Healthy Fast Food?

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Replies

  • ACanadian22
    ACanadian22 Posts: 377 Member
    I love Subway!! It is a treat for me without the guilt.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
    If your weekends aren't terribly busy, try once-a-week meal-prepping. I absolutely love it. I cook enough big batches on Sunday afternoons to last myself and my fiance the whole week. I divide them into portions and put half in the fridge and half in the freezer to keep fresh. Then we simply put them on a plate and reheat them for dinner. No clean-up and dinner served in 5 minutes!
  • youngmommy2
    youngmommy2 Posts: 71 Member
    I have way to much experience with this. I also have 2 jobs and children in sports and other activities. I can pretty much find something that fits my goals anywhere. You just have to modify sometimes. I also have a dairy allergy which can be difficult.

    Some of my go to fast food meals are

    Chipotle- Salad with Chicken, black beans, fajita veggies, and mild salsa. Depending on the day, I'll add rice to it and only use a small amount of the dressing.

    Wendys_ chili and 4 piece nugget or Grilled chicken sandwich

    Mcdonalds- Southwest salad but only use half a packet of dressing

    Panera- Usually a full size salad or a smaller salad and soup. You can completely modify everything and they calculate the nutrition info as you go. I love the green goddess salad but swap the dressing for balsamic viniagrette.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    You're going to end up in the fast food drive-thru near your home and kids school, so figure out which places are easy to get to, research their menus, find a go to and some alternatives. For me kfc is close to the gym and I can get grilled chicken and potatoes and gravy. I like Chipotle much better, but 2 miles out of the way. Subway near my house, but usually if I can make it that close to home, I can find something quick at home. If not, Subway it is.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    BonnieSeelinger wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Don't eat on the go, prioritize family meals.

    This is a last resort situation. My husband is in a public service job and works 120 hours a week. I am asking because if one thing goes off track when you are working and single momming it with 4 kids your whole day goes off track........ my family and their food are my first priorities or I wouldn't be asking.

    Understand the difficulty and frustration so take 2-3 hours over a couple weekends to review menus and options and preplan orders. Make sure that your list of options is sufficiently robust and keep the order list either in a small notebook or use your cellphone notes app.

    That way you know that if you go to Chick-fil-A, you can have the grilled nuggets and the soup, or the Grilled sandwich and the salad.
    At McDonald's the McDouble or McChicken either with a small fry.

    Etc.
  • SpanishFusion
    SpanishFusion Posts: 261 Member
    Chick-fil-A if you have one near you.
  • AudreyJDuke
    AudreyJDuke Posts: 1,092 Member
    What great suggestions!!!!
  • SoFloGuy78
    SoFloGuy78 Posts: 6 Member
    sell 2 (or 3 of you kids) for medical studies and use the money to hire a chef to cook for you.
    But if that is not an option, I would try to see if you local supermarket (or wal-mart) has some pre-cooked meal deals. Most fast food places have healthy options now, (from grilled chicken, salads, fruit) sub shops like firehouse and subway are good. The only issues is with 4 kids and yourself, it can get very expansive, maybe $40+. you can get better bang for you buck at local store. Also look around your town to see if you have a local mom and pop, places to eat at. I have a little Mexican shop that is like a Chipotle that is half the cost and better.
    again you can always sell off a kid or two.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    BonnieSeelinger wrote: »
    Sometimes with 2 jobs and 4 kids things fall apart a bit. I need options for busy sport nights that aren't going to ruin my food goals for the day. What do you eat on the go for a real meal, not a snack when you are on the run? I also have a really hard time drinking my dinner (protein shakes.....) so don't throw that at me. :wink:

    What do you like? What do you have available?

    Some of my go-tos are: Wendys chili + baked potato, Subway, Chipotle burrito bowl, frozen pizza with some frozen veggies added on top, Rotisserie chicken.

