Being told you have (or are at risk for) high cholesterol can feel devastating—not just because the condition can lead to serious medical conditions like heart attack and stroke, but also because you may need to rethink your whole diet. Especially when it comes to how often you consume things like fast food.
“One of the key contributors to high cholesterol is a high intake of saturated fat, typically found in fried foods, baked goods (muffins, pastries, biscuits, croissants), and other desserts,” says Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, author of The Sports Nutrition Playbook and member of our Medical Expert Board. “So while swinging through a drive-thru is inevitable from time to time, if you do it often, the foods you are eating might be contributing to your high cholesterol.”
Thankfully, there are options for those moments when you’re in a bind and need an easy, delicious fast-food meal. Read on to learn some of the fast-food orders Goodson suggests for those watching their cholesterol, then check out 7 Fast-Food Chains That Use the Highest Quality Ingredients.
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Oatmeal or breakfast sandwiches on whole grain bread.
“Many drive-thru breakfast sandwiches are layered on buttery biscuits and croissants, which contain a good amount of saturated fat,” says Goodson. “A better order is oatmeal with fruit, which is high in soluble fiber and can actually help you lower cholesterol. Another option is a breakfast sandwich on a whole grain English muffin and cut the bacon, which is also high in saturated fat.”
You can get oatmeal at Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Burger King to name a few, and Chick-fil-A offers a delicious egg white sandwich on a multigrain English muffin.
