The best fast food for you: how to get a quick bite without building a big gut

Sometimes food isn't a meal, it's simply a feeding. Maybe you're hammering away at the computer or cruising 1-90 when the need to feed kicks in. You try to ignore it, but your stomach is yapping at you like your dyspeptic mother-in-law. You have to put some gas in the tank to keep on trucking, and you can't always afford premium. Fortunately, our era of convenience has made it easy to get your grub on almost anywhere. No matter where you are, you can find someplace--whether it's a bagel joint or a taco stand--where you can ferret out a meal that won't blow your nutrition program out of the water.

BREAK YOUR FAST

As long as you don't make it a habit, a McDonald's Egg McMuffin makes a surprisingly good quick breakfast, with enough protein and fat to hold you until lunchtime. "Protein and fat don't break down as fast as carbs do," says David Levitch, M.S., R.D., LD., author of Healthy Eating for Busy People. And at only 12 grams, the fat content's not as bad as you'd think.

Just make sure your lunch fare is a little healthier. "Everything in moderation, so if you go with eggs in the morning, balance that with a lean meat in the afternoon," says Levitch.

McDonald's Egg McMuffin: 290 calories, 27g carbs, 17g protein, 12g fat

One serving orange juice: 80 calories, 20g carbs, zero protein, zero fat

MIDDAY MEAL

Breakfast has finally worn off, and you're raring for some lunch. "You want a balance of carbs, fats and proteins," says Levitch. "As a dietitian, I usually push the vegetables at lunch." If you're still on the run, he suggests a place like Boston Market, where you can get lean protein plus sides of fruits and vegetables. Try the rotisserie turkey breast, black beans with rice, and fruit salad.

Rotisserie turkey breast: 170 calories, 3g carbs, 36g protein, 1g fat

One serving black beans with rice: 300 calories, 45 carbs, 8g protein, 10g fat

One serving fruit salad: 70 calories, 15g carbs, 1g protein, zero fat

DINNERTIME

Dinner is pretty much like lunch, except that it takes place a few hours later. But if you're one of the many employees in this sluggish economy who work 12 hours a day for fear of ending up on the skids, you probably have only a few minutes to pound down some nutrients before heading back to the grind.

Race to your local KFC (yep, the very Colonel who can clog your arteries if you make the wrong menu choices) and order up a Tender Roast Sandwich--with no sauce. A side of unbuttered corn on the cob provides complex carbohydrates as well as antioxidants. Wash it all down with a large water or iced tea.

KFC Tender Roast Sandwich (without sauce): 270 calories, 23g carbs, 31g protein, 5g fat

Corn on the cob: 150 calories, 35g carbs, 5g protein, 2g fat

PREWORKOUT FEEDING

You've got a workout in 90 minutes, but you know you won't make it through without something in your stomach. "You don't want to overeat, but you want to make sure you have calories for energy," says Melanie Polk, R.D., director of nutrition education at the American Institute for Cancer Research. What you need are slow-burning carbs, the kind you get from whole-wheat bread, and protein, found in a lean meat such as (skinless) turkey breast. You also need to stock up on potassium, which your body is robbed of during exercise. A lack of potassium can cause workout-subverting muscle cramps. Two slices of tomato--44 grams of potassium--will do you fine. Put it all together and you have a Subway turkey sub. Just hold the oil-based topping.

Subway 6-inch turkey sub on whole-wheat bread with lettuce and tomato: 254 calories, 39g carbs, 16g protein, 4g fat

COLD-BUSTING CHOW

It's obvious, but it works. Chicken soup has been used as a remedy for the common cold for thousands of years. Irwin Ziment, M.D., a pulmonary specialist at the UCLA School of Medicine, believes that the chemical acetylcysteine, which is used in medicines prescribed to combat congestion, functions similarly to the amino acid cysteine. And guess what chicken soup has.... That's right, cysteine.

Chicken soup also has that homey feeling that evokes caring grandmas and fuzzy blankets. "It's something that in a Jungian sense resonates our collective sense of grandmothers," says Ziment. These days, soup is as easy to get as a double cheeseburger. A number of quality dine-and-dash establishments keep a pot on the stove, such as Boston Market, Panera Bread, Koo Koo Roo and Jamba Juice.

8 oz. chicken soup: 110 calories, 15g carbs, 7g protein, 3g fat

1 cup orange juice: 110 calories, 25g carbs, zero protein, zero fat

FOR VEGETARIANS

It's hard enough to find meat-free meals that aren't laden with fat. Try to find one in a rush, and you're usually SOL. All hail the king--Burger King, that is. Yes, this carnivore's haven offers a veggie burger that, when ordered without the mayo, is actually low in fat. Unfortunately, BK doesn't offer any sides that haven't been deep-fried within an inch of their lives, so if you're still hungry, opt for two veggie burgers.