Fast Food: Are You Making the Right Choice?

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Subway – Fresh Fit 6" Subs, and Carb-Conscious items

Subway has established itself in the fast-food market as an alternative to the usual burger and fries. They offer eight types of rolls with 6g of fat or less, but you need to stick to their guidelines and avoid adding cheese, oil or mayonnaise.

Don't be fooled into thinking that all of Subway's products are low-fat. For instance, some of their 'Carb-Conscious' wraps - although low in carbohydrates - contain about as much fat as that Big Mac.

	Calories	Kilojoules	Fat
Better choices
Veggie Delite®	229	958	3.7g
Roast Beef	275	1150	4.7g
Turkey	278	1160	5.6g
Turkey & Ham	278	1160	5.1g
Subway Club®	289	1210	5.4g
Roasted Chicken	306	1280	5.1g
Ham	280	1170	4.7g
Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki	368	1540	5.4g
Carb Conscious Turkey Wrap	219	916	6.4g
Not-so-good choices
Carb Conscious Turkey & Bacon Melt Wrap, with chipotle sauce	443	1850	25g
Carb Conscious Chicken & Bacon Ranch Wrap, with cheese	452	1890	23g

Red Rooster

Red Rooster has introduced various skin-free chicken products to entice the health-conscious consumer. Many of these products are fairly high in calories, but have less than 10g of fat. They are, however, a better option than some of their rolls and wraps, which can have more fat than a quarter chicken and chips pack!

	Calories	Kilojoules	Fat
Better choices
Large Garden Salad, no dressing	25	104	0.1g
Roast Chicken Salad, no dressing	86	360	1.4g
Skinfree Grilled Chicken Salad, no dressing	92	387	0.9g
Split Grill Chicken Pieces	258	1080	7.2g
Skinfree Grilled Chicken Wrap	397	1665	7.3g
Not-so-good choices
Fish Wrap	430	1794	18.4g
Flayva Wrap	669	2797	41.7g
Strip Sub	786	3289	38.9g
Classic Quarter with wing and chips	895	3740	35.3g

Moral of the story

Whichever your favourite fast-food outlet is, there are bound to be good and not-so-good choices. Take care not to make assumptions about menu items. If you're skipping the burger to have a roll or salad, you might well be sacrificing your preferred choice for no benefit, weight-watching wise!

However, while some of these alternative choices may be no lower in calories than a burger, chances are you're still getting more nutrients, more fibre, and more vegetables than if you choose a greasy hamburger.

So be aware of what you're eating and check your Pocket Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter or our Food Database for nutritional information before ordering. You can also ask restaurant staff for nutritional information and food preparation details, and many companies list details on their website.

So the moral of the story is...don't give up on 'healthier' fast-food options, just choose wisely!

Related links :

• 2007 Pocket Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter
• CalorieKing.com.au Food Database

Last updated: December 20th, 2007