24 Surprisingly Healthy Fast Foods

Kentucky Fried Chicken Picks

Is the drive-thru the fast lane to a heart attack? On the one hand, it's true: One slipup ("okay, sure, I'll take the large fries and apple pie with that") and you can add more than 800 high-in-saturated-fat calories to your takeout. But there is good news. Some of the burgers, sides, sandwiches, and even desserts aren't as bad for you as you might think. In fact, some are downright light! Here are 24 fast-food picks that are all figure-friendly -- unless of course you order them all at once.

120 calories
4.5g fat, 1g saturated fat
Even when made with milk and butter (some KFCs use these ingredients; others don't), mashed is always better than fried. Don't worry about the gravy; it adds only a few calories and just half a gram of fat.

140 calories
8g fat, 2g saturated fat
Order one regular drumstick (avoid the Extra Crispy, which is just fast-food speak for "extra high in saturated and trans fats"), and fill up on the chain's better-for-you sides, such as corn on the cob, baked beans, or a small helping of the next two choices on our list.

180 calories
9g fat, 1.5g saturated fat
Made with red bell peppers, onions, celery, and about a tablespoon of mayo, this is a tasty, trans-fat-free alternative to the deep-fried Potato Wedges.

190 calories
11g fat, 2g saturated fat
Cole slaw's two main ingredients have a lot going for them: Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber; carrots are chock-full of vitamins A, K, and C and potassium.

300 calories
6g fat, 1.5g saturated fat
Don't let the thick, sweet sauce fool you: This Southern specialty is actually the lowest-calorie full-size sandwich on the menu.

McDonald's Picks

4 pieces, 220 calories
10g fat, 2g saturated fat
The sauce is low in calories and sodium. But since you get only four measly nuggets, go ahead and add a Fruit & Walnut Salad (310 calories, with yogurt dressing) for additional sustenance.

260 calories
9g fat, 3.5g saturated fat
This less-than-two-ounce burger is pretty small, so it's one of the diet-friendliest sandwiches in the biz. Pair it with a Side Salad drizzled with a packet of Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette (60 calories total) and a bottle of water.

300 calories
12g fat, 4.5g saturated fat
With its lean Canadian-style bacon and English muffin, this breakfast sandwich is a better choice than the 500-calorie Sausage Biscuit with Egg.

370 calories
16g fat, 3.5g saturated fat
Its size and small portion of mayo mean this crispy, fried sandwich is lower in calories than the grilled-chicken options.

Taco Bell Picks

150 calories
7g fat, 2.5g saturated fat
When you ask for your meal Fresco Style, you get fresh salsa (packed with cancer-fighting lycopene) instead of fatty cheese and sauce. Pair your taco with a safe but filling side (like beans or rice), so you won't be hungry again before you leave the parking lot.

170 calories
5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat
Although red meat does deliver a little fat, it also adds protein, zinc, iron, and vitamin B12.

200 calories
6g fat, 1g saturated fat
A flat corn shell topped with fiber-rich beans, Fiesta salsa, tangy red sauce, and lettuce makes a healthy taco alternative.

270 calories
10g fat, 2.5g saturated fat
Not all our picks come from the healthier Fresco Style menu. This one is smothered in cheese but still manages to squeeze in under 300 calories.

Pizza Hut and Wendy's Picks

2 slices, 340 calories
9g fat, 4g saturated fat
A dietitian's dream: thin crust, lean chicken, and vegetable toppings, plus half the cheese of the regular Thin 'N Crispy Pizza.

1 slice, 220 calories
6g fat, 3g saturated fat
One slice is sometimes just as satisfying as more, as long as it has a thick crust and a full allotment of cheese. Though not quite as light as the Fit 'N Delicious, the Hut's Hand-Tossed pies are still lower in calories than its deep-dish pan pizzas.

280 calories
9g fat, 3.5g saturated fat
This junior-size sandwich is almost as low-cal as the McDonald's burger. Skip the side of fries and have a Low-Fat Strawberry Flavored Yogurt with Granola Topping (250 calories) for dessert.

330 calories
9g fat, 3.5g saturated fat
Packed with folate-, iron- and fiber-rich beans, the 12-ounce serving will fill you up. Round out your meal with a Mandarin Orange Cup (80 calories).

360 calories
7g fat, 1.5g saturated fat
It has half the fat of Wendy's other non-burger sandwiches, thanks to Honey Mustard Sauce instead of mayo and grilling instead of deep-frying.

6 Diet-Friendly Desserts

150 calories
3.5g fat, 2g saturated fat
With their velvety vanilla flavor, McDonald's perfectly sized cones don't taste like they're made with reduced-fat ice cream -- but thank goodness they are!

160 calories
5g fat, 1g saturated fat
The airy puffed corn underneath all the cinnamon and sugar makes this treat guilt-free.

160 calories
4g fat, 2.5g saturated fat
Thicker than a milk shake but thinner than a sundae, the four-ounce Jr. Frosty packs plenty of satisfaction into a quarter-pint cup.

200 calories
6g fat, 4g saturated fat
With significantly fewer calories than most other KFC desserts, this is one sweet find.

1 slice, 240 calories
3.5g fat, 0.5g saturated fat
It's not as virtuous as a bowl of cherries, but Pizza Hut's dessert pie has half the calories and less than a quarter of the fat of homemade cherry pie.

240 calories
9g fat, 2.5g saturated fat
Traditional shortening- or butter-packed crusts make home-baked lemon meringue pie a dieter's nightmare. But KFC's lemon meringue has fewer than three grams of artery-clogging saturated fat, putting it a slice above the rest.

5 Drive-Thru Disasters

You'll need to order a side of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs with any of these artery-clogging menu items.

1. Wendy's Big Bacon Classic: 580 calories, 29g fat, 12g saturated fat
2. McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 730 calories, 40g fat, 19g saturated fat
3. KFC Chicken Pot Pie: 770 calories, 40g fat, 15g saturated fat
4. Burger King Triple Whopper with Cheese: 1,230 calories, 82g fat, 32g saturated fat
5. Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad: 860 calories, 46g fat, 14g saturated fat

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, July 2006.