Tips on Eating Well While Working at McDonalds
Selphie8
Posts: 10 Member
Hi all. I've recently started a summer job working at McDonalds. With a bit of effort I'm successfully managing to carry on losing weight, so I thought I'd share that here and invite others to share their tips. I previously worked at McDonalds and gained weight, as did many of my coworkers - it's very easy to do! In the UK, at least, you receive a medium meal every shift, and you can also have limitless fountain drinks.
I typically get a grilled sweet chilli chicken wrap with no sweet chilli sauce, small fries, black tea with two milks, and a fruit bag. That comes to 614 calories with 74g of carbs, 29g of protein, 21g fat (12 from the fries, 9 from the wrap) and 13g sugar (10 from the fruit bag, 3 from the wrap). With sweet chilli sauce that's another 40 calories and 8g of sugar. That's a little higher in calories, bad fats, and sugar than I'd normally choose, but you do burn off a lot of energy, and the protein and fats are very filling!
Of course, you can avoid the free food entirely and bring a packed lunch. I'm a poor student, so I'm not about to turn my nose up at free food. An alternative would be to bring your own sides and just choose a main or a drink, or to bring in some items and supplement with carrot sticks, fruit bags, and a side salad.
You Will be Hungry
According to my step counter, I walk roughly a mile for every hour I'm on shift. I'm a lobby hostess and we do trash walks and so on, so it may be a little lower for anyone on till or grill, where you mostly stand in the same small area. However, no one sits down! By the time your break rolls around and you're ready to claim your meal, you are going to be very, very hungry. That's why I try to plan meals in advance.
Maybe consider bringing snacks, like a serving of nuts or something else proteiny? This is more of an option for lobby staff, since we have a cupboard to hide in, and may not work for kitchen or till staff, sadly.
Start as You Mean to Go On
The choices you make on your very first shift are important, because they establish what's "normal" for you in this scenario. Removing any items will seem like a loss. You can make exceptions later, but only get something on the first day if you're happy to eat it every day, as it will be very hard to stop.
When I started, I planned to only have fries on special occasions, and to choose the carrot sticks or side salad as a side instead. That went straight out the window. However, I did choose to drink tea with two skimmed milks rather than a soft drink, and that one's sticking, as is choosing the fruit bag as a dessert instead of an ice cream.
Plan in Advance
The menu differs across the world, so this will vary slightly. Before I started I went online and looked up my local menu, to find the options which had more vegetables, and which were high in protein and low in sugar. I noted down which items were 'okay' - less than 350 calories for a main, side or dessert, and less than 100 for a drink. Other items are 'treats' or just plain 'bad'. My general rule of thumb is to have a treat item occasionally, maybe substituting one of my other items for something lower calorie, and to avoid the bad options.
Salads are a good option; the chicken and bacon salad has over 20g of protein. Avoid the dressings.
Most days, I go for a grilled sweet chilli chicken wrap. It contains lettuce and cucumber, with grilled chicken for protein. Fats come from mayo, which helps to keep me full. I generally skip the sweet chilli sauce, which adds both flavour and sugar. The wrap itself would be better if it were seeded or wholegrain, but on the whole this isn't a terrible choice. It's not quite as good as a salad, but it feels more filling and enjoyable; I don't feel deprived.
Choosing the same wrap with crispy chicken adds on an extra 100 calories, and I find it's not as good; you end up with a big clump of chicken instead of smaller pieces which mingle with the other flavours.
For breakfast, I've noticed that the pancakes and oatmeal are very high in sugar and very low in protein. That will induce more cravings and won't keep you full. Sliced cheese only adds on 50 calories and 2g of fat, and adds quite a lot of flavour, so I don't worry about avoiding that. If you get sausage, get a single, since that's the fattiest item. It also contains a lot of protein. I don't often work breakfast, but when I do I choose a sausage & egg mcmuffin with a hashbrown, and black tea or coffee with a fruit bag. I typically add two skimmed milks to the drink. Getting black coffee or an espresso rather than a latte is a good choice; they have no calories while a latte contains 192. Each little sachet of milk is about 5-10 calories.
Look Up Swaps
Sometimes, you will have cravings. You will need junk food. Under those circumstances, it helps to have an idea of the less-bad options.
For example, a chocolate doughnut has 100 fewer calories than a chocolate chip cookie, and is slightly lower in fat. Diet soft drinks are an option, although, see below. Black coffee with added milk is about 15 calories while a latte is almost 200. Remember you can get a side salad instead of fries!
Avoid Fries, Hash Browns, Milkshakes, and Fountain Drinks
When McDonalds opened in the 1950s, they served one size of fries and smaller burgers. That's now considered a happy meal. They haven't added any smaller items, only larger ones. My point is, you do not need anything more than a small fries.
