So here’s my confession – I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. According to the soon-to-be-updated Dietary Guidelines, my daily diet should include about 4 1/2 cups, the equivalent of 9 servings. Or about 1/2 cup at breakfast and 2 cups each at lunch and dinner. And as a registered dietitian who rarely dines out, I have no excuse. How about people who eat a lot of restaurant and take-out meals?

When I was working on 400 Calorie Fix, I gathered menus from lots of restaurants. So here are a few different ways to hit the 2-cup mark in a lower calorie, lower fat way; many meals still exceed 400 calories. (I’ve chosen to leave off the fries, which are the most popular vegetable in the US.)You can forget the value or dollar menu; this is strictly an a la carte and more expensive deal.

At McDonalds:

• Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken (320 calories)
• Hamburger (250 calories), Premium Caesar Salad (no chicken) with low fat Italian dressing (150 calories), Apple Dippers (35 calories)

At Roy Rogers:

• Grilled Chicken Filet Sandwich (413 calories), side salad  without dressing (99 calories), baked apples (102 calories), fresh fruit cup (44 calories)

At Boston Market:

• 1/4 White Rotisserie Chicken, no skin (240 calories), fresh steamed vegetables (60 calories), seasonal fruit salad (60 calories)