GRAB 'N' GO: FINDING HEALTHY MEALS AT FAST-FOOD RESTAURANTS IS HARD, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE

Can you really eat a healthy meal if you have to eat on the run?

Dietitians say yes, but it takes some planning and forethought before ordering.

"You have to work at it but there are some choices out there," said Lori Pettet, a dietitian at St. Francis Medical Center.

Eating out every day isn't the way to develop healthy eating habits, though.

"You have to plan so you're not always caught at the fast-food window," said Kay Litwicki, a dietitian at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

While many people eat out during the week because of a fast-paced schedule, there are some options for healthy eating. Most restaurants offer salads and some healthier food options like grilled chicken or fish sandwiches. And many deli sandwiches offer vegetables and meat sandwiches with less fat.

Making healthy choices

But even with all those choices, Americans aren't getting much healthier.

A 1996 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that nearly 70 percent of people had a diet that "needed help" to meet the proper nutritional and dietary recommendations. Only 12 percent of those surveyed had "good" diets.

The Healthy Eating Index was developed by the Center for Nutritional Policy and Promotion at the USDA to measure the nutritional quality of the average American diet. The survey shows that Americans need to do more to reduce the fat in their diets.

Americans aren't being very successful as a nation in reducing fat and creating healthier lifestyles, said Pettet, adding: "You have to develop a long-term health behavior that lasts."

That means making conscious choices not to "super-size" the french fries or even order them at all.

"We're getting better and making better choices, but the problem with weight loss is that people are not always consistent," Pettet said.

Choosing a roast beef sandwich is better than eating a burger for lunch. Cutting down to children's-size meals means cutting the fat and calorie intake in half, too.

But you have to be leery of some foods that seem like healthier choices: Chicken and fish sandwiches are often the culprits because those sandwiches are served with mayonnaise or breaded.

A mix of menus

Litwicki said one of her patients discovered how to make allowances by planning meals and choosing smaller sandwiches with less fat and then adding more portions of fruits and vegetables at other meals.

Healthy fast foods do exist. Nearly every fast-food restaurant chain offers a nutritional analysis of its menu at Web sites or on sheets at the restaurant counter.

But the key to maintaining weight is to have a mix of foods.

"You can't eat out every day," Pettet said. "It's hard to maintain a diet if you eat out."

About 30 percent of the customers who come to Wendy's on a regular basis choose the low-fat foods like chicken, chili or baked potatoes without butter.

"We get a lot of people that come through and ask how many calories are in this or that," said Dulcie Terhune, a manager.

Local managers at Burger King restaurants said people are more conscious of calories and fat grams in the first two months of the year, often because people have overeaten during the holidays.

And with people on fad diets -- like the low-carbohydrate plan -- many orders are for the burger patties alone.

But fad diets aren't a successful way for people to lose, Pettet said.

"Often they cut out food groups, so you're not getting the nutrients that you need," she said. "None of them have shown to be successful in the long term."

Michael Johnson, a manager at McDonald's, said from 20 to 40 salads are sold daily at the Broadway location, and many customers are beginning to ask for condiments on the side or less on their sandwiches.

People know they have choices, and restaurants try to meet those consumer requests by offering foods lower in fat, Litwicki said.

Even grocery stores offer better choices in convenience foods, she said, and many of those frozen foods are healthier.

"We're aware, but transferring that into practice still has a way to go," Litwicki said. "It's the things you do every day that contribute to your health."

WHAT TO DO

FACTS TO CONSIDER

* One quarter of meals are eaten away from home, and that number continues to increase.

* Eight percent of all meals are eaten in the car.

* Forty-four cents of every dollar are spent on food for meals eaten away from home.

* Most fast-food meals have too many calories, too much fat and sodium, too few vitamins and minerals and very little fiber.

Tips for ordering

* Have an eating plan and stick to it.

* Pass up all-you-can-eat buffets and unlimited salad bars. Those foods can often have more fat than a hamburger.

* Eat lower-calorie foods first, like a salad.

* Stop eating before you feel full. Ask to take leftover food home.

* If you choose a higher-fat entree, balance it with lower-fat choices for the rest of the meal.

* If you know that one of your meals on a particular day will be high in fat or calories, choose lower-fat or low-calorie foods for the other meals that day.

Source: The American Dietetic Association.