Most of us, no matter how healthy we try to eat overall, have a soft spot for fast food occasionally. For some, it’s fried chicken nuggets dipped in mystery sauce, while on other occasions it’s hard to resist the temptation for a few slices of glistening pizza or a double-decker burger with sketchy but oh-so-tasty toppings.

Nobody is immune from greasy fries lust. Cheap, convenient, undeniably delicious, and rich in nostalgia are these guilty pleasures. But it’s also true that almost universally they are nutritional train wrecks that will derail your fitness and health goals if you give in to cravings or cooking laziness too often.

When we think of eating healthy, fast food shouldn’t be the first thing to come to mind. Frequent consumption of ultra-processed food typically dished out by fast food outlets has been linked to poor health and shortened lifespan. A major concern is that frequent fast food consumption is associated with a lower overall diet quality by raising the intake of calories, fat, and sodium while decreasing the consumption of important micronutrients such as magnesium and calcium.

So, yes, even if you spend more time in the gym than on the couch it’s a good idea to dial down your fast food intake. But now for some good news: It’s not all complete doom-and-gloom when it comes to fast food and occasionally skipping the dishes in favor of dining à la drive-thru doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to book a meeting with your cardiologist. The key is to know how to decode menus to target your most nutritious choice.

Sticking to your nutrition goals while eating at a fast-food chain can be challenging, but it’s possible—especially when you choose these better-performing dishes from today’s most popular chains that don’t taste all healthified. Happy meals, indeed.

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chicken Bowl

Calories: 560 Protein: 45g Carbs: 67g Fat: 15g Saturated Fat: 3g Fiber: 12g Added Sugar: 2g Sodium: 1,120mg

Chipotle’s mix-and-match style makes it easy to cater your meal to your nutrition ethos and taste buds. We used their nutrition calculator to build the ideal muscle-building burrito bowl: chicken, brown rice, pinto beans, tomatillo-green chilli salsa, fajita veggies, and romaine lettuce. This comes out to an impressive 45 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. The macro balance makes this power bowl a great recovery meal.

Dairy Queen

Wild Alaskan Fish Sandwich

Calories: 460 Protein: 17g Carbs: 50g Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 3g Fiber: 12g Added Sugar: 7g Sodium: 960mg

Known for its iconic Blizzards, cones, and savory burgers, Dairy Queen is a popular fast-food restaurant option whether you’re looking for a quick sugar fix or a full drive-thru meal. While most of the menu is a nutritional landmine, their crispy fish sandwich is a reasonable choice when you aren’t there just for a brain freeze.

A good portion of lightly coated Alaskan Pollock is adorned with a tangy tartar sauce. It’s a nice alternative to the standard burger. Still want something sweet? The classic vanilla cone is your best bet that won’t send your blood sugar on a Rocky Mountain high.

Domino’s

Pacific Veggie (1/4 large pizza)

Calories: 620 Protein: 24g Carbs: 70g Fat: 26g Saturated Fat: 12g Fiber: 2g Added Sugar: 2g Sodium: 1260mg

Since its humble beginnings in the sixties as a single store, Domino’s has grown into the largest pizza chain in the world. Warm pizza delivered to your door at an affordable price point. Most pies at the chain go overboard on calories, fat, and sodium, but some including this veggie-heavy one are better performers.

Each slide is piled high with an array of veggies like mushrooms, baby spinach, onions, and tomatoes. A blend of feta, provolone, and mozzarella cheeses is delicious and helps give the pizza decent protein numbers. Remember that Domino’s is good about special requests so you could ask to add chicken to go bigger on protein. It’s high in sodium, so go easy on the salty food elsewhere in your diet.

Taco Bell

Cantina Chicken Soft Taco (2)

Calories: 420 Protein: 23g Carbs: 37g Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 7g Fiber: 5g Added Sugar: 1g Sodium: 1060mg

If you’re screaming, “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” this taco is the way to go. The new(ish) Cantina Chicken Soft Taco is an elevated soft taco that tastes more like something you’d pick up from, well, a Mexican cantina than a fast food restaurant like Taco Bell.

