Fast Food Best Bets

cooking
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Best Bets at the Top Five Food ChainsTop five food chains are McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Starbucks and Subway. Here are the best low-cal choices in each place:- McDonald's: hamburger, apple dippers, yogurt, side salad with small amount of dressing  (McDonald's.com)- Burger King: Whopper Junior or plain hamburger, fresh apples, macaroni and cheese, side salad with small amount of dressing  (bk.com)- KFC: Side salad or Caesar salad without dressing, mashed potatoes without gravy, corn on the cob, KFC Snacker Wrap, KFC Fish Snacker Without Sauce (note: most selections here are high in fat and sodium) (kfc.com)- Starbucks: Unsweetened tea or coffee, fresh fruit, biscotti, 1 petit vanilla scone (starbucks.com)- Subway: 6 inch Veggie Delite, Jared Salads, 4 inch sandwiches(subway.com)Main rules of thumb: chicken or fish is not always the best choice, fried food IS high in calories, big baked goods are VERY high in calories,  and most fast food, even the more low-cal choices are not that low in sodium. Know before you go by researching choices online.

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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