--- title: Opt for These Healthy Options From Popular Chain Restaurant Menus description: The best and worst options from popular restaurants canonical: https://time.com/3894419/healthy-food-restaurant-menu/ author: Cooking Light article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-22T17:10:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:57:03.137Z og:title: How to Stay Healthy While Eating at Chain Restaurants og:description: The best and worst options from popular restaurants og:url: https://time.com/3894419/healthy-food-restaurant-menu/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How to Stay Healthy While Eating at Chain Restaurants twitter:description: The best and worst options from popular restaurants twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # How to Stay Healthy While Eating at Chain Restaurants by [Elizabeth Laseter / Cooking Light](/author/cooking-light/) ## Elizabeth Laseter / Cooking Light May 22, 2015 5:10 PM CUT by [Elizabeth Laseter / Cooking Light](/author/cooking-light/) ## Elizabeth Laseter / Cooking Light May 22, 2015 5:10 PM CUT Making smart choices when dining out is not as difficult as you might think. Research the restaurant’s nutrition information in advance, so you know what to avoid. More than likely, the culprit is portion size—so ask if a dish can be halved or check to see if a lunch portion is available. In general, stick to grilled, baked, or steamed dishes over fried, choose leaner proteins such as chicken, fish, or sirloin steak, and load up on the veggies. With the [Cooking Light Diet](https://www.cookinglightdiet.com/?utm%5Fsource=un%5Fsite%5Fros%5Fck%5F20150218%5Fcontextual "undefined"), you can enjoy delicious homemade meals, and eat at your favorite restaurants when you choose foods like these in your calorie range. ### Arby’s **Do:** **Junior Roast Beef Sandwich**Cal: 210, Fat: 8g, Sat Fat: 2.5g, Sodium: 530mg or **Roast Beef Classic Sandwich** (without Arby’s Sauce) Cal: 360, Fat: 14g, Sat Fat: 5g, Sodium: 970mg **Don’t:**One small packet of mayo-based **Horsey Sauce** adds 50 calories, 5g of fat, and 160mg of sodium. Choose **barbecue-flavored Arby’s Sauce** instead. ### Chick-Fil-A **Do:** **Grilled Chicken Sandwich** Cal: 320, Fat: 5g, Sat Fat: 2g, Sodium: 800mg with a **Fruit Cup** **(medium)** Cal: 50, Fat: 0g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 0mg **Don’t:** With 430 calories, 22g of fat, and 1370mg of sodium (all before salad dressing!), Chick-Fil-A’s **Chicken Cobb Salad** is a poor choice. Opt for a salad that avoids fried chicken nuggets, bacon, and cheese, such as the Grilled Market Salad. ### Chipotle **Do:** **Kid’s Steak Tacos with 2 Soft Corn Tortillas, Fajita Vegetables, Cheese & Chips** _Cal: 380, Fat: 11g, Sat Fat: 3g, Sodium: 350mg_ Or **Chicken Tacos** **with 3 Soft Corn Tortillas, Lettuce, Cheese & Tomato Salsa** _Cal: 515, Fat: 7g, Sat Fat: 3g, Sodium: 1030mg_ **Don’t:** When it comes to tacos, fajitas, or quesadillas, choose corn tortillas whenever possible. **Flour tortillas**—even whole-wheat varieties—are usually higher in calories, fat, and sodium. ### California Pizza Kitchen **Do:** **Kid’s Traditional Cheese Pizza** Cal: 560, Fat: 12g, Sat Fat: 6g, Sodium: 1180mg **Don’t:** CPK’s pizzas strike out in nearly every category—they are all loaded with calories, fat, and sodium. The**Thai Chicken Pizza** may look like more salad than pizza, but it has 1290 calories, 45g of fat, 15g of saturated fat, and 3190mg of sodium. Even halving this pizza still sets you back significantly. ### Domino’s Pizza **Do:** **Small Cheese Pizza with Chicken with Spinach & Mushroom Marinara Sauce & Hand-Tossed Crust** Cal: 380, Fat: 11g, Sat Fat: 4g, Sodium: 810mg **Don’t:** When ordering pizza, use your common sense. Any pizza likened to a **cheeseburger** or **Philly Cheesesteak** is probably not a smart choice. We recommend building your own pizza using the menu’s healthiest ingredients. Beef, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and extra-cheese are the greatest fat and sodium offenders, so opt for leaner proteins such as chicken or ham, and make sure to pile on the veggies! ### Jack in the Box **Do:** **Hamburger** Cal: 280, Fat: 11g, Sat Fat: 4g, Sodium: 620mg with a **Side Salad** Cal: 20, Fat: 0g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 10mg with **Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing** Cal: 30, Fat: 1.5g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 350mg **Don’t:** After 9 p.m., Jack in the Box offers**“Munchie Meals”** menu. Most of the options are overloaded with fat and sodium. The worst offender—Loaded Nuggets—has 760 calories, 56g of fat, and 2030mg of sodium. Stick to the regular menu. ### Jason’s Deli **Do:** **Half Mediterranean Wrap** Cal: 180, Fat: 5g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 610mg with a **Fruit Cup** Cal: 60, Fat: 0g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 0mg and **Steamed Veggies** Cal: 60, Fat: 0g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 55mg **Don’t:** If you’re eyeing a sandwich with the word **“club”** in its title, think twice. A club sandwich might be tasty, but it’s little more than a fat and sodium bomb. Jason’s Deli’s version, the **California Club Sandwich**, piles guacamole on top of roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, bacon, and mayo, and clocks in at 770 calories, 52g of fat, 19g of saturated fat, and 1400mg of