Slow-roasted chicken, shredded purple cabbage, pico de gallo, soft white corn tortillas, and avocado sauce come together for a hand-held meal that tastes fresh and healthy. Two tacos give you a solid amount of protein without going overboard on calories and saturated fat. Order up a side of black beans for an added dose of protein and fiber.

Wendy’s

Apple Pecan Salad with 1/2 Packet Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Calories: 485 Protein: 31g Carbs: 36g Fat: 25.5g Saturated Fat: 10g Fiber: 5g Added Sugar: 26.5g Sodium: 1,255mg

Sure, this famous restaurant, named after founder Dave Thomas’ daughter Melinda Lou “Wendy” Thomas, has its fair share of calorie-laden square-shaped burger options, but the menu provides a few less troublemakers to choose from. That includes this fall-inspired salad made with a combination of chicken breast, apples, dried cranberries, roasted pecans, and blue cheese.

It’s hard to argue with the 32 grams of protein for a fast-food salad so you’re not left pondering “Where’s the Beef?” Overall, the salad is a great balance of sweet and savory. While the saturated fat and sodium are on the higher side, it can still fit into your daily meal plan by choosing other foods lower in these for the remainder of the day. Dousing the salad in only half of the pomegranate dressing will save you a noticeable amount of added sugar. Some of the sugar in this salad hails from what is naturally occurring in apples and cranberries.

Chick-fil-A

Cool Wrap

Calories: 410 Protein: 42g Carbs: 32g Fat: 18g Saturated Fat: 5g Fiber: 13g Added Sugar: 5g Sodium: 995mg

Americans love their chicken, so much so that on average every person eats about 100 pounds of the meat each year. This is why it should be no surprise the chicken-centric Chick-fil-A is a popular go-to for fast-food diners, even if it is the only place that remains closed on Sundays. The restaurant maintains consistency by selling the same chicken sandwiches, nuggets, wraps, and strips at all its locations.

The sole wrap option on the menu contains lettuce, shredded cheese, and grilled chicken breast enveloped in a flaxseed flatbread. Read: pretty wholesome and jam-packed with protein and fiber. The best option when you want something a little more substantial than their plain nuggets or salad.

But where this wrap can fall off the rails is if you get it with the recommended avocado lime ranch dressing, which adds a whopping 310 calories and 32 g of fat to the nutrition total. Instead, request the much more nutritionally humble honey roasted barbecue sauce. (These nutrition numbers are calculated making this swap.) To up the nutritional ante of your meal go ahead and order the kale crunch side salad that contains a generous amount of the nutrient-dense leafy green.

KFC

Chicken Little

Calories: 350 Protein: 15g Carbs: 39g Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 2g Fiber: 0 Added Sugar: 0 Sodium: 730mg

Kentucky Fried Chicken guarantees you finger-lickin’ good chicken, but it never said anything about nutrition. Truth is, the majority of KFC options are not anywhere near healthy and that it’s fairly difficult to find nutritious options on the menu, especially since they no longer consistently offers any grilled chicken options. The menu is dominated by all things fried. Though the chicken is, yes, fried, the smaller portion size of the crispy KFC Little sandwich keeps calories, saturated fat, and sodium under control. My suggestion is to order two sides with this—the green beans (25 calories) and sweet corn (70 calories) to add much-needed veggies and fiber to the meal.

IHOP

Veggie Egg White Omelette

Calories: 420 Protein: 21g Carbs: 29g Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 4.5g Fiber: 7g Added Sugar: 18g Sodium: 1,230mg

If you love pancakes, odds are you’ve made a trip to IHOP. (It is the International House of Pancakes, after all.) Of course, pancakes the way IHOP makes them—a plate full of white flour and sugar—aren’t necessarily the healthiest food. This veggie-rich, higher-protein omelette is a much better pick for building muscle and shrinking the gut than a stack of flapjacks doused in sugary faux maple sauce. Avocado adds healthy fats and a fruit salad gives you antioxidants and extra fiber.

