How do you choose a salad over a Big Mac?

sampsondavidj

McDonald's has always been a nemesis for me. I have stood in line, pondering if I should get a salad or McWrap instead of a Big Mac. 99.97% of the time, I choose the Big Mac....I did get the McWrap once. What I am looking for is "decision process information" that helps you choose the salad. What I mean by "decision process information" is any thoughts or reasonings that you have that lead to the decision to eat the salad.

Rocknut53

Sorry, can't help you. On the very rare occasion I do go to McDonal's it's for the burger. I do choose just a plain ol' cheeseburger, no fries, and unsweet tea. I can think of many reasons to not eat the salad the main one being I'd rather eat a good salad made at home.

diannethegeek

If you know going to McD's is going to make it hard to skip the big mac, I'd consider finding a new fast food place. Avoiding temptation can be easier if you take yourself out of the situation.

I don't care for big macs, but when there's something I really want I either work it into my calories for the day or remind myself that it doesn't fit today but I can have it later. It helps me to remember it will be there later for a day when it does fit.

pomegranatecloud

I’d go some place else and get a good quality salad.

TH2017

If I know that 99.97% of the time I am going to get the Big Mac, I just don't go to the place that sells Big Mac. If I know I want to get a salad I go to places that are known for good salads and not set myself up for failure.

rheddmobile

If I'm in line at McDonald's I am going to eat the Big Mac, because McDonald's salads are disgusting, not particularly lower calorie than their burgers, and not particularly nutritious. So eat the sandwich you want to eat and figure out how it fits into your calories. A Big Mac is 563 calories. That's a reasonable sized meal if you eat nothing else with it.

The question that comes to my mind is, why are you in line at McDonald's in the first place if you think you need to be eating more salads? Go to a store, buy some salad fixings, and make a decent, delicious, filling, nutritious salad for much less money. Plus avoid the temptation of last minute decisions.

neldabg

I would do both. A Big Mac is ~600 calories, so you can have an entire salad and then half the burger. If the idea of saving half a burger is too sad for you or if the saved half is too risky to take home, order the salad and a regular cheeseburger. Also, always account for the calorie-dense dressings and add-ons to a salad. It isn't necessarily the most nutritious or lower calorie option on the menu.

RoxieDawn

I don't like the Big Macs, but I do the quarter pounder. Decision process made way ahead of time before I got to McDonalds. And I would not being to going to McDonalds for the salad or a wrap, it would be for the burger.

eta Spare of the moment drive thru's don't happen with me anymore. But if I have to, my cals left for the day are the driving force behind choice.

TH2017

Rocknut53 wrote: »

Sorry, can't help you. On the very rare occasion I do go to McDonal's it's for the burger. I do choose just a plain ol' cheeseburger, no fries, and unsweet tea. I can think of many reasons to not eat the salad the main one being I'd rather eat a good salad made at home.

This. If it is really my only option I get the kids meal.

MsChewMe

rheddmobile wrote: »

If I'm in line at McDonald's I am going to eat the Big Mac, because McDonald's salads are disgusting, not particularly lower calorie than their burgers, and not particularly nutritious. So eat the sandwich you want to eat and figure out how it fits into your calories. A Big Mac is 563 calories. That's a reasonable sized meal if you eat nothing else with it.

The question that comes to my mind is, why are you in line at McDonald's in the first place if you think you need to be eating more salads? Go to a store, buy some salad fixings, and make a decent, delicious, filling, nutritious salad for much less money. Plus avoid the temptation of last minute decisions.

This Is what I do, no fries and a diet soda. Their salads suck.

Alatariel75

I just don't go to McDonalds unless I intend on getting a burger. Going to McDonalds for a salad is like going to a hooker for a hug.

malibu927

I've never liked Big Macs, so that's no problem. But I'll work a Quarter Pounder into my calories.

Kathryn247

I agree that if you go to McDonald's you should get a burger and not a salad, their salads are terrible and not many fewer calories than the burgers. If you're looking for general decision-making help, I found this Chris Pratt quote oddly helpful and on-point.

tess5036

May be just thinking what you want, do you want the Big Mac and to stay your current size, or do you want to make a short term sacrifice, knowing that in the long term going for the salad will help you loose weight.

