Subway

While the Subway chain has a great reputation for being a healthy fast food option, it's important to remember that while Subway restaurants do have nutritionally balanced meals, they also have meals that aren't as good. By choosing the right bread, meat, meal size, sides, and toppings, anyone can find a healthy meal at Subway.

As tempting as it may be to purchase a footlong because it's a better value in terms of size, keep in mind that only about half (a 6-inch) should be eaten in one setting. The sandwich itself may be healthy, but double the amount means double the calories and double the fat content. Remember that wheat bread is the best option since it contains more whole grains. When selecting meat, the lowest-calorie options are turkey and ham, or a combination of the two. Make sure you're at least choosing a sandwich from the 6 grams of fat or less section of the menu, since their other sandwiches can contain a significantly higher amount of calories and saturated fat.

Toppings should include as many veggies as you like, and condiments should be fat free or low fat. Try mustard, which has about 5 calories as opposed to the 110 calories in both mayonnaise and ranch dressing. Healthy sides are varied and plentiful at Subway and include apples and Dannon yogurt, which contain 35 and 80 calories, respectively. Baked Lay's chips have 130-140 calories and are the healthiest 'junk food' item, and the yogurt parfait also makes a great side or snack at 160 calories. Try to balance your side with your main course--if you chose a sandwich higher in calories, go with a low-calorie side.

I love Subway because they offer enough alternatives to truly earn their reputation. They heavily promote their subs that have less than 6 grams of fat--an accomplishment in the fast food business. Subway sandwiches are a great source of Vitamin C, calcium, and iron, and they also provide a bit of Vitamin A.

Regarding the kids menu, it could be more extensive, but Subway has included some of the best sandwiches--turkey, ham, roast beef, and veggie. They're about 4 inches long and can include the same range of toppings as regular subs. With these age-appropriate options, any family should be able to enjoy a nutritional meal at Subway.

Check out Subway's website for more options. For this post, I used their Nutrition Data Tables (PDF).