15 Fast-Food Restaurants That Serve Healthy Foods

Healthy eating and fast food don't always go together in most of our minds; however, a lot of these chain restaurants have made significant efforts by incorporating healthier alternatives into their best-selling menu options.
With more customers opting for vegan and vegetarian diets, fast-food restaurants have had to cut calories. Even though you might think that it's just salads and wraps, turns out there are healthier alternatives, even for your favorite burgers and sandwiches.
The following are 15 fast-food chain restaurants that serve healthy food:
1. Chipotle
Titled as one of the healthiest fast food options in the US, Chipotle is a Mexican grill restaurant that specializes in tacos, burritos, and bowls. Chipotle uses local and fresh ingredients with no processed or artificial additives. However, you can stack up on your calories if you don't pay attention.
So, choose the healthier options from the menu and avoid chips & tortillas. Go for a bowl and add your favorite protein from the menu. Skip the rice, cheese and sour cream to keep your meal light but tasty.
Healthy Options: Vegetarian Burrito Bowl, The Wholesome Bowl, Three Steak Tacos
Locations: US, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France
2. Subway
Subway has a dedicated section in the menu for its health-conscious demographic, Fresh Fit. Since you can customize your subs, it is easier to find make your subs rich in fiber.
Start with choosing a lean protein like turkey or chicken with a ton of veggies. You can also skip the bread altogether and go for salads. Alternatives for white bread are also available with multigrain and artisan flatbreads.
Healthy Options: Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki, Veggie Delite, Oven Roasted Turkey
Locations: 37000 locations in more than 100 countries
3. Chick-fil-A
What sets Chick-fil-A apart from other fast-food chains is its variety of chicken, making it easier to opt for a healthier version. Also, their menu consists of soup, salads, and sandwiches, so you can always find something else when you're not in the mood for chicken.
Choosing grilled options instead of deep-fried ones and avoiding bread can make your current faves less unhealthy. They have added menu items like kale sides, yogurt parfait and grilled sandwiches as nutritious items.
Healthy Options: Chick-fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Egg White Grill
Locations: 47 states in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico
4. Panera Bread
Bread might not seem like the healthiest food to most of all, but Panera Bread doesn't just have bread. Its menu consists of Low Carbon Menu options and a Special Diet menu for the health-conscious.
If you really want the bread, they have whole-grain bread which is amazing with a spread of mayo and spicy mustard. Also, go for Green Passion Smoothie instead for the sweetened teas and cold brew.
Healthy Options: Green Goddess Caprese Melt, Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, Teriyaki Chicken & Broccoli Bowl
Locations: US and Canada
5. Native Foods
Native Foods is a plant-based vegan fast-casual restaurant that serves burgers, nachos, metaballs, and subs; all of these are healthy and quite tasty. It might not be the first thing that comes to your mind when we say fast food, but it definitely is a viable option.
Since the options are customizable, the foods can work for many specific diet plans. The food might seem a little expensive than your average fast food, but the local and fresh ingredients are guaranteed.
Healthy Options: Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich, Sesame Kale Macro Bowl, Chicken Tenders
Locations: California, Oregon, Colorado, and Illinois
6. Starbucks
Most of the regular Starbucks items are unhealthy because they are high in calories and sugar. However, there are healthier drink and food options available. For a healthy go-to breakfast, food items range from sandwiches, oatmeal to wraps. Even though Starbucks is a coffee spot, the food and snack section is more interesting than you might think.
Healthy Options: Starbucks Chai Tea, Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte
Locations: 33,833 locations in 80 countries
7. Quiznos
Like Subway, Quiznos also specializes in customizable subs, which are convenient for anyone looking for healthy food. Their most famous menu item is also the healthiest, which is saying quite a lot about the nutritious value of their food.
The Spicy Monterey comes with oven-roasted turkey breast, smoked ham, cheese, and fresh veggies. You can always skip the cheese and also select a healthier bread option. Besides, they have soups and salads that will fill your appetite with plenty of fiber.
Healthy options: Spicy Monterey, Broccoli Cheese soup, Veggie Guacamole
Locations: 176 locations in the US
8. MOD Pizza
As the only pizza fast food restaurant on this list, MOD Pizza uses fresh ingredients and low-calorie meals. Customers even have the option to choose gluten-free crust on their pizzas. Even though they started as a healthier option for athletes, they now have 500 locations in the US.
