Bargain Babe

Coupons, Freebies, and Tips to Save Money Every Day

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • Home
    • About
      • Freebie and Deal Email
      • Contact
      • Media Buzz
      • Blog Advertising
  • Freebies
    • Free Stuff
    • Giveaways
  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Restaurant Deals
    • Organic Savings
    • Cut Your Grocery Bill
  • Home + Garden
  • Health + Beauty
  • Money
    • Credit Cards
    • Debt
    • Living Frugally
    • Budget + Bills
    • Ethical Dilemmas
    • Wacky Experiments
    • Taxes
  • Save Money On
    • Gifts + Gift Cards
    • Gas + Cars
    • Things to Do
    • Family + Kids
    • Computers + Electronics
    • Travel
  • Seasonal Deals
    • Christmas
    • Back to School
    • Holidays + Occasions
    • Misc.
  • Blog

August 21, 2013 by: Julie Hills

Healthy Fast Food Options on the Dollar Menu

Healthy fast food from the value menu.

Healthy bargains for your belly! /via Shutterstock

The frugal shopper in me usually carries over to restaurants. But as I’ve grown up, eating healthy has also become a priority, and often these two things seem to clash. When I need to eat quickly, I don’t want to blow my budget on an overpriced salad — but I also don’t want to get stuck eating a fatty, salty, nutrition-free option. So I set out to find a stock of healthy fast food items from the dollar menu at the major chains, so that I can always swing through a drive-through and know I’m getting a deal for both my wallet and my stomach.

Criteria for a “healthy” option means no more than 30% of calories from fat, relatively high in protein to be filling, and 800mg of sodium or less (which is 35% of an RDA of 2300mg).

Here is a list of healthy fast food items for under $3 at the major fast-food chains:

McDonald’s:

  • Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait ($1): 160 calories, 4g protein, 2g fat, 85mg sodium
  • Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap ($1.49): 260 cal, 18g protein, 9g fat, 800mg sodium
  • Cheeseburger ($1): 300 cal, 15g protein, 12g fat, 750mg sodium

Special mention: the McChicken Sandwich ($1) makes the cut if you get it without mayo!

Wendy’s: 

  • Sour Cream and Chive Potato ($1): 320 cal, 8g protein, 4g fat, 50mg sodium

My favorite item of all time, a Small Chili ($1-1.39), just barely misses the list due to having 830mg sodium, but is still a relatively healthy option, high in protein (14g) and low in calories (190) and fat (6g).

Taco Bell: 

  • Chicken Soft Taco ($0.89): 200 cal, 10g protein, 9g fat, 630g sodium
  • Pintos and Cheese ($1): 160 cal, 9g protein, 6g fat, 670mg sodium

I must have eaten 20 Bean and Cheese burritos while I was pregnant before I realized they have almost 1200mg of sodium!

Burger King: 

  • Whopper Jr. – hold the mayo! ($1): 290 cal, 16g protein, 12g fat, 500mg sodium

Jack in the Box:

  • Grilled Chicken Pita Snack ($2): 310 cal, 17g protein, 13g fat, 640mg sodium
  • Hamburger ($0.79): 280 cal, 14g protein, 12g fat, 580mg sodium

Subway:

While subway has a number of healthier options and is quite reasonably priced, frequently having a special sandwich available for $2.50 in 6″ size, check to make sure the special is one of their Fresh Fit choices and hold the heavy sauces or oils when adding condiments. Subway often has a rotating soup option for around $1.99, and most soups qualify in my “healthy” category except for their beef chili and clam chowder. All others come in under 300 calories and 800mg sodium.

Additional tips:

  • Though it may come in at slightly more than $3, you can also check out the kids’ menu options at most fast food restaurants, which will help with portion control, and substitute fruit and milk for fries and soft drinks.
  • It’s always a good idea to hold the mayo or special sauce. You can replace with ketchup and mustard for flavor with less fat.
  • Always watch out when adding a drink, as the calories and sugar in sodas and sweetened teas can blow your “healthy” meal to shreds! Consider unsweetened tea with a splash of lemon, or the best bargain of all: good old fashioned water!

For deeper nutritional analysis, check out this comparison of the options at WebMD.

Eating at home? Check out these tips for healthy eating on a budget and healthy quick salad recipes!

What is your go-to fast food option?

 

Grocery Coupons: Matchups for 14 Stores
Wednesday Freebies – FREE Park Admission for Military

Comments

  1. bn says

    August 22, 2013 at 9:55 am

    $1 Side Salad at McDonalds…and asking for “no bun, lettuce wrap” lowers carbs and calories…

    Reply
  2. Dan says

    September 1, 2018 at 8:48 am

    Thank you perfect list. Exactly what I was looking for.

    Reply
  3. Aika says

    June 15, 2019 at 3:14 am

    This is very informative and really useful! I’ll be taking note of this so when I’m outside and felt the urge to eat in a fast food chain, I’ll have no worries about eating them since I know now how much nutritional value they contain.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Reader Favorites

Reader Favorites

Archives

We’ve Got Your Black Friday Ads!

We’ve Got Your Black Friday Ads

Freebies

Friday Freebies-Free Books for Preschoolers

Friday Freebies-Free Books for Preschoolers

About Bargain Babe

Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. Read More…

  • Freebies
  • Coupons
  • Food
  • Money
  • Save Money On
  • Seasonal Deals
  • About
  • Contact

© 2019 · Fun Genesis WordPress Theme by Pretty Darn Cute Design