Best restaurants for eating healthy
Chipotle, Wendy's, Panera and these chains have the healthiest menu options
Chipotle chief people officer Marissa Andrada on expanding education benefits for workers.
Eating healthy at fast-food restaurants isn’t always easy.
Meals from fast-food chains can have significantly more calories compared to eating at home, research shows. That’s why chains have made an effort to include lower-calories ingredients and adding whole foods to menus to cater to shifting consumer preferences for better-for-you meals on the go.
A burrito bowl at Chipotle is one of the chain's healthier options. (Chipotle).
And eaters are willing to pay more for them, considering 31 percent of consumers say they are committed to health and wellness choices in their foods, according to a 2019 survey from Deloitte. More than 60 percent of consumers said they spend up to 30 percent of their average monthly grocery budget on fresh food.
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Here are some of the healthiest options at fast-food chains for diners:
Chipotle
Chipotle has vowed to serve food with non-genetically modified ingredients and only uses local ingredients with antibiotic-free meats from nationally raised animals for its signature items like burritos and tacos.
Carne asada bowl at Chipotle. (Chipotle)
A burrito with carnitas, brown rice, pinto beans, tomato salsa, cheese, and guacamole is around 1,235 calories, according to EatingWell.com. However, opting for a salad or bowl instead of a burrito can trim down the calorie count by 320 calories and 600 mg of sodium. And subbing in lettuce for rice can also save eaters 210 calories.
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Wendy’s
While this Ohio-based chain is known for its burgers, the grilled chicken sandwich could be a healthier option. At just 380 calories and 10 grams of fat, the sandwich packs on protein. And the chain’s chicken wrap is even fewer calories — 300.
PANERA BREAD LAUNCHES COFFEE SUBSCRIPTION FOR $9 A MONTH
Panera
This fast-casual chain is known for serving fresh, whole foods and a variety of healthy vegetables. The Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich, for example, is 280 calories and 6 grams of fat.
Panera Bread.
Subway
Subway sandwich. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A turkey and provolone cheese sandwich on six-inch whole-wheat sub comes in at 340 calories with 8 grams of fat. To keep it on the better-for-you side, opt-out of caloric condiments like mayo which can take on 1,000 mg of sodium.