A 15-year review of fast food habits by the University of Minnesota, published in Lancet in 2005, showed that people ate fast food 1.3-2 times per week. The more often you eat fast food, the more you weigh and the higher your risk for developing type two diabetes.

Does that mean it's impossible to eat at a fast food restaurant and not gain weight? Can healthy foods be found in the fast food lane?

It all comes down to knowledge and desire. If we have the knowledge of what healthier foods to order, and the desire to make changes to improve our eating habits, it's definitely possible to eat fast food and maintain a healthy weight.

Here are 5 ways you can choose healthier:

1. A triple Whopper with cheese has 1230 calories - that's the amount many women should eat in one entire day! Downsize to a Whopper junior with cheese for only 410 calories, and you save 820 calories. Part of being healthy is weighing less, and cutting 500 or more calories from your diet each day can help you lose 1 pound per week.
2. KFC's chicken pot pie has 15 grams of saturated fat; that's more saturated fat than we should eat in one day. Saturated fat increases our body's cholesterol levels and contributes to heart disease. Eat less saturated fat, and decrease your risk of heart disease. Order an original recipe chicken breast and take off the skin, and you get only 1 gram of saturated fat.
3. The sodium in table salt contributes to high blood pressure, which puts us at risk for stroke. We should have no more than 2400mg of sodium each day, yet a Wendy's Classic Double with Everything has 2870mg of sodium - and that's without fries! A Junior Bacon Cheeseburger has only 790mg of sodium, even with the bacon!
4. Getting enough fiber per day, at least 25 grams for most women, is difficult when you routinely eat fast food. Adding a tossed salad to your meal will boost your fiber intake, and some places, like McDonald's, now have fresh fruit slices available as well. Skip the fries and choose fruit and veggies to boost fiber.
5. Order a smaller drink unless you're choosing water. The larger the cup, the more sugar you drink. Sugar not only contributes to obesity, but it also can help cause cavities in our teeth. A small (16 oz) cola beverage has 40 grams of sugar; a medium (21oz) has 58 grams of sugar, a large (32 oz) has 86 grams of sugar. There are 4 grams of sugar in every teaspoon of table sugar. That means that drinking a 32-oz soda is like taking diet soda and adding 21 teaspoons (that's 1 1/3 CUPS) of sugar!!