The obesity epidemic not only in the United States but also the world has largely been believed to be caused by the explosion of fast food restaurants.  A few fast food chains have even spoken out against the subject, trying to defend their chains’ names — saying that they were not the ones to be held responsible for the obesity rates in children.

This debate could (and probably will) rage on for years.  Is it the gun manufacturers fault for making the gun?  Or the person who pulled the trigger?  While a major fast food chain may be to blame,  they don’t force you to eat their food — you drive up to the window, make a purchase, and then eat that food.  They don’t force you into eating there.

In response to the the pressure from a more health concious public, fast food chains like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King have started offering healthy choices in their meals.  So when you pull up to the drive through window now, you can choose the cheeseburger or salad, or between sugar-laden soda or water.

When you need some food on the run, consider these recent changes:

Wendys
They’ve begun offering mandarin oranges as a side — much better than a baked potato or french fries.  They also have salads with light dressings with a vast option — probably the largest selection of salads anywhere.

McDonalds
While lacking the large selection of Wendy’s, McDonalds offers salads and fruit/parfaits as a side.  For the kids they also have apple dippers, which are sliced apples with a low fat caramel dipping sauce.  This may not be the healthiest food selection you can make, but it certainly beats a bucket of greasy fries.

Taco Bell
Tacos are pretty fresh and healthy when compared to a double cheeseburger, but if you load them on cheese they won’t do you much good.  Try to choose something that contains very little cheese and is loaded with veggies, salsa, and lettuce.

Subway
Always fresh.  Get a sub low on mayo and not on white — that’s the rule of the thumb.  Then, load it up to hearts content with veggies, meat, and seasoning!

If you do have to go through the drive-thru menu a few times a week, you’re almost certainly not receiving all the vitamins and minerals you should be.  Consider taking a multi-vitamin like Opti-Men.