How to Choose a Fast Food

Would you like extra-tallow fries with that double-fat greaseburger? How about a supersize high fructose corn syrup "McSlurry" shake? A no-calorie, pre-bagged garden salad straight from the distributor with creamy garlic "diet devastator" dressing? No? Well, could we interest you in a plain baked potato? Now you're talking.

Hoo boy! Waistline watchers beware: It's a diet minefield out there in the land of fast food. Americans love their fat, sweets, and salt and hate skimpy portions. And the kindly folks at McDonald's, Burger King, Popeye's and the other fast food chains will gladly ensure you get what you want, though not necessarily what you need.

We needn't recite the ills of an unbalanced diet here, and those of you succumbing to the latest diet fad are, at least temporarily, beyond hope. But the rest of you sensible eaters could profit from a little truth-in-eating. Plain hamburgers (either broiled or fried on a griddle) are actually pretty lean and much better for you than any kind of burger with bacon or cheese. Likewise, unbreaded skinless chicken sandwiches are much lower in fat and calories than fried chicken patties, tenders, or nuggets. Naturally, french fries absorb a lot of oil too, but their sodium content is surpris-ingly low since only a small amount of salt actually sticks to the fries. (The real sodium killers are processed meats like ham, sausage, and bacon.)

Don't overlook the beverages either, especially those swimming poolsized fountain drinks; each extra-large 42-ounce soda contains 500 calories. Shakes are a slight improvement over sodas; a small vanilla milkshake is a low-fat alternative to a side order of onion rings or fries. A Wendy's 12- ounce Frosty has 330 calories and only eight grams of fat. Only don't make a habit of it if you plan on keeping your natural teeth: Each one contains 11 teaspoons of sugar. As a general dictum, the best-tasting stuff is awful for you and the bland things are only recommended by do-gooder nutritionists who obviously never tried the McLean sandwich. The three most healthful menu items in most fast food restaurants are baked potatoes, salads (with lowcal dressing), and hamburger buns.

But let's not be all fog and drizzle here. If you look hard enough, you'll find that fast doesn't necessarily equal bad. The menus have gotten too large for us to survey everything, but here is a brief tour of that great American invention, fast food.