The dark cloud hanging over fast food restaurants is pretty overrated, as there are plenty of nutritious and fulfilling selections to mull over. Being equipped with the knowledge of how to make healthier choices at fast food eateries is key to getting the most out of a dining possibility that is convenient, inexpensive and truly speedy.

Hamburger Heaven

A single hamburger at a fast food restaurant is pretty reasonable. The McDonald's plain 'ole hamburger with its signature onions contains 250 calories with a reasonable saturated fat count and decent serving of protein.

To cut back on the calories associated with a fast food hamburger, you can eliminate some of the extras that increase the overall fat content of the meal.

For example, forgo the slice of cheese on a Wendy's Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe and save 40 calories. Eliminating the mayo takes off a good twenty-five calories. Use mustard - it tastes great and is healthy too. Want to save carbs and calories regarding your healthy fast food selections? Eat your burger on half-a-bun and save 60 calories. All together, the 125-calorie cut still allows you to savor the taste of bacon and juicy hamburger accompanied by nutritious tomatoes and lettuce.

Choose the Whopper Jr over the Whopper and eat slower. without mayo (290 calories) tastes just as good as its 510-calorie cousin.

Chicken Delight

With all of the Crispy Chicken Sandwiches and Chicken Nuggets lining the fast food strip, it's hard to pass on the spicy blend of seasonings that tickle the tongue.

Once again, the real reason you order a chicken sandwich is to savor the crispy coating, so why waste calories on the bun, which takes up 120 calories of the 340-calorie sandwich? Some people eat the chicken completely without bun, while others only use half.

At McDonald's, the Honey Mustard Snack Wrap with Grilled Chicken is a sandwich offering the second lowest number of calories on the menu with 260. A four-piece Chicken Nuggets offers only 170 calories. In order to reduce the number of calories associated with healthy fast food chicken choices, pay attention to your sauces, as a Creamy Ranch Sauce runs 200 calories alone.

Pizza, Pizza

Scan the menus of popular chains, such as Pizza Hut, and you will learn about healthy fast food choices, such as the Thin-n-Crispy selections, which offers less bread and crust.

Use the healthy toppings like onions, peppers, olives, jalape'os and mushrooms while cutting back on the meat toppings creates a healthy good for you meal.

Pizza Hut also offers "Fit-n-Delicious" pizzas, where the diced red tomato, mushroom, and jalapeno selection provides 150-calorie slices.

Additional Healthy Fast Food

Often overlooked as a fast food restaurant, Subway is a great way to stick with a healthy meal plan. Some of the best selections include tons of vegetables and lean chicken. The half sub daily special is my favorite. Meat of the day on honey oat bread, spicy mustard and loaded with all the crisp veggies. What a taste explosion and it's so healthy.

Overall, the continuous pressure to lead a healthier lifestyle has encouraged numerous eateries to bring lower calorie food choices to the forefront. Today, popular healthy fast food menu items include the likes of Chicken Garden Salads, Strawberry-Flavored Applesauce, 2% Milk, Bacon Ranch Salad, Apple Dippers, and Fruit-n-Yogurt Parfait.

Making healthy fast food decisions is not boring. Consider it a journey into healthy dinning. Bon Appetit!