Tips for low carb fast food options

Fast food doesn't necessarily have to be "bad" to eat. Most national restaurant chains offer healthier options as well as provide nutrition information online — and they can often accommodate dietary restrictions for those who are looking for low carb fast food options. However, when you go the fast food route, added sugar, sodium, and carbs are par for the course. For those with type 1 diabetes (t1d), it's important to be vigilant. Grilled chicken over fried, lettuce wraps instead of hamburger buns, and a salad bowl rather than a burrito are all easy swaps to bring down your carb count.

Here are some ways to eat low carb meals at four popular fast food restaurants.

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle makes it a breeze for those with t1d to enjoy their offerings without the worry of blood sugar spikes later. The menu features tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Instead of a burrito, you can order a burrito bowl, which has the filling without the flour tortilla (saving you 47 carbs). Chipotle offers lifestyle bowls that are Keto, Whole30, vegetarian, and vegan friendly, as well as sofritas, a shredded firm tofu flavored with chipotle chiles, poblano peppers, and a blend of spices.

Other ways to keep the carbs at bay: Swap their cilantro white rice for cilantro brown rice and request a half portion, try the new cauliflower rice, or skip the rice altogether and load up on the fajita veggies. Toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, and corn salsa can be tempting — but the heart-healthy guacamole has just 8 grams of carbs in a serving and is just as satisfying. The beauty of Chipotle is that you can customize your meal, and if you include tortilla chips, it adds 22g of carbs. Simply split the chips with a friend or eat some with your meal and save some for later.

Chipotle also offers a nutrition calculator, and you can check out five healthy Chipotle meals from Good Housekeeping here.

Panera Bread

Panera Bread is more than a bakery. While it's known for its bagels and breakfast sandwiches, Panera offers several other low carb options for those with t1d to choose from. Breakfast sandwiches and soufflés tend to be high in carbs, with most clocking in between 56 grams and 83 grams of carbs. The Sprouted Grain Bagel Flat is your best bet at 34 grams of carbs without cream cheese or 39 grams of carbs with added avocado, egg white, and spinach. Oatmeal sounds like a healthy choice, but it's best to skip the Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries and Pecans, which has 52 grams of carbs.

The "You Pick Two" options let you select a cup of soup, half sandwich, or half salad — and there are more than a dozen salads to choose from. A couple of good choices are the Greek Salad (15 grams of carbs for a whole and 8 grams of carbs for a half portion) and the Caesar Salad with Chicken (21 grams of carbs for a whole and 10 grams of carbs for half). Of the soups, keep it to a cup rather than a bowl, and avoid the creamy varieties like Broccoli Cheddar (30 grams of carbs) and Baked Potato (43 grams of carbs). Instead, go for the Ten Vegetable Soup (16 grams of carbs).

You can check the nutrition information for each Panera item here.

Panda Express

There are several low carb fast food options at this chain that offers popular Chinese food. The key to eating well here is to avoid the saturated, high-fat entrees doused in sauce. The low-calorie, reduced-carb Wok Smart designation are dishes that make up half of the menu, and have the same Chinese-inspired flavors, but with at least 8 grams of protein and 300 calories or fewer. You're better off skipping the Chow Mein (85 grams of carbs), which is the first stop on the buffet line, and instead go for the Super Greens, a medley of broccoli, kale, and cabbage. If you can't resist it or the fried rice (80 grams of carbs), request a half portion and the Super Greens. The Wok Smart menu includes String Bean Chicken Breast (13 grams of carbs) and Black Pepper Angus Steak (10 grams of carbs).

They have also added a new entrée of its popular Orange Chicken made with Beyond Meat's plant-based protein. Ask for a fresh batch of an entrée without the sauce or make it a kids meal and you will cut the carbs in half.

You can find the Wok Smart menu here.

Burger King

For low carb fast food options at Burger King, avoid the BK Ultimate Breakfast Platter that has 110 grams of carbs and instead opt for the Sausage Biscuit (29 grams of carbs) or the CROISSAN'WICH® Egg & Cheese (27 grams of carbs). Burger King was the first fast food burger chain to introduce a vegan hamburger called The Impossible Whopper. While it's a tasty alternative to beef, the ultra-processed patty is high in carbs (58 grams). Unless you're trying to watch your red meat intake, the alternative options are the Whopper Junior Sandwich (27 grams of carbs), the Burger King Original Chicken Sandwich (48 grams of carbs), the nine-piece Chicken Fries (20 grams of carbs), and a garden side salad (3 grams of carbs) without the dressing.

You can find Burger King's nutrition facts here.

If you want to learn more about eating carbs, check out this helpful guide for t1d and carb counting.