When McDonalds is the only restaurant option for miles, is a 1,700-calorie Big Mac meal and mini pies your healthiest order? It is not, and we can learn from 10 nutritionists who share what the best combinations are if we want to order healthy meals at the Golden Arches.
There are several general steps we can take to make our Mickey D's orders a little healthier. Some general steps we can take is to choose grilled over fried, add a vegetables or fruits, and eat a meal that will fill your stomach, according to Huffington Post.
It has been over a decade since McDonalds phased out its Supersize servings in 2004. While the cause was likely due to public outcry about the many health concerns they caused, the fast food giant claimed that the reason was "menu simplification," according to The Washington Post.
But you can still have the option to buy medium and large fries and sodas at McDonalds. The nutritionists in the survey opted for "minimize" over "supersize," ordering items such as a regular hamburger or small fries. Also, no nutritionist chose any soft drink!
Traditionally the only fruit you could find in McDonald's was the deep-fried "apple" pie. Times have changed. Some of the nutritionists made choices such as oatmeal with fruit, apple slices, and oranges.
Several of the nutritionists also followed their mothers' reminder to eat their veggies. Side salads and full-size salads were popular. Some of the nutrition experts also ordered their salads without chicken, or ate 50% of the packaged dressing.
Grilled over fried options was also a trend among the 10 nutritionists. A grilled chicken McWrap and grilled chicken salads were popular options.
Perhaps the most interesting meal chosen was fries and a small chocolate shake. The goal of Rebecca Scritchfield (MA, RD, HFS) would be "quick energy," that is "enjoyable."