extra serving of protein by asking for a scoop of black or pinto beans.

Plain Ol’ Shake Shack Hamburger

Surprisingly, Shake Shack’s vegetarian option, the ‘Shroom Burger, is not the healthiest option on the menu. You’re better off having a standard Hamburger (note: not the ShackBurger, which comes with cheese and special sauce). It’s higher in fat than your standard ground beef patty, but not terrible at 17g. Plus, it’s a good source of protein and low on carbs, and you have the option of adding fresh lettuce, tomato and pickles. For a drink, skip the milkshake (which is practically a meal itself) and opt for unsweetened iced tea — or better yet: water — instead.

Papa John’s Garden Fresh Pizza

Who can say how fresh those veggies really are, but hey, at least you’re getting some greens with all that cheese. Limit yourself to two slices of this vegetarian pie, and really anytime you have pizza; keep in mind that you should try to avoid too much sodium in your other meals that day.

Starbucks Egg & Gouda Protein Box

If you’re getting anything fancier than a latte at Starbucks, chances are your coffee order is giving you way more than enough sugar already. So, if you’re craving a snack to go with it, avoid the temptation of pastries (mmm, cake pops), and fill up on this neat little package of fruit, cheese and hardboiled eggs instead.

Image via Natural Chef Carolyn Nicholas/Unsplash

Panera Thai Chicken Soup

Instead of ordering a sandwich that's full of bread, cheese, and mayo, consider ordering a soup instead. Carrots, mushrooms, and peppers add flavor to this dish *and* make it a little extra healthy. Once you taste the Thai yellow coconut curry broth, you'll totally forget it's dairy-free.

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This post has been updated.