Fast Food Meals Under 500 Calories

And we're back with the weekly information from Men's Health... this week it's:

The Best Fast Food Meals Under 500 Calories

Arby’s

Super Roast Beef Sandwich with Arby’s sauce
with Fruit Cup, and a 20 oz Diet Pepsi

448 calories
19 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,272 mg sodium

Replacing some of your daily carbohydrates with red meat can lower blood pressure. This sandwich combines roast beef, tomatoes, and lettuce, and subs out mayo for a tasty, low-cal spicy pepper sauce.

Burger King

Whopper Jr. without Mayo
with Garden Salad and Large Minute Maid Light Lemonade

375 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
1,235 mg sodium

Save 17 grams of fat by opting for barbecue sauce instead of mayo. At 160 calories a schmear, BK’s mayo is one of the worst in the fast food world. Still feeling hungry after the last bite? Order another Garden Salad. You’ll still take in fewer calories than if you had consumed a small order of fries.

Carl’s Jr.

Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
with Side Salad with Low Fat Balsamic Dressing, and Medium Iced Tea

445 calories
8.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat)
1,690 mg sodium

Barbecue sauce and a mound of fresh produce keep this meal in the safe zone.

Cosi

Bombay Chicken Salad
with Fat-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette and a cup of Pollo e Pasta Soup (6 oz), and Gigante Iced Tea

327 calories
5 g fat (2 g saturated fat)
1,489 mg sodium

Skip the free flatbread that comes with your salad, even if it’s whole grain. Both the whole grain and the original kind pack a whopping 49 grams of carbs and 740 mg of sodium. Spring for a small fruit salad instead.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Ham, Egg & Cheese English Muffin Sandwich
with Hot Latte Lite (10 oz)

380 calories
10 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
1,335 mg sodium

English muffins have a fraction of the carbohydrates of a bagel, and none of the trans fats of the donuts and croissants.

Hardee’s

Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and a 20 oz Iced Tea

433 calories
9 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
1,865 mg sodium

Yes, you can have a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and still fall short of the 500-calorie barrier. It would take more than three servings of this smart side to total the calorie count in a small order of fries.

Jack in the Box

Chicken Fajita Pita
with Side Salad with Fire Roasted Salsa, and a 20 oz Fresh Brewed Iced Tea

340 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
1,295 mg sodium

Loaded with fresh veggies in a fairly harmless pita vessel, this is the healthiest entrée available at Jacks, hands down.

KFC

3 Crispy Strips
with Green Beans and 3” Corn on the Cob, and a Medium Diet Pepsi

470 calories
22 g fat (4 g saturated fat)
1,820 mg sodium

Order a side of green beans for a good source of vitamins K, A, and C—key players in maintaining strong bones and reducing cancer-causing free radicals.

McDonald’s

Quarter Pounder (without Cheese)
with a Side Salad with Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, and a Medium Iced Tea

470 calories
22 g fat (7 g saturated fat)
1,486 mg sodium

Sans cheese, the Quarter Pounder has a good balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Paired with a side salad and iced tea, it makes a reasonable meal.

Pizza Hut

Two Slices Thin ‘N Crispy Pizza (12”) with Quartered Ham & Pineapple, and Medium Diet Coke

360 calories
12 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,160 mg sodium

Regardless of which pizza chain you pledge your allegiance to, ham ad pineapple is one of the most trusted combinations you can order. Ham is the leanest meat you can put on a pie, while pineapple adds low-cal sweetness and a dose of antioxidants.

Quiznos

Small Honey Bourbon Chicken on Wheat Bread
with a Cup of Chili, and bottle of water

450 calories
11 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
1,540 mg sodium

Opt for the honey bourbon mustard sauce over mayo or creamy dressings to add flavor without guilt.

Subway

6-inch Double Roast Beef Sub
with Veggie Delite Salad with Fat-Free Italian Dressing and Medium Iced Tea

455 calories
8 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat)
2,100 mg sodium

Even with twice the meat—and double the protein—this sandwich still has only a fraction of the fat found in Subway alternatives like gloppy, mayo-based tuna salad.

Taco Bell

wo Grilled Steak Soft Tacos, Fresco Style
with Pintos ‘n Cheese, and a bottle of water

480 calories
15 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,770 mg sodium

Order almost any menu item “fresco” style and the Bell boys will replace cheese and sauces with a chunky tomato salsa, cutting calories and fat by at least 25 percent.

Wendy’s

Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich
with Side Salad with Light Classic Ranch Dressing, and Medium Iced Tea

445 calories
15 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
1,335 mg sodium

This is the healthiest sandwich on the menu, serving up a fillet with only 1.5 grams of fat. Don’t order your chicken spicy: That’s their cue to fry rather than grill your bird, tacking on extra 9.5 fat grams.

Soooo - does this mean that you can't get out of Chick-Fil-A, Sonic, or Schlotzky's for 500 calories?