Healthy Fast Food Options for College Students

When you think of fast food, what comes to mind? At breakfast time, most college students probably think about grabbing an egg Mc muffin or hash browns. If you have a sweet tooth, then you might go for a donut or iced latte with whipped cream. Need a quick lunch, then you will probably end up grabbing a burger with fries and washing it down with a large coke. Dinner is usually pizza with extra cheese, meat or other high fat toppings. In the mood for dessert, then you might just end up at Ben and Jerry’s. But did you know that fast food does not have to be unhealthy? You can eat healthy and still have fast food at every meal. Keep reading for the best healthy fast food options.
If you wake up starving and have a craving for McDonalds try a plain English muffin with a yogurt parfait. Top it off with a small orange juice and you are good to go for the day! You can have all of this for under 400 calories and 5 grams of fat! In the mood for restaurant food, stop into Ihop. They have a just for me menu with lots of great options which are all under 600 calories. You can have blueberry pancakes with topped with bananas and a side of Eggbeaters and turkey bacon all for 560 calories! Sugar free syrup is available as well. They also have whole wheat French toast and buttermilk pancakes. My personal favorite is the veggie omelet with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and swiss cheese. It comes with a side of fruit and you can get OJ, apple or tomato juice to go with it. Breakfast is served all day at Ihop so don’t worry if you like to sleep in!
Lunch and dinner time offer another whole array of possibilities. Across the street from campus, you can get a less than 500 calorie pita stuffed with vegetables, chicken, steak or cold cuts at the Pita Pit. They also feature under 300 calorie smoothies with 3 servings of fruit in each one! Shands Medical Plaza recently opened up a Subway restaurant. There is also one on campus in Reitz Union. You can any sub made into a salad or sub or even under 200 calorie soups in flavors such as chicken noodle and cheesy broccoli! Taco bell has a special Drive through diet menu that features great frosty drinks and low calorie tacos.
Last but not least, don’t forget about dessert. Across from campus is Mochi. They have low fat frozen yogurt with a large selection of healthy and traditional toppings. Don’t forget Dlites for the best soft serve icecream in Gainesville! Its only 50 calories per 4 oz serving ounce and a short drive from campus! As you can see, healthy fast food eating is cheap and not hard to find! Stay tuned for next time when I share more recipes from my husband’s kitchen.