14 Fast Food Meals Under 500 Calories that Will Fill Your Family Up

If you're a mom or dad, then you likely don't want to go overboard by ordering fast food on a regular basis. Many menu items at these establishments are full of calories, fat, and sodium. The dishes may taste good, but they're not doing your family any favors. However, we also know that sometimes there just isn't enough time to cook a full meal at home. The good news is that many fast food restaurants do have a selection of meals under 500 calories, which can save the day at mealtime.

In this list, we'll show you a variety of decently healthy meals from major chains, including McDonald's, Burger King, Arby's, Chipotle, and more. The meals typically include a main dish and even a side that you and your kids can enjoy without stressing out about caloric intake. See if your favorite fast food restaurant made the list.

When you bring your family to any fast food restaurant, you need to think seriously about the nutritional information in the meal you're ordering. Many fast food menu items are loaded with salt, calories, and trans fats. Even if all you do is keep an eye on the caloric intake, you'll be doing your family a lot of favors. Why? Because eating too many calories is bad for your health. Going overboard on calories can lead to serious issues, including obesity, weight gain, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, among other severe complications. Choose meals under 500 calories and you'll do yourself and your family a lot of favors.

The first of the meals under 500 calories is the 10-piece chicken nugget meal at McDonalds. If you get this meal with apple slices, you'll have enough for a good family meal. You can even get a helping of the spicy buffalo sauce for dipping. Add it all together, and you'll be sitting right at 455 calories.

While you'll likely need to cut the hamburger into sections if you're sharing this meal with your family, there's still plenty to eat. The regular burger is 250 calories. You can pair the burger with the value size fries, and you'll add on another 230 calories. If everyone in the family gets some fries and a part of a burger, they'll be satisfied with a meal that comes in at 280 calories.

This meal is best for a smaller family. It entails a Whopper Jr and a side of applesauce. Add it all together, and you'll have a meal coming in at 380 calories. You may even have some space for a few fries. Just be cautious as this meal also has 560 grams of sodium, so watch your sodium consumption the rest of the day.

The Taco Bell Veggie Bowl is a great little meal that includes cabbage, rice, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, pico de Gallo, and ranch sauce. It's a tasty dish, and you can share it with your family. When you do, you'll be consuming 420 calories. This dish is also pretty healthy. It offers 12 grams of protein, which is essential for bone health.

While you're at Taco Bell, consider another one of the great meals under 500 calories. This one is the veggie Mexican pizza that has beans, cheese, tortillas, and a variety of veggies. It's a tasty dish for the family that won't leave you stuffed at the end. It has 470 calories. Best of all, it has 14 grams of protein, which is good for your health.

This meal won't leave your family stuffed, but it's enough to give everyone something to eat while staying relatively healthy. This order includes the 4-piece Spicy Chicken Nuggets and a side of small French fries. The nuggets have 190 calories and the fries have 260 calories. It comes in at 450 calories. However, be warned that the meal also has 900 mg of sodium.

Head to Subway and you'll find that there are several meals under 500 calories that will leave your family satisfied. In each case, you'll need to go with a six-inch sub, but it's enough for everyone if you cut it into sections. This one is the oven-roasted turkey, which comes in at 270 calories. You may even have some room left over for a few chips.

Another tasty Subway menu item that you and the family can enjoy without going overboard on the calories is the six-inch Veggie Delite. This one only has 220 calories and it's filled with goodies. It also has 10 grams of protein, which is good for you.

If you're looking for a meal that can be amongst multiple people and you're at Subway, check out the Black Forest Ham sub. This one has only 280 calories and it's loaded with delicious meat. Best of all, the sub also has 19 grams of protein, which is a great amount. It does have 850 mg of sodium, so go easy on the extra salt.

Chicken is generally more nutritious that many other types of food, so it's no surprise that Chick-fil-A would have some very healthy meals. A case in point is the Eight-Count Grilled Nuggets Meal, which you can pair with a Kale Crunch side.You can divvy up the nuggets for the family and have a nice meal. Altogether, it will have 300 calories, which is great for a meal.

Arby's is also home to several meals under 500 calories. One of them is the nine-piece chicken nugget meal. You can get it with a side of sauce and still be just under the 500-calorie mark. A large family may not be stuffed after the meal but they'll be satisfied.

Yes, even KFC has some relatively healthy options. One of them is the 2-piece Chicken Combo with a side of mashed potatoes. Granted, this meal would be for a smaller family, but it would still do the trick. Altogether, it will have 400 calories. You even have room for a Pepsi Zero to wash it all down.

Another great option is the KFC 5-Piece Chicken Nuggets that you can pair with a side of small fries. This meal provides enough to feed your family and it comes in at exactly 500 calories. The meal even includes 20 grams of protein, which is an added bonus.

Chipotle also has a variety of bowls that fit the category of meals under 500 calories. One of the best is the Chipotle Wholesome Lifestyle Bowl. It's loaded with fajita vegetables, chicken, lettuce, guacamole, and salsa. It's more than enough for a family to dig into, and it comes in at 460 calories. The meal also has a whopping 35 grams of protein, which is always a plus.