These Are The Best Non-Greasy Fast Food Items

Fast food can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it's quick and affordable. On the other hand, so many items are deep-fried or bathed in oil and butter to the point where end up feeling like you have grease oozing from your pores after your meal. Fortunately, most chains have at least one non-greasy item on the menu that's fresh or prepared in a way that's healthier than typical fast food dishes.

The higher-ups at fast food chains know that clean eating is a major goal for many people, so most chains include lighter items on the menu to appeal to health-conscious customers. There are also fast food chains that focus primarily on wholesome food like soups, salads, and grain bowls. That's good news for anyone who wants a cheap fast food meal that actually contains nutritious ingredients.

But does healthy fast food actually taste good? To answer that question, we did a deep dive into some of the top fast food chains' lighter menu options. Based on our own experiences and numerous customer reviews, these are some of the best non-greasy fast food items that you'll actually want to eat.

Considering some of Taco Bell's best sellers include the Cheesy Gordita Crunch and Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, the chain probably isn't the first fast food joint you think of when you want something healthy. However, there are a few items that are fresher than the typical crunchy, cheesy offerings. 

The Cantina Chicken Bowl features a great mix of proteins and veggies that will fill you up without weighing you down. It includes seasoned rice topped with slow-roasted chicken, purple cabbage, black beans, pico de gallo, lettuce, guacamole, and cheddar cheese. It also comes with avocado ranch sauce and reduced-fat sour cream. 

Customers love that the Chicken Cantina Bowl is fresh, flavorful, and contains only 490 calories. Many also love the fact that it's customizable with add-ons like jalapeños, steak, or potatoes. You can also nix some ingredients to make it more low-cal like one Reddit user who said, "I leave off the black beans and the rice and it drops to under 300 calories." Pro tip: you can also make nearly any Taco Bell menu item vegan by swapping beans for meat and leaving out dairy products.

Chick-fil-A is renowned for its crispy chicken and waffle fries, both of which you can drench in the chain's famous Chick-fil-A sauce. If you're looking for something less greasy though, there are several lighter menu items you can choose from. While the salads get great reviews, it's the Spicy Chicken Cool Wrap that many people can't stop raving about. Chick-fil-A's spicy grilled chicken wrap used to be a somewhat secret menu hack that was an adaptation of the regular Cool Wrap. Now it's a permanent fixture on the menu at several locations.

The wrap features thin slices of spicy grilled chicken with green leaf lettuce, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and shredded cheddar cheese in a flaxseed flour wrap. It comes with avocado lime ranch dressing, although you can swap that out for other dressings like zesty apple cider or fat-free honey mustard. Even better, each wrap is made in-house daily, which may be why so many people say they taste fresh and healthy. One Reddit user said, "It is soooo good. I eat them all the time." Another said, "I get this almost every day."

While some fast food spots have given up on salads altogether (we're looking at you, McDonald's), Wendy's has an entire menu section devoted to fresh-made salads. The Cobb Salad is a fan favorite for its enticing array of ingredients and substantial portion size. It includes a bed of romaine lettuce topped with grilled chicken, applewood smoked bacon, diced tomatoes, chopped eggs, crispy fried onions, and shredded cheddar cheese. Top it with creamy ranch dressing and you have an ultra-flavorful meal.

What sets this salad apart from many other fast food salads is the great blend of flavors and textures. The smoky bacon and grilled chicken meld beautifully with the mild eggs and cheese. The crispy onions add some much-welcome crunch and the ranch dressing just ties everything together. It's also incredibly filling, making it a solid option for lunch or dinner. We're not the only ones who think so either. A Wendy's employee on Reddit commented, "It's the best. I work here and I would die for a Cobb salad right now."

Craving Asian cuisine but don't have time for a meal at a full-service restaurant? Panda Express is the spot to go for fast American-Chinese dishes. While some of the dishes can be slightly greasy, there are a few standouts that deliver on both freshness and flavor. The Broccoli Beef is a solid choice if you're craving protein and veggies in one dish. It features slices of beef and hefty pieces of broccoli in a savory ginger-soy sauce.

The Broccoli Beef has several things going for it. First, a single serving contains just 150 calories, which is far less than many of the other dishes on the Panda Express menu. We also love that it comes with a decent ratio of meat to vegetables, and that the beef is tender and the broccoli is soft, but with a bit of crunch. In addition, the sauce gives a good balance of salty, gingery, umami flavors. It's easy to see why The Daily Meal gave it the number two spot, just after the Orange Chicken, in its ranking of Panda Express items.

