Healthy Fast Food Breakfast

Eating on the run is a fact of life, but it often makes it difficult to be healthy. While the temptations of calorie- and sugar-laden fast-food breakfasts can be strong, there are healthful options on nearly every fast-food restaurant menu. By preparing yourself for situations where you may be eating fast food and arming yourself with nutritional knowledge, you can keep your waistline in check.

McDonald's

• McDonald's offers several healthy choices for breakfast. The Fruit 'n' Yogurt Parfait is perhaps the best choice at 160 calories, 2g fat, 5mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium, 1g fiber and 4g protein. Though Egg McMuffin is higher in fat, sodium and cholesterol, it has 18 grams of protein and is one of the more-healthful fast-food breakfast options. McDonald's Hotcakes, minus the butter and syrup are another good choice at 350 calories and 9g fat.

  You can also cut calories by ordering breakfast sandwiches without cheese and forgoing the value meals that contain high-calorie sides and drinks.

Starbucks

• Skinny lattes or coffee with skim milk and sugar substitute are a good choice, as they are low in calories and contain calcium. If you need something more substantial, go for the mixed fruit and nuts Starbucks sells at the register. They're packed with protein and healthful fats from the nuts and are low in calories.

  A good option for a bigger bite is the spinach, roasted tomato, feta and egg wrap, which has 240 calories, 10g of fat, as well as 7g of fiber and 13g of protein. Another option for a healthful breakfast sandwich is the reduced-fat turkey bacon with cholesterol-free egg and reduced-fat white cheddar. This is significantly lower in cholesterol and higher in protein.

Dunkin Donuts

• Dunkin' Donuts' egg white and veggie flatbread sandwich is 290 calories and has lots of protein but is low in cholesterol. The doughnuts, muffins and bagels are packed with calories and fat, but if you must have a doughnut, go for the regular glazed, which is 220 calories, 9g of fat and 12g of sugar.

Check Calories and Fat

• If there is some other menu item you are eyeing for a fast-food breakfast, you can check the nutritional facts at CalorieKing.com. Look for items that not only are low in calories, sugar, fat and cholesterol, but that have nutritional value such as protein, fiber, calcium and vitamins. The site also features pie charts that show how balanced the item is in terms of carbs, protein and fat.