The fries and hash browns aren't ideal, but, as above, you do burn quite a lot of calories being on your feet all day. I'll have walked 6-7 miles before the end of the average shift, 3-4 of them before lunch, and kitchen can involve a fair amount of heavy lifting. A small fries or single hash brown per meal isn't a big deal, and you will need some carbs for energy. Better to eat them than drink them - at least you'll feel full!
Avoid the fountain drinks like the plague. Do not consider it normal to sip them all day. Even the little 200ml staff cups add up quickly, especially if you're on till and the fountain is right next to you. There are diet options, but diet drinks can cause sugar cravings later, as your body is confused by tasting sweetness and then not receiving any sugar. Remember you can get water from the fountain; it's generally a button near Oasis or Still Fanta, or whatever still soft drinks you have. It'll come out a little orange-flavoured, but it's still water.
Likewise, avoid the milkshakes. A UK medium strawberry milkshake has 379 calories, and that's for 400ml/13.6oz. Drink sizes are much larger in the US; for example, a large drink in the UK is 500ml/17oz while a large in the US is 887ml/30oz.
If you must have a milkshake, consider it a dessert; get a fruit-bag alongside it and have a cup of water.
t's Okay to Try Stuff - Just Be Aware!
Try new menu items if you want. Just don't do it every day; consider it a treat. A UK big tasty has almost 900 calories just by itself, and the flurries are generally 300-400. If you want to try a special edition flurry or a new burger then do, but consider eating lightly later (which may be very hard to do, since you'll have walked another 3-4 miles before you go home). You could also choose a side salad, water, and a fruit-bag to go with it if you're having a large burger, or try the happy meal-sized burger with water and a side salad if it's a large dessert you're having.
Any other tips? I hope some of the things discussed here will also be useful to people with children who like to visit McDonalds occasionally, or when you have few other options!
I typically get a grilled sweet chilli chicken wrap with no sweet chilli sauce, small fries, black tea with two milks, and a fruit bag. That comes to 614 calories with 74g of carbs, 29g of protein, 21g fat (12 from the fries, 9 from the wrap) and 13g sugar (10 from the fruit bag, 3 from the wrap). With sweet chilli sauce that's another 40 calories and 8g of sugar. That's a little higher in calories, bad fats, and sugar than I'd normally choose, but you do burn off a lot of energy, and the protein and fats are very filling!
Of course, you can avoid the free food entirely and bring a packed lunch. I'm a poor student, so I'm not about to turn my nose up at free food. An alternative would be to bring your own sides and just choose a main or a drink, or to bring in some items and supplement with carrot sticks, fruit bags, and a side salad.
You Will be Hungry
According to my step counter, I walk roughly a mile for every hour I'm on shift. I'm a lobby hostess and we do trash walks and so on, so it may be a little lower for anyone on till or grill, where you mostly stand in the same small area. However, no one sits down! By the time your break rolls around and you're ready to claim your meal, you are going to be very, very hungry. That's why I try to plan meals in advance.
Maybe consider bringing snacks, like a serving of nuts or something else proteiny? This is more of an option for lobby staff, since we have a cupboard to hide in, and may not work for kitchen or till staff, sadly.
Start as You Mean to Go On
The choices you make on your very first shift are important, because they establish what's "normal" for you in this scenario. Removing any items will seem like a loss. You can make exceptions later, but only get something on the first day if you're happy to eat it every day, as it will be very hard to stop.
When I started, I planned to only have fries on special occasions, and to choose the carrot sticks or side salad as a side instead. That went straight out the window. However, I did choose to drink tea with two skimmed milks rather than a soft drink, and that one's sticking, as is choosing the fruit bag as a dessert instead of an ice cream.
Plan in Advance
The menu differs across the world, so this will vary slightly. Before I started I went online and looked up my local menu, to find the options which had more vegetables, and which were high in protein and low in sugar. I noted down which items were 'okay' - less than 350 calories for a main, side or dessert, and less than 100 for a drink. Other items are 'treats' or just plain 'bad'. My general rule of thumb is to have a treat item occasionally, maybe substituting one of my other items for something lower calorie, and to avoid the bad options.
Salads are a good option; the chicken and bacon salad has over 20g of protein. Avoid the dressings.
Most days, I go for a grilled sweet chilli chicken wrap. It contains lettuce and cucumber, with grilled chicken for protein. Fats come from mayo, which helps to keep me full. I generally skip the sweet chilli sauce, which adds both flavour and sugar. The wrap itself would be better if it were seeded or wholegrain, but on the whole this isn't a terrible choice. It's not quite as good as a salad, but it feels more filling and enjoyable; I don't feel deprived.
Choosing the same wrap with crispy chicken adds on an extra 100 calories, and I find it's not as good; you end up with a big clump of chicken instead of smaller pieces which mingle with the other flavours.
