The good news: It is possible to nab a nutritious meal at the golden arches without spending too much. There are healthier vegetables than fries, and it's not just the onion on your burger.

1.  Load Your Tray with Nutrients
Each “premium” salad contains about three cups of leafy greens (a caesar salad with grilled chicken has 220 calories and six grams of fat without dressing), which can count for most if not all of your recommended daily vegetable intake, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommendations.

2. Avoid the Double, Triple and Crispy
While you’re standing in line, apply a common sense approach by avoiding a few key words.  Those are “double,” “triple,” “crispy,” “deluxe” and “fried.” For example, at McDonald’s, the double Quarter Pounder with cheese (the highest-calorie sandwich on the McDonald’s menu at 740 calories), double cheeseburger (440 calories) and McDouble (390 calories) are obviously heavier versions of a regular hamburger (250 calories).