    But I'm with everyone who says the best way is to check out the nutrition information for some of your favorite places and see what fits into your personal needs. Most fast food places have something that I can fit into my goals for the day.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    edited April 2018
    Taco Bell bean burritos--fast, cheap, and fairly nutritious. We also get the crunchy tacos with beans instead of meat. Our family of five enjoys these, and we grab them in the drive-through and eat them at home. If we need to eat in the car on the run, we might do McDonald's, and I'll get the Mcchicken sandwich with a side of fries. Maybe not the best nutritionally, but it comes in under 600 calories, and I get my fast food fix. If we can splurge and spend more money, I'd get either subway or a salad or chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A.

    If I'm really desperate, and too tired of fast food, or not wanting to spend money, I'll just grab crackers, cheese, fruit and other snacks, and load up a lunch bag for all of us. Even if it's dinner!
  • sandy_taylor13
    sandy_taylor13 Posts: 194 Member
    Chic Fil A Market Fresh Salad (no dressing or toppings) its 200 cals and it really fills me up. I dont think there are too many cals if you add the dressings or toppings, but I personally dont need them. Add my coke zero and I'm set.
  • sandy_taylor13
    sandy_taylor13 Posts: 194 Member
    Oh and Chipotle salad with chicken and grilled veggies, salsa and corn. Really comes out to a lot of food for me.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    I look for a grocery store and grab stuff there. You can always go up to the deli counter and get a portion of lunch meat sliced for you. Get a chopped salad maker bag or a pre-prepped salad and a yogurt or fruit or granola bar and you're all set. You could get 3 oz of meat for about 2 dollars, a bag of salad mix for 3 dollars and a yogurt for 1 dollar. That is all less expensive than most other wholesome, balanced and filling fast food meals.
  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
    Go to a gas station/store, run in, get a big bag of chips/baby carrots/whatever, get a couple of Subway's cheap footlongs, split and share! :) That's my go to.
  • tbright1965
    tbright1965 Posts: 852 Member
    I had an Egg McMuffin for bfast a week ago as I had to be at a customer site 150 miles from my home by 9am.

    It threw the McD's counter girl for a loop when I asked for apple slices instead of the hashbrowns to go with my black coffee.

    She had to get a manager to help her. Apparently, I'm the only one who has ever made that breakfast order.

    IIRC, ~330 calories for that breakfast and a good spread of carbs, fat and protein. Had I had the hashed browns instead, it would have been closer to 500 and blown through my prescribed carb limit for a meal.
  • tinafaye13
    tinafaye13 Posts: 19 Member
    I love Wendys half size taco salad or Taco Bell power veggie burrito.
  • mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12
    mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12 Posts: 204 Member
    I don’t have kids but I do have a crazy-busy job and can empathize that sometimes quick and easy is what you need most.

    I try to manage busy days by making sure I always have low calorie ready meals in my freezer. I’m a vegan so I opt for Amy’s kitchen, but check out the freezer section in your grocery store and you’ll find something that appeals. I find frozen meals that have about 350 calories and then I’ll add veggies to it (Frozen are quick and healthy). That way I know I always have a dinner in my freezer that can be ready in under 10 mins. I try to head home and eat rather than stopping on the way home.

    Eating out is a psychological challenge because there’s so much good food on offer it’s easy to given in and blow the diet, especially when you’re hungry before you’ve even walked in.

    Most chains have nutritional info on their website so you can use that make good choices. I like Panera bread and seasons 52 for low cal options. Yesterday my hubby wanted pizza so we ended up at California Pizza Kitchen. Walked in thinking “what on earth can I eat here?!” But after taking a look at the nutritional values I realized I could have a bowl of pea soup and a flatbread (no cheese) and still be within my calorie allowance for dinner. Result!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    A sandwich or wrap is not lacking in nutrients, is portable and takes minutes to put together.
    Combine things like sandwiches, fruit, salad, raw vegetables, hummus, hard boiled eggs, nuts, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, cooked meats, tuna, rice balls, granola bar, cereal bar. Look up packed lunch or bento box ideas on the internet and find lots of easy portable foods that can help you meet your nutritional needs.
    Cook a bunch of food at once so you have it ready for your busy days. Look up meal prep, once a month cooking, freezer meals.
    Use a slow cooker.
    Buy a rotisserie chicken and a salad at the grocery store deli.
    Look up nutritional information of restaurants in your area. Find some choices that fit your goals. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10655230/how-to-eat-well-without-cooking#latest

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