“The hot dogs are highly processed, which would be the biggest concern, and the bun is going to be refined carbohydrates,” says Neal Malik, R.D., associate professor at California State University-San Bernardino. With its retro-inspired, super indulgent menu (which features things like hot dogs and chili cheese fries) eating healthy at Sonic isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but it can be done. Just know that their availability may depend on your location. However, it’s never a bad idea to steer clear of the typical quarter-pounder and fries at least every so often, as the excess sodium and cholesterol increase risk of heart disease and stroke, per the World Health Organization.Īs long as you don’t make eating out a habit, these meals can provide some substantial sustenance. With that in mind, no one order will be universally healthy for everyone. “What may be healthy for one person may not be healthy for another,” she says, adding that some people avoid certain allergens like soy and gluten, for example, while others who are diabetic may have to pay closer attention to sugar intake. It’s easy to immediately associate “healthy” with “low-calorie,” but she brings up that “healthy” is actually a very subjective, loaded term. And menu variety, she adds, is key to serving everyone’s health needs. “Now, I feel like there’s so many options,” she says.

Karin Evans, Ph.D., R.D., C.H.E.S., remembers a time when the only “healthy” options at drive-thrus were rather sad looking salads. (Because, let’s be honest, life happens.) Be it that you woke up late or forgot your meal-prepped lunch in the fridge (ugh!), the good news is, fast food restaurants are making their menus increasingly accessible to all types of healthier eating habits, including low-calorie, plant-based, gluten-free, and more. No matter how health-conscious you might be, at one point or another, you’re bound to find yourself strapped for time, hangry, and scanning the menu at a fast food restaurant.

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