Health.com released its list of America’s top ten healthiest fast food restaurants.
There are a few rankings I agree with and a few that make me cringe.
For instance, Chipotle broke the top ten list. As I posted, there are definitely ways to make Chipotle dining incredibly healthy.
Click ahead to get the top ten and my suggestions for who they should yank.
And read who I would add to the list…
Health.com’s Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food list
10. Taco Del Mar
9. Einstein Bros. Bagels
8. McDonald’s
7. Atlanta Bread
6. Chipotle
5. Corner Bakery Cafe
4. Noodles and Company
3. Au Bon Pan
2. Jason’s Deli
1. Panera
MY REACTIONS:
10. Taco Del Mar: Never heard of them. That being said, I researched, and they look a lot like Moe’s Southwest, Wahoo’s Fish Taco’s or Baja Fresh. As I always say, Mexican food if done without the dangerous three C’S (cheese, chips and sour Cream) can be quite healthy.
9. Einstein Bros. Bagels: YUM! I used to be quite addicted to their low card/high protein bagel back at the Georgetown location in Wash DC. They have excellent coffee and hummus as well. I am a big fan of Einsteins.
8. McDonald’s: WHAT?! Is this a joke to see if I am paying attention? Did you see Super Size Me???? The review from Health.com says: “We love: The chain’s 260- to 270-calorie Snack Wraps (choose grilled chicken) for protein without a lot of unwanted carbs.
Danger zone: Although McDonald’s made our list, this is still the land of supersizing and giant sodas. It’s up to you to request a small.” The also say the apple dippers are great for kids. Have you tasted those dippers? The apples are not crisp and seem to have oxidized and antioxidants or flavor that were in the fruit to begin with!
…I really doubt anyone goes to Micky D’s and simply orders a Snack Wrap and bottled water to go.
7. Atlanta Bread: Never heard of it. But seems to be similar to Panera.
6. Chipotle: Yay Chipotle. If you make healthy choices, Chipotle can be quite healthy. The Health.com review says: “We love: Burrito Bowls, which let you skip the tortilla—and the extra carbs.
Danger zone: The dark side of a buffet is that you can go wild. So you have to go light on cheese and sour cream.”
…I totally agree. Check out my eating healthy at Chipotle tips post.
5. Corner Bakery Cafe: Never been. But the website looks pretty good. I don’t know if this is fast food though.
4. Noodles and Company: An Asian-food option on the list, yay! Asian food like low fat spicy veggie soups, tofu, rice and low-fat noodles can be incredibly healthy. Just watch out for the sodium in the soy sauce! An oh yes have a big helping of wasabi for me.
3. Au Bon Pan: I used to love Au Bon Pan, and then I found Le Pain Quotidien and Au Bon just didn’t compare. But Au Bon is certainly a healthier option than say McDonald’s. Avocado veggie and mustard sandwich was one of my favorites whenever I was forced to eat at a “mall” food court.
2. Jason’s Deli: Never heard of them. But portion control and organic ingredients make this place sound A-OK. Health.com says: “We love: Being able to build any sandwich on an organic whole-wheat wrap.”
1. Panera: OK, I do love Panera. Healthy whole grain bread options. Vegan soups and sandwiches. Vegan salads. Yummy whole wheat crusty bread. Panera is on my good list. And may not be MY number one, but definitely in my top ten.
WHO IS MISSING?
SUBWAY: Uh, for one, Subway. Now I don’t recommend eating at Subway everyday, and they certainly have their dark side. But Subway is so widely known, and so widely known for its healthy options, it seems silly to leave it off the list! Healthy choice at subway: Veggie Delight (vegan) or Veggie Patty (not vegan, contains egg), honey oat bread, no cheese, all the veggies, spicy mustard and light oil/vinegar, salt/pepper, oregano. Yum.
COSI: Cosi has a lot of healthy options. It even adds nice gourmet touches like fresh basil on their flat bread sandwiches. And whole grain flat bread is an option now. Just stay away from those Oreo frozen shake things.
LE PAIN: Le Pain Quotidien is my favorite chain. OK, it is mostly sit-down, but you can easily get a meal to go and be out in a flash. Their menu is organic and they indicate which items are vegan. Vegan salads, sandwiches and muffins are all amazing and healthy.
MOE’S SOUTHWEST: Not widely known, but Moe’s is a more vegan-friendly version of Chipotle. Why? Well they have tofu as an option for a filling. And everything is done prepared in a healthy way.
LAST WORD: McDonald’s should not be on that list. It is so irresponsible for Health.com to add them. Just because they add some soggy apple slices to their kids menu doesn’t mean they have gone healthy. I’d like to see some research into how many Happy Meals get those apples instead of the fries anyways. McDonald’s is not one of America’s healthiest fast food joints. Ugh. So ridiculous.