For breakfast, I've noticed that the pancakes and oatmeal are very high in sugar and very low in protein. That will induce more cravings and won't keep you full. Sliced cheese only adds on 50 calories and 2g of fat, and adds quite a lot of flavour, so I don't worry about avoiding that. If you get sausage, get a single, since that's the fattiest item. It also contains a lot of protein. I don't often work breakfast, but when I do I choose a sausage & egg mcmuffin with a hashbrown, and black tea or coffee with a fruit bag. I typically add two skimmed milks to the drink. Getting black coffee or an espresso rather than a latte is a good choice; they have no calories while a latte contains 192. Each little sachet of milk is about 5-10 calories.
Look Up Swaps
Sometimes, you will have cravings. You will need junk food. Under those circumstances, it helps to have an idea of the less-bad options.
For example, a chocolate doughnut has 100 fewer calories than a chocolate chip cookie, and is slightly lower in fat. Diet soft drinks are an option, although, see below. Black coffee with added milk is about 15 calories while a latte is almost 200. Remember you can get a side salad instead of fries!
Avoid Fries, Hash Browns, Milkshakes, and Fountain Drinks
When McDonalds opened in the 1950s, they served one size of fries and smaller burgers. That's now considered a happy meal. They haven't added any smaller items, only larger ones. My point is, you do not need anything more than a small fries.
The fries and hash browns aren't ideal, but, as above, you do burn quite a lot of calories being on your feet all day. I'll have walked 6-7 miles before the end of the average shift, 3-4 of them before lunch, and kitchen can involve a fair amount of heavy lifting. A small fries or single hash brown per meal isn't a big deal, and you will need some carbs for energy. Better to eat them than drink them - at least you'll feel full!
Avoid the fountain drinks like the plague. Do not consider it normal to sip them all day. Even the little 200ml staff cups add up quickly, especially if you're on till and the fountain is right next to you. There are diet options, but diet drinks can cause sugar cravings later, as your body is confused by tasting sweetness and then not receiving any sugar. Remember you can get water from the fountain; it's generally a button near Oasis or Still Fanta, or whatever still soft drinks you have. It'll come out a little orange-flavoured, but it's still water.
Likewise, avoid the milkshakes. A UK medium strawberry milkshake has 379 calories, and that's for 400ml/13.6oz. Drink sizes are much larger in the US; for example, a large drink in the UK is 500ml/17oz while a large in the US is 887ml/30oz.
If you must have a milkshake, consider it a dessert; get a fruit-bag alongside it and have a cup of water.
t's Okay to Try Stuff - Just Be Aware!
Try new menu items if you want. Just don't do it every day; consider it a treat. A UK big tasty has almost 900 calories just by itself, and the flurries are generally 300-400. If you want to try a special edition flurry or a new burger then do, but consider eating lightly later (which may be very hard to do, since you'll have walked another 3-4 miles before you go home). You could also choose a side salad, water, and a fruit-bag to go with it if you're having a large burger, or try the happy meal-sized burger with water and a side salad if it's a large dessert you're having.
Any other tips? I hope some of the things discussed here will also be useful to people with children who like to visit McDonalds occasionally, or when you have few other options!
7
Replies
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Thanks for the tips. I love McDonald's but have been McDonald's free for over 2 months now..... I don't eat it anymore because I end up eating far too much. Haha.1
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When I worked at McDonalds we were allowed to make our own meals. I worked the breakfast shift so I would always make myself a sausage sandwich, hamburger bun instead of biscuit/muffin. We'd get creative sometimes and just randomly put things together. Of course this was 20 years ago so the menu is much more extensive than it was back then. I could really have fun now.1
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My go to for breakfast is the egg white delight, although a lot of times I do get it without the muffin. If I eat other then breakfast my go to is the Bacon Chicken Ranch salad.1
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Good advice but I'd like to add diet drinks do not "derail you", is all.3
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yeah we used to do all sorts of wierd stuff for ourselves in the kitchen when i worked there. . i used to make myself chicken quesadillas with the grilled chicken strips from the salads and the veggies from the fajitas they used to make. I was a manager and sometimes it was fun trying to figure out how to ring something up an employee created. No matter what i get there i still ask for a reg bun instead of the bigger ones. saves me a few calories so i can steal some of my husbands fries lol0
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I love the Egg McMuffin with no cheese for just 250 calories.0
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great post, original poster! McDonald's is lucky to have you working there.1
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When I worked there one summer we employees were allowed one free meal and a small drink. I worked the day shift so an example meal would be a burger and a small order of fries, or 10 nuggets and a small order of fries (the order of fries could not be more than a small).0
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Happy meal for me. I receive a toy. Usually purchase the boy's meal. I have two grandsons that live very far away. Use the toys to show the boys when we Skype.0
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My dad owned a dairy queen. I was the thinnest in my life working there, with all the running around. It was walk-up ice cream only. We ordered pizza or some other italian food usually for lunch, or whatever we brought. Urges for ice cream were nothing. If I wanted a peanut buster parfait I put 2 peanuts in a spoon with a drop of fudge and a dab of soft server, mini mini sundae.0
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