Panera may have started off as a bakery focusing on mainly bread, but it's now best known for its soups and sandwiches. It's a great option if you want something quick, but homey. There are several soups on the menu ranging from classics like the Homestyle Chicken Noodle to gourmet creations like the Mexican Street Corn Chowder. However, many diners agree that the Broccoli Cheddar is hands down the best soup on Panera's menu.

Luscious and comforting, the Broccoli Cheddar soup has chopped broccoli florets and shredded carrots in a silky cheese sauce. A bowl contains just 180 calories, which is not bad for a lunch dish. You can also get it in a bread bowl, but that ups the calorie count to 900. The soup gets overwhelmingly glowing reviews from diners with many commenting on the delicious juxtaposition of fresh broccoli with rich, cheesy soup. The soup is so popular that Panera also sells it in select grocery stores (along with other soup flavors), and we can attest that it beats out many of the best canned soups on the market.

When it comes to fast food chicken chains, El Pollo Loco is healthier than most because it grills its chicken over flames instead of deep-frying it. You can opt for Mexican-style chicken meals with grilled chicken legs, thighs, and breasts served with sides like rice, beans, and tortillas. You can also have your chicken in tacos, burritos, and rice bowls. Fancy a few more vegetables? Consider the Classic Double Chicken Chopped Salad.

This colorful salad is relatively new to the menu, but it's already earned tons of fans for its great combo of ingredients. It features spinach, lettuce, and super greens topped with fire-grilled chicken, avocado, pepitas, queso fresco, and pico de gallo. The final touch is a creamy cilantro dressing. Customers love that the vegetables are crisp and the cilantro dressing is full of flavor. For many though, the chicken is what makes it. One diner said in a Google review, "High-quality chicken deliciously, marinated and barbecued to perfection." The fresh avocados also earn accolades from customers.

"We Have the Meats." That's the official slogan of Arby's and one that the chain certainly delivers on. Staples of the menu include the Classic Roast Beef sandwich, the heftier Double Beef n' Cheddar, and the crispy Chicken Bacon Swiss sandwich. If those sound a little too greasy for your taste, you may want to give the Market Fresh section of the menu a look. That's where you'll find lighter dishes like the popular Roast Beef Gyro.

Ringing in at 540 calories, the Roast Beef Gyro is one of the healthier items on Arby's menu. It features the chain's signature thinly sliced beef with shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion, and creamy tzatziki sauce on a soft pita. It gives some of the same flavors as the roast beef sandwich, but with additional freshness from the veggies and a kick of spice from the gyro seasoning. One reviewer said in a YouTube video, "There's a ton of roast beef in here ... everything is portioned perfectly ... everything in this thing is so fresh."

Who says that fast food should be limited to greasy burgers and fries? Pokeworks is a healthy, fast-casual chain that focuses on Hawaiian-inspired poke. For those who aren't familiar with poke, it's a dish that features cubed raw fish tossed with veggies and dressing. Pokeworks offers a variety of poke dishes including tuna poke bowls, poke salads, and poke burritos. You can build your own bowl or opt for one of the chain's creations.

One of the most popular dishes on the menu is the Hawaiian Ahi Tuna Bowl. It comes with a base of white rice topped with ahi tuna, cucumber, sliced onion, seaweed, edamame, green onion, and the chain's signature sesame ginger sauce. It also gets a sprinkling of crunchy seasonings like sesame seeds, chili flakes, and sea salt. Diners say the dish is bright and bursting with flavor. Many also comment on the quality of the fresh fish. One Google reviewer said, "I tried [the] ahi tuna here and it was so soft it just melted in my mouth."

If you've spent any time in the South, you've probably heard of Cook Out. The North Carolina-based chain specializes in char-grilled burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes. The "fresh, never frozen" burgers are the main draw, but if you want something a little less greasy, there are also char-grilled chicken breast sandwiches on offer. You can get your chicken sandwich Original Style with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and honey mustard, or choose from multiple variations with toppings like cheddar, bacon, Cajun spices, and barbecue sauce.

Cook Out has a solid following of fans who say great things about the food. In a Reddit thread about which chain has the best grilled chicken sandwich, multiple people shouted out Cook Out for its tasty chicken sandwiches served burger style. One user said, "It's great because the chicken is super flavorful with a distinct char on the exterior." The chicken sandwiches pair well with the chain's creamy milkshakes that come in nearly 40 flavors. And if you haven't tried Cheerwine, that's an absolute must. For the uninitiated, Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored soft drink from the South.

When many people think of fast, healthy food, Chipotle is the first place that comes to mind. The first Chipotle opened in Denver, Colorado, in 1993, and it was pretty much an instant hit. Now there are close to 3,500 locations across the United States. Alaska and Hawaii are the only states where you won't find a Chipotle. It's easy to see why the chain is so successful. People can't get enough of the fresh Mexican-inspired eats like burritos, rice bowls, and tacos at relatively affordable prices.