OK, What did I miss???? I know you all have your own favorites that they forgot. Let me know in the comments section!
Links of the restaurants mentioned in this post:
Moe’s Southwest
Subway
Le Pain Quotidien
Panera
Cosi
McDonald’s
Au Bon Pain
Baja Fresh
Noodles and Company
Does Panera have vegan soups? The one’s here in Cincinnati usually have 1 vegetarian per day (that I’ve been there), but nothing vegan. Any info on this? I’m interested!
McDonald’s probably paid them to get on that list LOL!
DJ,I tried researching that! I checked to see if they had any McDonald’s ads on their site or even if they had a history of PRO-McDonald’s posts and articles. I could find no such things. It still baffles me how they got on that list. Maybe they wanted a controversial pick to people would blog about it…if so, it worked!Thanks for the comment,Kathy
Laura,Yes Le Pain is my fave. I looove it. I am so glad I live in a city that has many of them. I have not done any hardcore probing into Subway’s animal ethics (or lack of), and I would actually love any interesting links you may have. But in general, I know that the veggie options at Subway are far more ‘nutrient dense’ than a McDonalds menu item. Compared to the other selections from Health.com, I was just shocked that McDonald’s beat out Subway.Thanks for the comment and please post any info links on Subway if you’d like.Kathy
watch out for panera..they have meals that will exceed the 100% of sodium levels.
watch out for panera..they have meals that will exceed the 100% of sodium levels.
I also love Potbelly's! They're pretty big in Washington DC area, but I haven't seen them else where in the states.
I also love Potbelly's! They're pretty big in Washington DC area, but I haven't seen them else where in the states.
DJ,
I tried researching that! I checked to see if they had any McDonald’s ads on their site or even if they had a history of PRO-McDonald’s posts and articles. I could find no such things. It still baffles me how they got on that list. Maybe they wanted a controversial pick to people would blog about it…if so, it worked!
Thanks for the comment,
Kathy
McDonald’s probably paid them to get on that list LOL!
Laura,
Yes Le Pain is my fave. I looove it. I am so glad I live in a city that has many of them.
I have not done any hardcore probing into Subway’s animal ethics (or lack of), and I would actually love any interesting links you may have. But in general, I know that the veggie options at Subway are far more ‘nutrient dense’ than a McDonalds menu item.
Compared to the other selections from Health.com, I was just shocked that McDonald’s beat out Subway.
Thanks for the comment and please post any info links on Subway if you’d like.
Kathy
Katy,
I checked out the ingredients and it looks like these Panera soup flavors are vegan:
Low-Fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable Soup
Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
So not a ton of options, but these two sound pretty good basics!
Good Luck and thanks for the question. Good vegan soup can be tricky to find…
Kathy
While I assume your post is meant to focus on the first line of health, i.e., measuring the health attributes of the fast food as it affects our bodies, I can’t help but make mention of the ethics behind the establishments listed as well.
You made mention of Subway so I wanted to comment about the practices of Subway’s competitor Quiznos. Long story short, Subway continues to support factory farming whereas Quiznos is making strides to choose more humane options in their food production.
See article here: http://tinyurl.com/cy9acx
I’m not really a fan of either of the subway shops, but just thought I’d throw that out there for those who do frequent those places.
And I have to agree with you that Chipotle is a favorite of mine in regard to fast food. I am in favor of them even more now that McDonald’s has completely divested from them! I’m curious what is going to happen to them now that its main meat provider Niman’s sold out to a less ethically-minded company.
And yes, all hail Le Pain Quotidienne!
Does Panera have vegan soups? The one’s here in Cincinnati usually have 1 vegetarian per day (that I’ve been there), but nothing vegan. Any info on this? I’m interested!
Katy,
I checked out the ingredients and it looks like these Panera soup flavors are vegan:
Low-Fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable Soup
Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
So not a ton of options, but these two sound pretty good basics!
Good Luck and thanks for the question. Good vegan soup can be tricky to find…
Kathy
While I assume your post is meant to focus on the first line of health, i.e., measuring the health attributes of the fast food as it affects our bodies, I can’t help but make mention of the ethics behind the establishments listed as well.
You made mention of Subway so I wanted to comment about the practices of Subway’s competitor Quiznos. Long story short, Subway continues to support factory farming whereas Quiznos is making strides to choose more humane options in their food production.
See article here: http://tinyurl.com/cy9acx
I’m not really a fan of either of the subway shops, but just thought I’d throw that out there for those who do frequent those places.
And I have to agree with you that Chipotle is a favorite of mine in regard to fast food. I am in favor of them even more now that McDonald’s has completely divested from them! I’m curious what is going to happen to them now that its main meat provider Niman’s sold out to a less ethically-minded company.
And yes, all hail Le Pain Quotidienne!