There are plenty of healthy options at Nando's, including butterfly chicken

At KFC, she says diners can still enjoy popcorn chicken if they're on a diet

She says burger is one of healthiest options at McDonald's and Five Guys

We all know that junk food isn't exactly good for us.

But over the last few years, the rising demand for lighter, less calorific meals has seen the most popular fast food chains offering a much wider range of salads and healthier options.

So is there any way of sticking to your diet and eating at McDonald's, Burger King, or KFC?

London-based nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert says there is - and has told FEMAIL the healthiest items on the menu at six of the UK's biggest fast food chain restaurants.

KFC

Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert says the 345-calorie Original Recipe Salad is one of the healthiest item on KFC's menu

1. Original Recipe Salad (345 calories): 'Being high in protein and low in sugar makes this salad filling,' says Rhiannon.

'This is a better option but beware as extra dressings will add sugar and it is very high in fat.

THE FIVE HEALTHIEST ITEMS ON KFC'S MENU 1. Original Recipe Salad 2. Original Recipe Rice Box 3. Toasted Twister 4. Flamin' Wrap 5. Popcorn Chicken Advertisement

'It's also low in calories and would go well with a side of veggies.'

2. Original Recipe Rice Box (500 calories): 'I don’t go by calories, I go more by nutrition in the food, and this contains a good amount of protein to balance out the carbohydrate sugars from the rice.

'Rice is a better option than bread and easier to digest too.'

3. Toasted Twister wrap (480 calories): 'This is surprisingly lower in calories and has less carbohydrates than the rice box, and a good amount of protein.

'It does however contain a lot of salt, so drink lots of water!'

4. Flamin' Wrap (305 calories): 'It's lower in calories and sugars than the salad, but also lower in protein too, making it a bit of a compromise in terms of keeping you full.'

5. Popcorn Chicken (285 calories): 'It's very low in sugar, and will keep you full with a high protein content.

'It's a good on the go snack if you are in KFC, as there are no carbohydrate sugars. But again, beware of your saturated fat intake and salt throughout the day.'

NANDO'S

Nando's Supergrain Salad with medium spice chicken was Rhiannon's pick for one of the five healthiest on the menu

1. Supergrain Salad (489 calories with medium chicken): Rhiannon says: 'Add chicken to this salad for a high protein dish. It's an excellent source of fibre, full of healthy complex carbs and healthy fats from the avocado - all in all a great balanced meal.'

THE FIVE HEALTHIEST MENU ITEMS AT NANDO'S 1. Supergrain Salad 2. Chargrilled Veg 3. Butterfly Chicken 4. Beanie Pitta 5. Fillet Steak and Chargrilled Veg Pitta Advertisement

2. Chargrilled Veg (98 calories): 'A great side with chicken to get one of your five a day.

'Cooked tomatoes release more of their antioxidant lycopnene than when raw.'

3. Butterfly Chicken (331 calories at medium spice): 'This is a leaner source of meat as it’s the chicken breast - and if you opt for it plain or with medium spice, it's low in sugars too.'

4. Beanie Pitta (cheddar cheese, chickpea and sweetcorn burger in pitta bread) (540 calories): 'This is a great vegetarian protein option. It's rich in fibre and lower in sugars than the burger and wrap options.'

5. Fillet Steak and Chargrilled Veg Pitta (434 calories): 'One of the healthiest meal combinations, as it's highest in protein and iron from the steak and low in sugars if you choose the pitta over the wrap option. Plus it's served with vegetables for antioxidants and fibre.'

MCDONALD'S

Rhiannon says you can still eat a burger at McDonald's if you are watching your waistline

1. Hamburger (250 calories): 'It may be surprising to some, but the beef is 100 per cent beef now, with no extras In the meat,' says Rhiannon.

'If you add your own addition of avocado or take out the sauces and cheese and leave just the onions, salad and pickles, it's quite low in salt and calories.'

THE FIVE HEALTHIEST MENU ITEMS AT MCDONALD'S 1. Hamburger 2. Grilled chicken salad 3. Oatsosimple Porridge 4. Carrot Sticks 5. Apple and Grapes Fruit Bag Advertisement

2. Grilled Chicken Salad (133 calories): 'The dressings that come with this salad are low in calories and fat too, but I would advise dressing it with some extra virgin olive oil of your own.

'As the salad is very low in calories you can bulk it up with extra vegetables and a fruit bag.'

3. Oatso Simple Porridge (194 calories): 'Wholegrain rolled oats are full of healthy, heart-friendly fibre. Plus, organic milk and 9.6g of protein per pot makes it a great blood sugar-balancing breakfast.'

4. Carrot Sticks (34 calories) 'Beta carotene in carrots is good for eye health, and these sticks are fibre-rich, low in fat and super low in calories, as well as counting towards one of your five-a-day.

'Try swapping French fries to carrot sticks with your burger.'