They even have healthy options for sauces with BBQ sauces, pesto, and garlic rub options. You can add veggies of your choice from Spinach, arugula, broccoli, artichoke, and many others. Since it is customizable, you can choose your protein depending on your diet.
Healthy Options: Mini Calexico Pizza, Deluxe Salad, Ella Pizza
Locations: 561 locations in the US and one in Canada
9. Au Bon Pain
As a bakery-style fast food chain, Au Bon Pain has fixed and rotating seasonal items on the menu. They serve sandwiches, salads and soup with varying calories and flavors. They recently introduced their section of low-carb soups and salads.
For sandwiches, they have whole grain bread that increases your fiber count. This is a place for all with desserts, entrès, and drinks that will fill you up without the guilt.
Healthy Options: Bon To Go Smoked Salmon, Superfood Cranberry Almond Hot Cereal, Vegetarian Deluxe Salad
Locations: 106 locations in US
10. Taco Bell
Taco Bell has made sticking to the diet goal quite easier for its customers with an entire page in the menu dedicated to healthy meals. They also allow a further calorie cut via Fesco Style, where your favorite menu items can skip mayo, cheese, and sour cream.
They use freshly cut tomatoes as a common topping. Fresco Style cuts down the calories by almost half. Taco Bell also has a nutrition calculator for customers who want to keep their daily calories in check. Their vegetarian options are also diverse and flavorful for those cutting down on meat.
Healthy Options: Burrito Supreme Fresco Style, Veggie Power Menu Bowl, Soft Taco Supreme
Locations: 8,218 locations in 32 countries
11. McDonald's
McDonald's is the largest food chain in the world and mostly consists of highly processed and unhealthy food. However, the food giant is making significant efforts to introduce healthy alternatives.
The healthy options contain chicken as the source of protein, mostly grilled. It has also added a number of salads, vegetables and fruits to the menu to attract health-nut customers. Since McDonald's is available in more than 115 countries, the menu items and thus the nutrition value of the meals are different throughout the world.
Healthy Options: Fruit and Maple Oatmeal, Sausage Burrito, Grilled Chicken Salad
Locations: 119 countries worldwide
12. Dairy Queen
Even though many only think of Dairy Queen for its icecreams, its menu is quite large and contains food items like burgers, chicken, and grilled items. They also have smoothies for humid days and some healthy sundaes. They reveal the nutrition data on your meals as well as ice creams.
Healthy Options: Chocolate Sundae, Rotisserie Style Chicken Bite Salad, Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Locations: 5,700 locations worldwide
13. Wendy’s
Wendy’s was recently awarded the title of the top fast food chain in the US, so it is interesting that it made it to this list. The burgers and fried chicken might not be the best option if you're on a diet, but there are salads, wraps, and healthy drink options.
Their most popular item on the menu, The Baconator, however, doesn't have a healthy alternative. But you can go for the Jr. Cheeseburger that has fewer calories, and you can always stack up on the lettuce for more fiber.
Healthy options: Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap, Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad, Wendy's Chili
Locations: 7,095 locations worldwide
14. Arby's
With mostly sandwiches containing beef and pork on the menu, Arby's might not be your first thought if you want healthy food. However, there are some items that have fewer calories and all the flavor.
You can also opt for extra veggies with more tomatoes, lettuce, and onions to fill up your stomach and increase your fiber intake. They also have salad sandwich options which are low on calories but quite filling.
Healthy Options: Pecan chicken salad sandwich, Cravin’ chicken (roast), Roast beef classic
Locations: 3,404 locations in the US
15. In-n-Out
In-n-Out has the second healthiest cheeseburger in the US, with a rating of 8.2/10. However, that is not all when it comes to healthier options at this beloved fast food chain. The protein-style option at the restaurant allows you to add lettuce instead of bread to your favorite burger.
The flavourful beef patty with regular condiments makes this a more than viable healthy option. Opt for a smaller portion of the food with small fries and milkshakes to reduce your calorie intake.
Healthy Options: Protein Style Hamburger with Onion, Small French Fries
Locations: 387 locations in the US
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