What's in it: Whole grain linguini with balsamic, olive oil, white wine, roasted garlic, red onion, tomato, spinach, and parmesan or feta
Why it's a good choice: A whole grain pasta is always going to be a better option than refined carbs, like regular pasta, which are known to aggravate acne. Whole grains are low on the glycemic scale and won't spike your blood sugar and cause breakouts. The tomatoes in this dish are the other star component to good skin, says White. They are chockfull of lycopene, a powerful anti-aging antioxidant.
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Sandwich: Subway Honey Oat Veggie Delite with Avocado
What's in it: Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, green bell peppers, onions, cucumbers, avocado, and your choice of fat-free condiments on freshly baked bread
Why it's a good choice: You basically get to see everything that goes into your sub. Ask for extra veggies, which pack skin-enhancing protein, vitamins, and minerals. The vitamin E-rich avocado, combined with vitamin C from tomatoes, can actually help protect skin against UV damage. Choose an oil-based dressing opposed to a creamy one, says White, to keep out sugar and salt.
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Burger: McDonalds Big-n'-Tasty
What's in it: Beef patty, tomato, lettuce, pickles, slivered onions, ketchup and mayonnaise dressing on a sesame seed bun
Why it's a good choice: OK, so if you absolutely have to have a burger, this one is the best choice compared to the other fast food burgers as it is lower on the sodium level, has no cheese, and actually has a tomato on it. If you really cared about your skin, you would "go naked" with it, says White. That means skipping the bun (which adds 110mg of salt and 5 grams of sugar), mayonnaise dressing, and high fructose corn syrup-infused ketchup. But, that might not sound too appetizing, as the sauces and bun tend to mask the taste of the meat.
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Ingredients to look for -- and ones to skip
If you're at a different fast food joint and can't find one of the options here, you can make tiny adjustments to what you order that can make a big difference in the overall nutrient intake of your meal. White says when you can, choose meal options with these skin-healthy ingredients:
• Fish (not deep fried � we're lookin' at you "Filet-O-Fish")
• Nuts (especially almonds and walnuts)
• Vegetables (always sub spinach for iceberg lettuce when possible, and ask for extra cucumbers, bell peppers, and raw onions)
• Fruits (especially strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries, avocados, and tomatoes)
When it comes to your drink of choice, choose water. All sodas and diet drinks are packed with sodium (a healthy skin no-no). Remember, you'll still get your fair share of sodium even if you order the healthiest options on the menu. White also says you can choose unsweetened green tea (now available at some fast food joints, like Subway), which is filled with polyphenols and anti-oxidants that help combat skin cell damage and the signs of aging.
When you think of healthy skin diets, the last thing that should come to mind is fast food. It's loaded with salt (known to aggravate acne and cause tissue swelling), bursting with greasy fat (increasing inflammation), and sneakily packs in tons of sugar (causing wrinkles and sagging). The havoc it wreaks on your skin is gross. Super size gross.
But -- and that's a big but if you're eating fast food on the regs -- we don't live in a perfect world where you always have the time, money, and willpower to drink organic spinach/wild salmon/sweet potato smoothies all day. Fast food is, well, fast -- one of the reasons why we love it. And if you're crazy busy with a million things on your metaphorical plate, then your dinner has likely, on occasion, come in a cardboard box with no real plate in sight.
So what, are we smoking crack and telling you all your excuses for eating fast food are fine and you shouldn't worry about the damage it could be doing to your skin, not to mention your overall health? Of course not. But we are telling you that if you have to, or want to eat fast food, at least make choices that are better for your skin than the rest (and don't worry, we didn�t just pick salads from every menu).
To help you navigate the fast food menu, we spoke to Jim White, R.D., a registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson, to find out which options to pick at some of your favorite fast food joints.