Subway

6-inch Rotisserie Chicken (with smashed avocado)

Calories: 380 Protein: 26g Carbs: 43g Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 3g Fiber: 7g Added Sugar: 4g Sodium: 890mg

The softness of bread, the lively sauces, and the unlimited array of toppings make Subway a sandwich lover’s dream. Subway does make it a little easier to eat well, but some sandwiches on its menu are a better choice than others, including this beauty. This hand-to-mouth meal provides a good macro balance and the juicy rotisserie-style chicken is more delicious than the standard deli cut meat. Requesting a delicious spread of creamy smashed avocado (available at many locations) adds quality calories in the form of healthy fats and boosts the fiber count.

Having at least two servings of avocado per week was associated with a 21% lower risk of a heart attack, compared with little or no consumption, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association. This heart health benefit was particularly strong when the calories from nutrient-dense avocado replaced the calories from less nutritious margarine, processed meats, butter, and cheese. The sodium content of this sub is also lower than most other menu options. As always when ordering a sub make sure to go bigger on the veggie toppings.

Burger King

Impossible Whopper

Calories: 630 Protein: 28.5g Carbs: 62g Fat: 34g Saturated Fat: 10g Fiber: 6g Added Sugar: 14g Sodium: 1,350mg

Home of the Whopper, Burger King has become a fast-food behemoth synonymous with towering, flavorful burgers. And, despite the heavily marketed burgers with cheese, bacon, and three patties, there are a few menu options that won’t leave feeling so heavily weighed down. That includes this plant-based version of the iconic Whopper that has less saturated fat and none of the cholesterol found in the traditional version.

It’s also packed with protein, and, yes, research shows quality plant proteins can be just as helpful in getting you jacked. You can request to hold the mayo to trim down the fat and sodium numbers. Still want the beef? Opt for the Whopper Jr. or the humble Hamburger. Overrun by fries and onion rings, the side menu is bleak meaning your best choice here is the applesauce – a bit boring but less of a calorie bomb.

Panda Express

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Calories: 275 Protein: 33g Carbs: 14g Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 3g Fiber: 0 Added Sugar: 9g Sodium: 470mg

While many, and rightfully so, will argue that Panda Express isn’t exactly authentic Chinese cuisine, let’s face it—sometimes the stuff just hits the spot. This gift from the wok won’t tank your healthy eating goals. The Chinese takeout stalwart is the winner when it comes to protein options on the menu. Sorry orange chicken fans. That’s because plenty of lean chicken breast is marinated in a teriyaki sauce and then grilled to deliver an optimal protein amount to build muscle and keep you satisfied.

It’s this tasty sauce that gives the dish its sugar, but since it is soy-based the amount of sugar is reasonable as is the quantity of sodium—it’s oh-so hard to keep sodium numbers in check when noshing on fast food. Since the chicken is served on its own, fiber is nowhere to be found. So unless you are going full-blown carnivore order up a Super Greens side, a combination of broccoli, kale, and cabbage, to better round out the meal. Now, that is some good fortune.

McDonald’s

McDouble

Calories: 390 Protein: 22g Carbs: 32g Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 9g Fiber: 2g Added Sugar: 5g Sodium: 920mg

Look, we know the Golden Arches isn’t exactly the destination for quick, nutritious eats. But sometimes you just need a bun. The McDouble has two beef patties with a slice of cheese, allowing it to have enough protein to balance out the macros. The tangy pickles are always a hit. The sodium content of this burger is reasonable when you consider the alternatives. Although you may desire those crispy fries as your side, the apples are a much healthier option. For only 15 calories you get a nice crispy crunch on the side of your meal.

Starbucks

Spinach, Feta, & Cage-Free Egg White Wrap

Calories: 290 Protein: 20g Carbs: 34g Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 3.5g Fiber: 3g Added Sugar: 5g Sodium: 840mg

For many, Starbucks is the destination for a daily caffeine fix. But beyond the chain’s wide selection of coffee and tea drinks, many of which are sugar bombs, they have an array of food options for both breakfast and lunch. Some like croissants, muffins, and other pastries won’t do your six-pack any favors, but others like this hearty wrap are nutritional winners. Made with whole wheat tortilla, egg whites, real spinach, feta cheese, and a sun-dried tomato spread this wrap is not only delicious but provides a solid 20 grams of protein. Bonus? It’s easy to eat on-the-go. For more protein and if you are a fan of eggs, you could order Starbuck’s famous Kale and Mushroom Egg Bites to go along with your wrap.