However, a different strategy that may be more successful is to have just the Big Mac, but have it with out fries, and only drink a diet soda. Make sure you log your food accurately, and you can build if into that days calorie allowance.

corinasue1143

When in line at MacDonalds, do a u-turn, walk out the front door, go to Wendy's for chili! Over a salad, or a baked potato! Yum!

stevencloser

Kathryn247 wrote: »

I agree that if you go to McDonald's you should get a burger and not a salad, their salads are terrible and not many fewer calories than the burgers. If you're looking for general decision-making help, I found this Chris Pratt quote oddly helpful and on-point.

I want to know what burger with 1200 calories he's talking about. And eat it.

sampsondavidj

Okay...so I'm going to try to summarize what came out so far:
1) Avoid being there in the first place.
a) Go somewhere else where I can get something healthier
b) Plan and prepare meals ahead of time to avoid going
2) Damage control
a) Limit the number of calories by just eating the burger, add a diet pop if I need something to drink.
b) Cut the burger in half and eat the salad with it (No this isn't too sad...I never thought of it though).
3) Plan to eat the burger and work it into your consumed calories
4) It may have been a lost cause...you're there to get a burger so the decision does not exist and McDonald's doesn't make a great salad.

I would like to look at number 2 in a little more depth and perhaps would like to know why someone would choose option A or B or any other ideas. Pondering the effects media has had, I realized I get the fries because I see them in the picture and that is what my brain recognizes as a complete meal.

Do you tell yourself anything that makes you motivated to do something different? I'm thinking to change it up, I may find someone who wants to eat half a burger and a salad. Eventually, I will be working to drop fast food...baby steps for now.

EDIT: I totally posted this before the Chris Pratt quote was there. That is the direction I am hoping to go with this conversation. And to Stevencloser...I will give you something that should indicate I had a problem....A triple whopper without cheese at burger king has 1140 calories. I would eat a triple angry whopper, fries, and pop once or twice a week when the angry whopper was out. There was no nutritional data for that burger. That isn't who I am now, but I still struggle with fast food restaurants.

Moxie42

If I want to splurge on something drowning in calories, I'll just eat lighter the rest of the day (personally I like saving up my calories for evening). I won't starve myself of course, but I might have a light breakfast and lunch, or just snack on fruit and veggies during the day.

If I've already splurged and can't have that burger/pizza/etc. without going over my cals, I remind myself "That _____ will still be here tomorrow and the day after that, etc. You can say No now because you can plan to say Yes another day." That thinking has also saved me many times when I've been on the brink of binging.

lorrpb

I quit going to these places for the most part.

RoxieDawn

sampsondavidj wrote: »

Okay...so I'm going to try to summarize what came out so far:
1) Avoid being there in the first place.
a) Go somewhere else where I can get something healthier
b) Plan and prepare meals ahead of time to avoid going
2) Damage control
a) Limit the number of calories by just eating the burger, add a diet pop if I need something to drink.
b) Cut the burger in half and eat the salad with it (No this isn't too sad...I never thought of it though).
3) Plan to eat the burger and work it into your consumed calories
4) It may have been a lost cause...you're there to get a burger so the decision does not exist and McDonald's doesn't make a great salad.

I would like to look at number 2 in a little more depth and perhaps would like to know why someone would choose option A or B or any other ideas. Pondering the effects media has had, I realized I get the fries because I see them in the picture and that is what my brain recognizes as a complete meal.

a. Pre-logging my day prevents the need for damage control.

b. In the event of I have no choice other than to be at McDonalds (which will never happen) and number of calories are the issue, the salad is still a no go. Having smaller/lesser calorie burger, or cutting a higher calorie one in half would have suffice along side diet/unsweetened tea.

I am counting calories always. Plan where you are going and what you want. I find it hard to think that someone just goes to McDonalds and does not know what they want or are getting ahead of walking in there.

eta: if you have cerrtain triggers (fast food/certain foods in general) putting your self in a situation where you may lose control of your decision processes i would thin you would want to avoid it all together.

Kathryn247

stevencloser wrote: »

I want to know what burger with 1200 calories he's talking about. And eat it.[/quote]

The Ranch House Cheeseburger at Cheesecake factory is listed at 1,887 calories!

JustRobby1

As has been pointed out, Mc D's salads suck (the Parfait is good though), so I would only go there if I was after a burger and to be honest they are not very stellar for burgers either compared to the competition. The Whopper from Burger King is a hell of a lot better option if I want a burger and am willing to spend the calories. One thing I will give to Mc D's are their fries. They must have crack in them as the are my fav of fast food places.

riffraff2112

Count calories and make the big mac fit (wont be easy they do pack a huge hit). It comes down to what you are willing to sacrifice to get your body to where you want it.

rheddmobile

Fries are just a lot of calories. It's kind of shocking how few fries you get in a 100 calorie serving of fries. I happen to love them, so I work them into my goals sometimes, but I never eat them except at home with a scale handy, because for me it's just too easy to eat an entire day's worth of calories of nothing but fries and ketchup.