The burrito bowls are the most ordered items at Chipotle. You can choose from white, brown, or cilantro-lime rice and proteins like barbacoa, carnitas, steak, and chicken. If you want a protein that's not too greasy or bland, the steak is a good bet. As one Reddit user said, "Steak is definitely an employee favorite. Do yourself a favor and wait for steak to be fresh off the grill. So good." From there, you can add your favorite toppings like black beans, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, and fresh tomato salsa.

Since 1950, Whataburger has been wowing customers with its sizable burgers that can be customized in over 36,000 different ways. You can add the chain's famous spicy ketchup, throw on some jalapeños, or swap out your bun for Texas Toast, to name just a few modifications. With that in mind, it's not surprising that the salads often get overshadowed by the burger and sandwich options. However, many say the Apple & Cranberry Chicken Salad is a hidden gem for those who want something non-greasy.

Of the three salads on offer at Whataburger, the Apple & Cranberry Chicken Salad gets the most hype. It features grilled chicken on a bed of lettuce with crisp apple slices, tart cranberries, crunchy matchstick carrots, and shredded cheddar cheese. Like the burgers, it can be jazzed up with an array of add-ons like bacon slices, green chilies, and tomatoes. Dressings include ranch, honey mustard, and balsamic vinaigrette. Customers love the combinations of textures and flavors. One Reddit user said, "The ingredients taste fresh, the dressing is pretty good, and I love the grilled chicken to go with it."

Affordable seafood has always been the focus at Captain D's. For a long time, this meant battered, deep-fried fish served with low-cost sides like french fries, hush puppies, and coleslaw. However, as people started to become more health conscious in their dining decisions, Captain D's had to change with the times to stay afloat. In 2011, the chain revamped the menu with healthier options like grilled fish. Today, many of those grilled options remain with the Blackened Tilapia being a favorite with diners.

"The grilled tilapia here is the best," said one happy customer on TripAdvisor. "It was full, succulent, and very tasty." Diners also comment on the decent portion size and how the dish is great value for what you get. For example, one customer left a Google review that said, "Grilled tilapia with rice is [the] quality of a nice seafood restaurant at half the price." The dish features a large tilapia filet served with rice, a breadstick, and your choice of two sides. Non-greasy side options include broccoli, okra, green beans, and a baked potato.

With over 37,000 restaurants in 100 countries, there's no disputing that Subway is a wildly successful fast food chain. Part of the reason it's so popular is the focus on sandwiches, wraps, and salads made with fresh ingredients that customers can choose themselves. At Subway, you can make your meal as heavy or healthy as you like. If you're in the mood for something greasy, you can go for the meatball sub or the steak and cheese. More spartan options include the veggie sub. Looking for a lighter sandwich that still contains some protein? The turkey sub is a classic for a reason.

As a former Subway employee, I can confirm that the turkey sub was one of the chain's best sellers. It's a great option if you're looking for lean meat that's not too greasy. Of course, if you don't mind a few extra calories, you can amp up the sub with some bacon and cheese. Then there are all those delicious veggies you can add for extra nutrients. Here's a handy Subway ordering hack: ask to have olive oil drizzled on your veggies, then toast them along with your sandwich to deepen the flavors.

Step into a Culver's and you'll likely find most diners chowing down on ButterBurgers and crinkle fries. After all, that's what the chain is known for. But the burgers aren't the only thing that Culver's does well — it also makes a mean Bacon Bleu Salad. We would even venture to say that it's one of the best fast food salads on the market. The dish is so good that it's even managed to win over salad-averse folks. As one Reddit user said, "I don't love salad, but really do like the bacon bleu cheese one." 

So what is it that makes this salad so great? To start, it has ample amounts of grilled chicken and bacon for protein. Dried cranberries add tartness and blue cheese adds creamy and tangy notes. Then it has crisp cucumbers and juicy tomatoes, all on a bed of greens. It's hard to beat the combination of sweet, salty, and fresh flavors all in one bowl. If you want to make it extra special, one Reddit user recommended adding spicy chicken, blue cheese sauce, and buffalo sauce for a kick of heat.

It's not too difficult to find non-greasy menu items at fast food joints. The trick is knowing which dishes are worth sacrificing that burger and fries for. To uncover which dishes from fast food chains are both healthy and flavorful, we drew on our own experiences and got a little help from online reviews on platforms like Reddit, TripAdvisor, and Google Reviews. Our main criteria for the dishes were that they could not be deep-fried and they had to include fresh ingredients like veggies, lean meats, and grains. And of course, a major contributing factor was that the dishes had to also taste great!