With the busy way of living here in the Silicon Valley, the easiest thing for us to do is stop by a fast food restaurant and grab a quick meal. Although, the best alternative is to have a nutritiously balanced meal or some fruit to snack on, there are ways to have your fast food and eat nutritionally too. Here are some tips when there is no way around the drive through.

This makes a huge difference. A McDonald’s quarter-pound cheeseburger, large fries, and 16-ounce soda add up to 1,166 calories and 51 grams of fat. In contrast, the McDonald’s hamburger, small fries, and 16-ounce soda are 481 calories and 19 grams of fat.

Fried Chicken Nuggets (six pieces) has 300 calories and 18 grams fat; Chicken Fajita 190 calories and eight grams of fat; and Chunky Chicken Salad 160 calories and five grams of fat.

Skipping the mayonnaise on a burger, for example, can save 135 calories and 15 grams of fat. Sour cream, cheese, butter and bacon bits can add a total of about 145 calories to a baked potato.

Choose juice or low-fat milk over soda, and if you really need it, choose diet. Think twice about deserts. McDonald’s cookies have 308 calories and 49 grams of fat; shakes and sundaes, at least 350 calories and 50 grams. And a cinnamon raisin Danish weighs in at 445 calories and 60 grams of fat.

SuperSize meals can lead to SuperSized waists

Skip the big meal. Order the burger or sandwich and pass on the fries and soft drinks. You’ll save money, avoid empty calories, and extra fat.

Full nutritional information about all menu items from each restaurant can be found at all of their web sites.

Click on a restaurant below to find out more.