I’m not saying McDonalds is addictive. I’m just saying I crave a Big Mac every nine days. It’s like clockwork. Maybe the “two-all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-bun” is opiate-based, or maybe fast food has become ingrained in the American culture, so much so that removing it from our diet would be more difficult than removing the constitution from our legal process. Of course, this presents a problem for those of us who wish to live healthy lives; in case you’ve missed the special news bulletins and documentaries, fast food ain’t good for you.

Just ask the three New York City teenagers who recently filed a class action lawsuit against McDonalds because the mega-chain’s food caused them to-get this-gain more weight and develop health problems. You’d have to be the village idiot to believe a Big Mac, large shake, and a pound of french fries is good for you, but that’s not gonna stop us from hitting the drive-thru on the way home from work. Don’t panic: Thanks to “frivolous” lawsuits like the one mentioned above, we may not have to sacrifice the Golden Arches in our pursuit to stay fit. “Fast food can be a part of a healthy diet,” says Greg Hottinger, co-founder of the Nova Wellness nutritional clinic in Asheville and author of The Best Natural Foods on the Market Today: A Yuppie’s Guide to Hippie Food. “Fast food restaurants are increasingly concerned about liability issues so there is a trend toward healthier foods.” The West Coast, in fact, is home to a number of healthy fast food chains. Wahoo Fish Taco, one of the most popular chains in Southern California, offers low-fat natural fare that’s prepared fresh daily. Hottinger says the South is lagging behind the rest of the country as far as accepting new healthier chains, but our mainstays like Burger King and McDonalds are making strides to offer healthier options. Wraps, baked potatoes, salads, and fruit cups are common items at the drive thru, and Burger King now offers a veggie burger (though Burger King includes a disclaimer saying that the veggie burger may not meet the requirements of a vegetarian diet).“But keep in mind that fast food is almost always processed,” Hottinger says. “All buns are made from white flour, french fries are cooked in hydrogenated oils, and large drinks contain questionable sugars or synthetic sweeteners.” With this information in mind, the key to eating healthy at fast food restaurants is choosing the right menu items and keeping the calorie count low. “At the end of the day, calories determine weight gain,” Hottinger says. Georgia Kostas, a registered dietician who writes for Betterbodz.com, says most fast food combo meals average 1,200 calories. Kostas says the challenge to consumers is to try to keep their fast food meals under 500 calories. Thanks to the bevy of lawsuits, most fast food restaurants make the nutritional content of their menu items readily available at their stores and on their Web site, so you can find out exactly how many calories that Whopper actually has (700). If you don’t want to visit each restaurant’s Web site, you can check out 3fatchicks.com, which offers comprehensive nutritional info on most national chains. Keep in mind that digging into the nutritional content of your favorite grub could be like opening Pandora’s Box. You may discover the food you love isn’t as healthy as you once thought. For instance, a Wendy’s Spring Mix Salad with vinaigrette dressing sounds healthy, but it contains 29 grams of fat and almost 400 calories. Of course, some things in life are no mystery. Each of Hardees’ Thick Burgers contains between 40 and 107 grams of fat and averages about 1,000 calories each. That doubles Kostas’ recommended calorie intake-and you haven’t even had a french fry or sip of Coke yet. Hottinger says Hardees is notorious for its high-fat, high-calorie food and the health-conscious are better off eschewing that restaurant altogether. Instead, hit Subway or Wendy’s, which offer healthier menu items. -Graham Averill

Hamburger Helper: Healthy Hints for Drive-Thru Dining

Here’s a handful of tips to help you navigate the saturated arteries of fast food dining:

1. Order the veggie burger whenever possible. It usually has a third the amount of fat of a regular burger. If no veggie burger, get the grilled chicken. 2. Get the salad, but skip the dressing. One packet of Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing at McDonalds has 15 grams of fat and 170 calories-more than some hamburgers on the menu. 3. If you must have french fries, get the smallest portion available. The fat and calorie intake doubles from small to large portions. 4. Skip the soft drinks. A medium Coke adds 210 calories to your meal. 5. Plan your meals before you get in line. Tell yourself you’re going to get the Junior Burger without cheese, a side salad, and water, and don’t give in to impulse purchases. The Bacon Cheeseburger looks good on the picture menu, but it wreaks havoc on your heart and belly. 6. Get mustard instead of mayonnaise. A standard serving of mayo at Burger King adds 18 grams of fat and 160 calories to your burger. 7. Pay attention to fat grams and sodium. While calories add weight to your physique, trans-fat and saturated fat contribute to heart disease and sodium affects blood pressure. These are the true killers of fast food.

Healthy Fast Food Guide

The trick to a healthy fast food meal is picking the right items. Here’s a quick guide to some of your favorite drive-thrus.

McDonalds

Eat This

Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken: 240 calories, 9g fatNewman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette: 40 calories, 3g fatApple Dippers with Low Fat Caramel Dip: 100 calories, 1g fatFruit n’ Yogurt Parfait: 160 calories, 2g fat

Avoid This

Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 730 calories, 40 grams of fatLarge French Fries: 520 calories, 25g fat

Burger King

Eat This

BK Veggie Burger (w/o mayo): 300 calories, 7g fatSide Garden Salad: 20 calories, 0g fatChicken Whopper “on a small bun without mayo”: 320 calories, 7g fat

Avoid This

Original Whopper Sandwich: 700 calories, 42g fatKing Size Fries: 600 calories, 30g fatBK Fish Filet: 520 calories, 30g fat

Wendy’s

Eat This

Large Chili: 330 calories, 9g fatSour Cream and Chives Baked Potato, 340 calories; 6g fatFresh Fruit Bowl: 130 calories, 0g fatLow Fat Strawberry Yogurt: 90 calories, 1g fat

Avoid This

Homestyle Chicken Strips with Heartland Ranch Sauce: 610 calories, 39g fatClassic Single w/ Everything: 430 calories, 20g fatCaesar Side Salad: 210 calories, 20g fat Biggie Fries: 490 calories, 24g fat

Subway

Eat This

6” Veggie Delite: 230 calories, 5g fat (the healthiest sandwich on the menu) 6” Roast Beef: 290 calories, 5g fat Tomato Garden and Vegetable Soup: 100 calories, 0.5 grams of fat

Avoid This

6” Meatball: 377 calories, 24 grams of fatSeafood Sensation Salad with Greek Vinaigarette: 490 calories, 42g fat