I Have Been Spotted in Several Fast Food Joints

Hello there Russ...no blushing here! I'm all for moderation and believe me, I have been spotted in several fast food joints. It's the choices we make once we’re there that matter. Take a look at the nutrition facts sheet at your local McDonald's and check out the basic burger on a bun. It has a mere 280 calories, 10 less than its closest competitor, Wendy's, Jr. Burger. The McBurger serves up 12 grams protein and 30 grams carbs. There are only 81 calories from fat, less than 30 percent of the total calories. And there are only 4 grams of artery-clogging sat fat. And what about the rest of the meal? Well, we know Russ will pass up the high-fat fries. Instead he'll order a veggie salad. Wash the combo down with a cola or a carton of milk, and your meal conforms to the standards laid down by just about anybody's guidelines.

The facts--With fewer than 500 calories (no more than 30 percent of them from fat) the burger plus salad plus drink also delivers more than 100 percent of your RDA for vitamin A, and about half your RDA for vitamin C. Choose milk over cola and you get about 50 percent of your RDA for calcium.

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.