It’s a relatable feeling; you’re hungry and want something quick and cheap to eat, so you go to the nearest fast food restaurant with your mouth watering for a nice burger and fries.

It may taste good at the moment, but those contradictory thoughts still linger in the back of your mind: “If I eat this, it’ll ruin my diet,” or, “It’s ok, there was lettuce and tomato on the burger, so it’s ‘healthy,’ right?”

The abundance of fast food restaurants that surround CSUEB makes healthy eating seem like an impossible task. Luckily, menu items from these popular fast food chains can be mixed, matched, and optimized to give you the best possible eating options. Fast food is not the healthiest recommendation, but if you’re in a jam, these eating hacks should help you out.

Looking into In-N-Out Burger, there are plenty of healthy options to eat including protein-filled and low-calorie meals.

An example of a meal that has veggies and high protein, but also something sweet to satisfy those taste buds, could be a Double-Double protein style (which replaces the buns with lettuce to mimic a lettuce wrap sandwich), paired with an unsweetened ice tea. The 30 grams of protein from the preservative-free beef patty, along with an unsweetened, low-calorie drink, creates a meal of only 450 calories, which is bound to be fulfilling.

While on that morning stop at Starbucks, there are also many items to mix and match to reach those nutrition goals.

A turkey sandwich and egg white bites, with a black coffee, provides a balanced meal of 30 grams of protein and 400 calories. The egg whites reduce the amount of sodium intake compared to a breakfast sandwich, and with the inclusion of turkey and bacon, extra protein points can be scored.

To top it off, the black coffee wisely incorporates antioxidants and beneficiary micronutrients, while also hacking the overconsumption of excess calories and sugar in a typical Starbucks drink.

Believe it or not, menu items from McDonald’s can also be hacked to deliver a healthy option.

An Egg McMuffin, with apple slices and a black coffee, provides 17 grams of protein with 325 calories. This meal also includes antioxidants from the coffee, fiber from the apples, and protein from the egg in the sandwich.

For a later meal, consider a grilled chicken sandwich. It will be 300 calories without mayo, but an extra 100 calories for all the mayo lovers out there. Since the chicken is grilled, it reduces the amount of sodium and calories, and contains 31 grams of protein. Adding in some apples, and maybe a diet drink or water to make it a full meal, would total it out to 335 calories

McDonald’s even has their own nutrition calculator to help with optimizing their meals for the best possible intake.

Eating healthy can be challenging for CSUEB students, especially with the fast food restaurants that surround the campus. With students juggling studying, homework, extracurricular activities, and their physical and mental health, having a healthy diet is key to ensuring all-around success.

The greasiest fast food items may be cheaper, tastier, and more easily accessible, but looking for those alternative options on the menu will leave you more satisfied.