Healthy choices at the drive-thru

Since we Arizona women are busy, we have to stay smart and strong or fall victim to the Fast Food Monster.

You know it: It’s a big square thing that, when we get close enough, says menacingly “Do you want fries with that?”

Scary.

Over the past few years, more and more fast food restaurants began offering healthier and lower calorie options but with mixed results. The offerings just weren’t that tasty or they were too much trouble to eat, or, worst of all, they weren’t really any less caloric or healthier, they were just pretending to be.

If it’s important to you, you might like to know that the Hudson Institute, an independent research organization, found fast food restaurants which offer more lower calorie options have had the most growth over the past few years in both customers coming in and how much they spend. So obviously it makes good business sense and more are jumping on the bandwagon.

The most recent, Chick-Fil-A, with new salad offerings that promise to be higher in actual nutrition, fresher and rival a salad you’d get at any sit-down restaurant. The Paradise Valley Chick-Fil-A asked me if I’d like to check them out and they had me at Cobb.

How about a cheat sheet before you pull up to any fast food speaker? CalorieLab.com has information for just about anything you might want to eat so you can be smart and strong when you’re busy!