5. Apple and Grapes Fruit Bag (46 calories): 'This is obviously going to offer you nutrition and fibre. This bag will help you get some antioxidants from the grapes and there's vitamin C in the apple.'

BURGER KING

Rhiannon advises diners opt for the Chicken Strips at Burger King if they are looking to choose a healthy meal option

1. Chicken Strips (410 calories): 'These have no sugar, though they're high in saturated fat, but good for protein content, keeping you full.

'Add sauce though and the sugars will shoot up. Perhaps add these to a salad?'

2. Apple Fries (30 calories): 'These are on the kids menu, but it's a great idea to make fruit strangely appealing in a fast food joint. They're just 30 calories and have all the benefits of an apple.'

THE FIVE HEALTHIEST MENU ITEMS AT BURGER KING 1. Chicken Strips 2. Apple Fries 3. Fish Fingers With Salad 4. Apple Pie 5. Crispy Chicken Salad Advertisement

3. King Fish with salad (295 calories): 'Fish is a fab source of lean protein with lower fat content than the chicken, so take away the bun and add to the salad.

'Fish is an excellent alternative that keeps you full.'

4. Apple Pie Sticks (110 calories): 'It's lower in sugar than the sundaes so this is a better dessert, and it's a decent portion at just 110 kcals.

'If you sprinkle cinnamon on your pie, you can help slow the release of sugar (that’s a lot of cinnamon though).'

5. Crispy Chicken Salad (210 calories): 'It's pretty bland but you wont get that insulin spike from the sugary bread that comes with the burgers.

'The salad does give you the tasty chicken, and you can add your own extras like olive oil and avocado or seeds. As it’s so low in calories, you can also have the apple pie for a treat.'

PIZZA HUT

Rhiannon says keep Pizza Hut as a treat - but if you're going to eat there, choose a pizza with chicken and vegetables on it (pictured)

1. Small Italian pizza (112 calories per slice): Rhiannon says: 'It goes without saying a pizza is a pizza and at this place the base isn’t going to be healthy.

'Go in for a treat but choose your toppings wisely. First pick a small base size and go for the Italian style which has significantly less carbohydrate and sugar.'

THE FOUR HEALTHIEST MENU ITEMS AT PIZZA HUT 1. Small Italian-base pizza 2. Chicken or vegetable toppings 3. Heinz Garlic Sauce 4. Brownie Ice Cream Slice Advertisement

2. Chicken or vegetable pizza (102-122 calories per slice): 'Get some protein from chicken and a mix of vegetables, of if you choose the margherita and you fancy a side go for seven BBQ Chicken Wings as they are the lowest in sugar and offer some good protein to keep you full.

'Just don’t add extra sauce as it is already smothered in it.'

3. Heinz Garlic Sauce (89 calories): 'If you must get a sauce grab the Heinz garlic sauce, as it is the lowest in salt and sugar.'

4. Brownie Ice Cream Slice (324 calories): 'Dessert wise, the Brownie Ice Cream Slice contains the least amount of sugar, salt and calories.'

FIVE GUYS

The Bunless Bacon Burger at Five Guys is one of the healthiest items on the menu, according to Rhiannon

Five Guys is Rhiannon's pick of the fast food chains for healthy options for its bunless offerings.

She says: 'I love that this place provides bunless options. This reduces blood sugar spikes from poor quality refined carbohydrates.

'They also do "little" bunless bun options, which would be better but I chose to compare the normal bunless options.

'You can add cheese as an optional extra, which is great as one slice is low in calories, and adds an extra 3g of protein and no sugar.'

1. Plain Bunless Hamburger (490 calories): 'This is pretty clean as far as fast food goes, just meat and lettuce so there's a zero blood sugar spike. Plus it's lowest in salt - but red meat is high in saturated fat.'

THE FIVE HEALTHIEST MENU ITEMS AT FIVE GUYS 1. Plain Bunless Hamburger 2. Bunless Bacon Burger 3. Bunless Hot Dog 4. BLT Sandwich 5. Plain Hamburger Advertisement

2. Bunless Bacon Burger (628 calories): 'Highest in protein when compared to the hamburger, and, again, zero carbohydrate and sugar - and it's just 238 kcal.'

3. Bunless Hot Dog (210 calories): 'At just 210 kcals, this is lower in saturated fat than the burgers and lower in calories but it is slightly lower in protein.

'You can add this to a side salad and extra veggies to add some more fibre and nutrition.'

4. BLT Sandwich (642 calories): 'It's the lowest in sugar out of the sandwich options, and high in protein to keep you full with a bonus hit of fibre.

'You can add veggies for more fibre content and lose the sauces to reduce the sugars. But bacon is also high in saturated fat.'

5. Plain Hamburger (750 calories): 'This is the lowest calorie burger but it's still very high for a meal at 750 kcals.