High-Fiber Fast Food

Posted on Dec 7th 2009 2:12PM by Karen Asp

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By Karen Asp

Eating out can wreak havoc on a diet, unless, that is, you load your plate with fiber-rich foods. "With fiber, you get filled up on fewer calories without feeling deprived," says Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., author of 'The F-Factor Diet.' Unfortunately, though, if you're like most Americans, you're eating only nine to 11 grams a day, far short of the 30 to 35 grams Zuckerbrot recommends. To help remedy that, Zuckerbrot's chosen her favorite high-fiber fast foods, all of which combine fiber with protein. "These two nutrients fill you up and take the longest to digest, which when combined, can help you lose and manage weight," she adds. The next time you go out to eat, put these diet-friendly foods on your plate, and then beef up your fiber intake throughout the day. For instance, if you shoot for 15 grams at breakfast, another eight grams at lunch, and eight grams for a snack, plus the fiber from dinner, you'll get what you need.

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Outrageous Fast Food

Domino's BreadBowl Pasta, 3-Cheese Mac-N-Cheese, whole dish

Calories: 1460
Fat: 56 g
Sodium: 2840 mg

You know it's mac and cheese and you know it's surrounded in calorie-loaded carbs, but did you know this deceptive dish counts as two servings? And that's probably why this order puts you near your daily fat allowance and way past the recommended daily salt intake. If you have the willpower -- eat one serving, or half the bowl!
*Note: The nutrition information isn't available on Domino's Web site. AOL Health requested the information from Domino's directly.

Rachel Been, AOL

Domino's BreadBowl Pasta, Chicken Alfredo, whole dish

Calories: 1400
Fat: 50 g
Sodium: 2140 mg

If you're craving chicken alfredo, and you happen to be at Domino's, consider ordering their bread-less version. In comparison it contains a lighter 600 calories, 29 fat grams and 1080 mg of sodium.

*Note: The nutrition information isn't available on Domino's Web site. AOL Health requested the information from Domino's directly.

Rachel Been, AOL

Quiznos Tuna Melt, large

Calories: 1760 calories
Fat: 133 g
Sodium:2120 mg

If you want to stick to the government's health guidelines, eat this over the space of two days or you'll go overboard on fat. And hold the dressing on this one -- it'll save you 370 calories and 40 fat grams. Yikes!

Melanie J. Kramer, AOL

Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich

Calories: 470
Fat: 24 g
Sodium: 930 mg

Don't let the "premium" and "fish" in the name fool you into thinking this new order is lean. For a truly lighter option from Wendy's try the Grilled Chicken Go Wrap, which contains 260 calories, 11 fat grams and 760 mg of sodium.

Rachel Been, AOL

Ruby Tuesday's Boston Blue Burger

Calories: 1466
Fat: 98 g
Sodium: Not available

This burger contains more than a day and a third's worth of fat grams -- or a fat content equivalent to four meals. It also contains about three-fourths of a day's worth of calories, and who knows what Ruby Tuesday's doesn't want you to know about the sodium content!

*Nutrition Information varies by location.

Keith Morrison, AOL

Dunkin' Donuts Waffle Breakfast Sandwich

Calories: 390
Fat: 23 g
Sodium: 1000 mg

While this bad boy doesn't compare to the train wreck of a breakfast platter from McDonald's (see slide 22), do you really want to eat nearly half a day's worth of sodium for breakfast?

Keith Morrison, AOL

Ruby Tuesday's Veggie Burger

Calories: 1007
Fat: 53 g
Sodium: Not available

Okay, this is a tough one to understand. Store-bought veggie patties like those available from Garden Burger, Boca Burger and Morningstar Farms, usually amount to about 100 calories and 5 grams of fat without any fixings. Which begs the question, just what kind of fixings is Ruby Tuesday's adding in? To be fair, this meat-free version is lower in calories and fat than most of the other burger options available from Ruby Tuesday's.

*Nutrition Information varies by location.

Keith Morrison, AOL

Ruby Tuesday's Kids' Mini Turkey Burgers and Fries

Calories: 873
Fat: 46 g
Sodium: Not available

If you're watching your weight while eating out, you might think that the kid's menu is a safe place to order from. That's not necessarily the case at Ruby Tuesday's. While the kids' minis are certainly lighter than their adult counterparts, they also contain about 70 percent of the fat adults should consume in a day.

Note: Dietary recommendations for calorie, fat and sodium intake are not available.

*Nutrition Information varies by location.

Keith Morrison, AOL

Hardee's Monster Thickburger

Calories: 1420
Fat: 108 g
Sodium: 2770 mg

This monster tops out your daily fat and sodium. Talk about scary!

James A. Finley, AP

Burger King Steakhouse Burger

Calories: 950
Fat: 59 g
Sodium: 1950 mg

This new BK burger packs half the calories and nearly all of the sodium and fat you should have in one day. If you eat it, don't even think about ordering a side of fries. A small order would tack on an extra 340 calories, 17 fat grams and 590 mg of sodium.

Keith Morrison, AOL