As far as motivation, I'm a diabetic so I have to maintain a decent weight and blood glucose control or I will lose my feet, my eyesight, and possibly die of heart disease. It's not an option for me, so the choice is easy: I do what I need to do to make sure I make the right decisions. Your risk of becoming a diabetic is greatly increased if you're obese. I recommend you take action now, before you have a lifelong, incurable health condition!

If you already know that if you go to Mickey D's you will overeat, and you go anyway "because THIS time will be different," you're lying to yourself, and that's just silly. Own your decisions, either eat right or don't, but don't pretend you got in the car, drove down there, stood in line, and then some random stranger forced you to eat a Big Mac. Because that was all you.

spiriteagle99

JustRobby1 wrote: »

As has been pointed out, Mc D's salads suck (the Parfait is good though), so I would only go there if I was after a burger and to be honest they are not very stellar for burgers either compared to the competition. The Whopper from Burger King is a hell of a lot better option if I want a burger and am willing to spend the calories. One thing I will give to Mc D's are their fries. They must have crack in them as the are my fav of fast food places.

Sugar actually. That combined with salt makes them very tasty.

JustRobby1

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

JustRobby1 wrote: »

As has been pointed out, Mc D's salads suck (the Parfait is good though), so I would only go there if I was after a burger and to be honest they are not very stellar for burgers either compared to the competition. The Whopper from Burger King is a hell of a lot better option if I want a burger and am willing to spend the calories. One thing I will give to Mc D's are their fries. They must have crack in them as the are my fav of fast food places.

Sugar actually. That combined with salt makes them very tasty.

I see, well hats off to Mc D's in that regard anyway.

cbelc2

I simply don’t go into fast food places. They offer healthy food; but the healthy food is the least tasty. I found myself there with a group at breakfast time. I ate plain oatmeal and 2 packs of apple slices. I drank skim milk and black coffee. My table mates had biscuits and pancakes and fried potatoes and smoky greasy meats and gooey cheese and eggs and sweet coffee drinks. If I had to do what I did every day, I would be miserable! I truly enjoy my food because I work hard to make it tasty and filling while staying within my calorie and nutrient boundaries. So, if I was in that line with the ‘salad vs big greasy burger’ going on in my brain, I would break it all down mentally. Let’s see: refined carbohydrate, red meat of questionable quality, processed cheese with who knows what in it, potatoes fried in grease (I picture a spoonful of that fryer grease, cold), and you get the picture. The thought of eating that turns my stomach. I do eat eggs. I also eat some red meat. And I’m not a food snob. I’m just trying my best to get this weight off and keep it off and do it in the healthiest way I can.

PaulaWallaDingDong

I'd never choose a salad over a burger of any kind. I only go to McDonald's when I get a hankering for something salty and greasy. Salads I get pre-made from Walmart (apple cranberry walnut salad from Taylor Farms YUM) or at the salad bar at work.

gamerbabe14

Eat the Big Mac! No fries, Diet Coke and then walk home. Once you start limited yourself that's when the rails fall off. Just pre-plan and make what you want to eat fit into your day.

sgt1372

I stopped eating burgers altogether and I don't find salads satisfying, so I don't eat them either.

Hardly ever go to McD's anymore but when I do, it's just for black coffee (5 cals). It's lousy coffee but it only costs $1 for a large one.

I did try their sausage burrito (300 cals) the other day because they were promoting it for a buck but it sucked and I wouldn't order it agsin.

sloth3toes

When I travel ( which isn't often ) I like to eat fast food. We don't have Mac Jr's in Canada, but when in the US, when I'm eating McD's, I get a Mac Jr, small fries, and Diet Coke. Total is listed at just under 700 calories. To me, the fries ARE part of the complete McD's experience / meal. Even if I have been suckered by marketing.

I actually eat fast food almost daily. I love Booster Juice. ( Strawberry Storm is about 300 calories and 21 grams of protein - whey protein powder is added ). I also like Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad. ( something over 500 calories with the pecans and 35 grams of protein ).

My suggestion is, if you eat fast food, shake it up a bit. But, if you don't actually like McD's salads, don't eat them. Go to McD's when you've decided to go to McD's and work it into your day.