KFC
What to Order:
- The Original Fillet Burger is the best option with the lowest calories at 396 calories.
- The Zinger Burger is another good option because it’s high in protein 425 calories.
Extra Info:
Go for something small, like a slider and fill up with a side of salad with no dressing or veggies.
McDonalds
What to Order:
- The Grilled Chicken Salad with no dressing is lowest in calories at 196 calories.
- The Hamburger is the best of the smaller burgers at 252 calories.
- Fillet O’Fish is another good option at only 338 calories.
- If you’re after a bigger burger, the Grilled Chicken Clubhouse is a good option at 523 calories.
- For beef, the McFeast is a good option at around 534 calories.
Extra Info:
Cut the calories even further by asking for your burger wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead.
Oporto
What to Order:
- The Single Fillet Bondi Burger is the least fatty, lowest calorie burger at 416 calories.
- The Chicken Taca Bowl is a well-balanced meal with a good amount of protein at 429 calories.
Extra Info:
Be careful, the veggie burger contains a fried patty, lots of cheese and creamy sauce.
The Corner Shop
What to Order:
- A grilled steak and salad sandwich or a grilled chicken burger loaded up with salad at around 400-500 calories.
- 1 thigh of BBQ chicken and 2 cups of salad will only set you back around 270 calories.
Extra Info:
Avoid the dagwood dogs, chiko rolls and battered seafood sticks, they’re loaded with calories, fat and sodium!
Dominos Pizza
What to Order:
- The best option, calorie-wise is actually the Penne Pasta with roasted chicken, mushrooms and vine ripened tomatoes at 404 calories.
- If you must have pizza, then a thin crust pizza with lots of veggies like the Vegorama is best. Four pieces of Vegorama on thin crust is 556 calories.
Extra info:
Steer clear of deep pan pizzas, stuffed crust and meat lovers.
Sumo Salad
What to Order:
- Pumpkin and cous cous salad, Asian greens salad or the warm Thai beef salad are the best options at between 220-250 calories.
- Of the soups, kale quinoa & vegetable soup (only 97 calories), hearty beef & vegetable soup, Italian chicken & minestrone or pumpkin soup at around 100-200 for a small serving.
Extra info:
Choose a salad with a base of leafy greens as these are generally the lowest calorie options.
Red Rooster
What to Order:
- The Classic Roast (quarter chicken) is a good option if you ask for breast meat and remove the skin, with a garden salad added, it’s only 211 calories total.
- Roast veggies like carrot, pumpkin and peas as a side are a great option (just avoid the potato and gravy) at only 299 calories.
Extra info:
For a healthier option, skip the skin as it’s pure saturated fat.
Guzman Y Gomez
What to Order:
- Salads without dressing are the lowest in calories. The Mild Pulled Pork Salad (without dressing) is the lowest calorie option at only 222 calories.
- A burrito bowl is a good option too, the Naked Pan Seared Barramundi Bowl is the lowest at 673 calories.
Extra info:
If you’re opting for a burrito, choose the wholemeal option to add extra fibre.
Sushi
What to Order:
- Fresh sashimi with a seaweed salad, you’ll get 8 pieces of sashimi and the salad for only 379 calories.
- Miso soup is another great option at only 35 calories, or 90-120 if you add tofu and veggies.
Extra info:
Steer clear of California rolls and anything battered. Sushi trains are also a bad idea if you’re trying to limit calories, as one plate can easily become ten. Teppenyaki is another great option for Japanese, as it’s mostly grilled meats and veggies cooked with minimal oils.
Hungry Jacks or Burger King
What to Order:
- The Whopper Junior with no cheese is the best option at 341 calories.
- The Grilled Chicken Classic is the burger with the lowest fat content and it’s only 370 calories.
Extra info:
Avoid the ultimate double whopper. It has 1205 calories, 80 grams of fat and double the recommended daily intake of sodium!
Italian Restaurant
What to Order:
- Minestrone soup is an ideal option as it’s loaded with fibreful veggies and beans, and contains only around 100-200 calories.
- Marinara and Napolitano pastas are also good options as they don’t have the creamy base of a lot of other pasta sauces, if you keep your pasta serving to 300 grams or less, they’ll only set you back around 300-350 calories.
Extra info:
Just watch your portion sizes and steer clear of antipasto and pasta alfredo, they’re loaded with calories.
Thai Restaurant
What to Order:
- The Thai beef salad is full of authentic flavour with significantly lower calories than most other options, at only 271 calories.
- If you’re after a stir fry, go for chilli basil with extra veggies and no rice, it’s only about 310 calories.
Extra info:
Avoid the Pad Thai, it’s super calorie dense and very high in sodium.
Chinese
What to Order:
- Steamed whole fish and Chinese vegetables is a healthy alternative to deep fried dishes at only 290 calories.
- Stir fried vegetables with prawns is filling and high in protein too, and only around 235 calories.
Extra info:
The unhealthiest option is battered sweet and sour pork, as it’s full of fat, sugar and salt!
Vietnamese
What to Order:
- Rice paper rolls filled with veggies and protein are the best options, at only around 81 calories. Avoid the ones that are filled with noodles!
- Pho is a filling option that’s also good for you. It’s a traditional soup made from broth, rice noodles, and meat, seafood or tofu and it’ll only set you back around 400-500 calories.
Extra info:
Vietnamese meals are usually easy to share, so split a dish with a friend to halve the calorie count immediately!
Subway
What to Order:
- The Veggie Delight 6-inch sub is the lowest calorie option at only 211 calories. The other options on the low-fat menu are good too.
- The Veggie Delight Salad has less than a third of the calories of a sub at only 61 calories.
Extra info:
Ask for extra salad to pump up the nutrition, and choose either multigrain or honey oat bread.
And that is how to go food courting the right way, Master Fasters! Have you come across any clever, quick, low-calorie options for when you’re on-the-run? If so, we’d love to hear about them. Please leave us a comment or stop by the Members’ Only Facebook group to let us know.