Most of us have had this decision to make at one time or another: You're sitting in the drive-through lane at lunchtime. You skipped breakfast and you're about to start chewing on your fingers. However, your last visit to your friendly family doctor left you with a pocketful of warnings about your triglyceride levels and a prescription for a cholesterol-cutting drug, or at the very least some dire warnings about your penchant for red meat consumption.

So now it's your turn at the speaker, and the Voice of the Menu Board offers you the burger joint's latest taste sensation, a triple-patty burger loaded with bacon, cheese and quite possibly a dollop of pure rendered pork fat just to complete the picture. Your stomach growls like a wolverine standing over a fresh kill …

Cut Fast Food | Healthy Options On The Run

What to do? Do you go with your growling stomach and order the Ultimate Gutbuster, or do you make your doctor happy and stick to the grilled chicken sandwich?

How about sides? Do you indulge your love for salty, greasy fries or do you take the side salad with light dressing?

We all know that if the chicken sandwich is too dreadfully much less satisfying than the burger, you're liable to binge on other fatty and even less nutritious items later in the day.

We're going to compare the two choices at a major burger chain in an attempt to give you a bit of a guide when it comes time to make your own decision. You'll get the full nutritional breakdown along with a sober assessment of whether the healthier choice will truly satisfy you.

Burger King has distinguished itself by offering some of the biggest, baddest, most fat-laden burger creations ever to be wrapped in waxed paper and slid into a takeout bag.

The King's latest is the Steakhouse Burger, which is also currently offered in a "Loaded" form, which includes a baked potato topping that simply doesn't bear consideration. The Steakhouse Burger in its standard form is an Angus beef patty topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, fried onion strips and A-1 Thick and Hearty Steak Sauce.

The nutritional tale of the tape is fairly awe-inspiring: 950 calories, 59 grams fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 1950 mg sodium and 55 grams carbs.

Facing off against this heavy hitter is the Burger King Tendergrill, which has fared very well in past comparisons against similar sandwiches. It offers a nicely seasoned grilled chicken patty topped simply with lettuce and tomato.

The nutrition facts here: 510 calories, 19 grams fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 1180 mg sodium and 49 grams carbs.

The winner here hands-down is the Tendergrill. The Steakhouse Burger patty is somewhat dry, and the onions and steak sauce drown out whatever grilled meat flavor exists. The Tendergrill, with a juicy chicken patty and great fresh toppings, will truly satisfy your appetite while giving you almost half the calories and a load less fat.

When it comes to side items, Burger King has joined the more evolved chains in offering a side salad instead of fries with combo meals. If you stick with the medium fries, you'll be adding 360 calories, 20 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 590 mg sodium and 41 grams carbs.

If you go the truly virtuous route and have the side salad with light Italian dressing, you'll add 140 calories, 12 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium and 8 grams carbs.

The differences here are so glaring that it's going to have to come down to your own individual choice.

I found the side salad to be the better choice. Burger King's fries have never been of standout quality, being a bit too thin and dry for my liking. The salad veggies are nice and fresh, with crisp lettuce and tomatoes that were juicy without making the lettuce a soggy mess.

So in the final analysis, if you're in a nutrition-versus-taste quandary in the Burger King drive-through, you can feel safe taking the healthier avenue. More Information:

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Food And Nutrition Center