sodium. Yikes! ### McDonald’s **Do:** **Egg White Delight** Cal: 250, Fat: 8g, Sat Fat: 3g, Sodium: 770mg or **Egg McMuffin** Cal: 300, Fat: 13g, Sat Fat: 5g, Sodium: 750mg with **Clementines** Cal: 40, Fat: 0g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 0mg **Don’t:** McDonald’s offers several healthy breakfast options, but the **Steak & Egg Biscuit**, with 540 calories, 32g of fat, 16g, of saturated fat, and 1470mg of sodium, is not one of them. The Egg McMuffin is a much healthier choice. ### Olive Garden **Do:** **Baked Tilapia with Shrimp** Cal: 360, Fat: 12g, Sat Fat: 6g, Sodium: 980mg **Don’t:** Olive Garden’s **Cucina Mia menu** allows customers to create their own pasta dishes from a selection of noodles, sauces, and proteins. In theory, this sounds like a smart choice. However, a simple combination of Cavatappi pasta, Five-Cheese Marinara sauce, and grilled chicken has 1080 calories, 49g of fat, 22g of saturated fat, and 1510mg of sodium. Stick to smaller portions, such as the lunch-size Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. ### Panera Bread **Do:** **Power Steak Lettuce Wraps** Cal: 230, Fat: 10g, Sat Fat: 4g, Sodium: 250mg or **Half Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT on Sourdough** Cal: 250, Fat: 9g, Sat Fat: 2g, Sodium: 490mg with **Fresh Fruit Cup** Cal: 60, Fat: 0g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 15mg **Don’t:** We often associate Mediterranean flavors with health, but the **Greek with Chicken Salad (with Greek-Herb Vinaigrette)** has 710 calories, 58g of fat, 13g of saturated fat, and 1620mg of sodium. Opt for a different salad dressing, such as reduced fat balsamic, and ask for it on the side. ### Red Lobster **Do:** **Oven-Broiled Wild-Caught Flounder/Sole** Cal: 340, Fat: 8g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 460mg with a **Plain Baked Potato** Cal: 200, Fat: 0.5g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 310mg and **Broccoli** Cal: 50, Fat: 0.5g, Sat Fat: 0g, Sodium: 105mg **Don’t:** **The Cheddar Bay Biscuits** are delicious, so indulge with one—but stop after that. Each biscuit has 160 calories, 10g of fat, 3g of saturated fat, and 380mg of sodium. ### T.G.I. Friday’s **Do:** **Thai Pork Tacos**Cal: 280, Fat: 14g, Sat Fat: 3.5g, Sodium: 700mg or **BBQ Chicken Flatbread**Cal: 460, Fat: 23g, Sat Fat: 8g, Sodium: 790mg **Don’t:** The majority of T.G.I. Fridays’ signature **Jack Daniel’s-glazed items** are sodium bombs—the burger has 4040mg, the chicken sandwich has 2770mg, and the ribs has 3220mg! The plainer, the better. Order a simple steak “From the Grill” to save on calories, fat, and sodium. ### Subway **Do:** **6” Turkey Breast on 9-Grain Wheat with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onion, Green Peppers & Cucumbers** Cal: 280, Fat: 3.5g, Sat Fat: 1g, Sodium: 670mg or **Double Chicken Chopped Salad**(without dressing) Cal: 220, Fat: 4.5g, Sat Fat: 1.5g, Sodium: 490mg **Don’t:** **The 6” Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt** sub has 570 calories, 28g of fat, 10g of sat fat, and 1050mg of sodium. Stick to the “6 Grams of Fat or Less” menu. ### Tim Hortons **Do:** **Oatmeal with Mixed Berries** Cal: 210, Fat: 3g, Sat Fat: 0.5g, Sodium: 220mg **Don’t:** Timbits—Tim Horton’s version of doughnut holes—give you much more bang for your buck than the traditional doughnuts. Four Apple Fritter Timbits have significantly less calories, fat, and sodium than one **Apple Fritter Donut!** ### Dairy Queen **Do:** **Grilled Chicken Garden Greens Salad** Cal: 150, Fat: 2g, Sat Fat: 0.5g, Sodium: 730mg with **Light Ranch Dressing** Cal: 80, Fat: 4.5, Sat Fat: 0.5g, Sodium: 330mg **Don’t:** **Dairy Queen’s Veggie Quesadilla Basket** sounds harmless, but it’s loaded with calories, fat, and sodium. Cut the damage by eating only half of the quesadillas, skipping the sour cream, and substituting a side salad for the onion rings. _This_ [_article_](http://www.cookinglight.com/healthy-living/weight-loss/healthy-restaurant-choices "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_CookingLight.com_](http://www.cookinglight.com/ "undefined")_._ _More from CookingLight.com:_ * [Best and Worst Restaurant Salads](http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/best-worst-restaurant-salads-video?xid=TIME-ckl "undefined") * [Best Restaurant Lunches](http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/healthy-restaurant-lunches?xid=TIME-ckl "undefined") * [Best Fast Food Sandwiches](http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/best-fast-food-burgers?xid=TIME-ckl "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3894419/healthy-food-restaurant-menu/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3894419/healthy-food-restaurant-menu/"},"headline":"How to Stay Healthy While Eating at Chain Restaurants","datePublished":"2015-05-22T17:10:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:57:03.137Z","description":"The best and worst options from popular restaurants","url":"https://time.com/3894419/healthy-food-restaurant-menu/","keywords":["Living","Food & Drink","Fast Food","Diet & Nutrition","Healthy Eating"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Elizabeth Laseter / Cooking Light"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-living/","name":"Living"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3894419/healthy-food-restaurant-menu/","name":"How to Stay Healthy While Eating at Chain Restaurants"}}]}] ```