Best restaurant choices?

Myswt6

I have a big family and we are always out and about. I know packing a snack or lunch is best, but if I end up at a fast food place (because they are inexpensive for a big family), what are the best ones to go to and what are your favorite things to order that are relatively healthy (for fast food) and still taste great? I know some of the items appear to be healthy, but are loaded in salt or sugar or fats so what are your favorites for a quick bite to eat on the road?

callsitlikeiseeit

salt, sugar, and fat dont matter so much as calories (assuming you do not have health issues that make them a priority such as diabetes or high blood pressure)

most chains will have calories listed either on the menu or on their website.

find what works in your calories for the day, or if you know you will be eating there before youve had anything else to eat, plan that meal FIRST, then work the rest of your day from that (which is what i typically do)

a whopper junior is only about 350 calories. skip the fries and regular soda and its a perfectly normal sized calorie meal (for me)

AnnPT77

Subway, which will make any sub into a salad (I ask for vinegar only as a dressing, but there would be other options that are reasonable); Taco Bell (where there are quite a few good options - check out their online nutrition calculator in advance, because you can order many, many more variations than show up on their menu boards).

I'm vegetarian, so wouldn't choose the burger-type places. When I'm backed into it (traveling with friends who like them, so I tolerate it occasionally), I'll usually get a plain salad plus a nonfat latte and/or egg sandwich with double egg at McDonalds; salad plus baked potato at Wendy's.

Panera or Starbucks or even Chipotle have better choices, from my perspective, but it's still good to check out the menus in advance. Even as a veg, I find I can usually find something reasonable to eat almost anywhere, if I check out the menus beforehand and have some options in mind.

jamcnewman

Many places will do an iceberg lettuce wrapped burger now instead of with bun. Ask?

goal06082021

National/international chains will have nutrition information available online - if you can't find it on their website, usually googling "[restaurant] nutrition info" will get you a direct link to a pdf. Just double-check the date on it to make sure it's reasonably recent.

Most fast-food/drivethru places have a grilled chicken something somewhere on the menu, be it a wrap or sandwich or salad, that's usually going to be a safe choice. I think all of them also offer a salad or fruit instead of the standard fried potatoes as a side dish now, too, though you also don't need to eat all of your fries. Wendy's salads are pretty okay, and Taco Bell can indeed be surprisingly decent. McDonald's Egg McMuffin (the OG, with the Canadian bacon, fried egg, and American cheese) is actually not terrible - about 250-300 calories with a decent macro split, if that's something you care about. A McDouble has similar stats.

Look up the menus for the places you go most often and just have a go-to order that you always get for yourself (you can even save it as a meal on MFP so it's quick and easy to log).

nanastaci2020

It will really depend on your definitions of healthy.

Wendy's: I like their pecan, apple, grilled chicken salad.
Zaxby's: blackened blue zalad or a few chicken strips & a side of cole slaw.
McDonalds: double cheeseburger & small fry order. Its about 700 calories which may be high for some needs. If that is the case, then do a Happy Meal.
Taco Bell: steak cantina bowl
Chick fil a: an order of regular chicken nuggets OR a grilled chicken sandwich.
Subway: most 6 inch sandwiches.
Jersey Mikes: regular BLT - but I have them leave off the mayo. Then I add a controlled portion of light mayo. Or on a higher calorie day, a regular philly which is about 720 calories. The blt once I add light mayo is about 490.

kshama2001

Myswt6 wrote: »

I have a big family and we are always out and about. I know packing a snack or lunch is best, but if I end up at a fast food place (because they are inexpensive for a big family), what are the best ones to go to and what are your favorite things to order that are relatively healthy (for fast food) and still taste great? I know some of the items appear to be healthy, but are loaded in salt or sugar or fats so what are your favorites for a quick bite to eat on the road?

Others have answered your question after the bolded, so I will address the bolded.

My mom was almost 50 before she had fast food, and that just because we were driving from Massachusetts to West Virginia, and she hadn't done the cooler thing she did when she took my sister and brother to the Grand Canyon from MA and managed that trip with no fast food.

So, as you believe (and I agree) packing snacks/lunches is best, I want to encourage you that it can be done, with planning.

I imagine packing is cheaper as well, with the possible exception of dollar menu items. If you can only pack one thing, make it water, as most fast food beverages are a waste of money and/or calories.

springlering62

I love that Cookout clearly posts their calories on the menu. I can do a Cookout Tray with Big Double with cheese, double onion rings and Diet Coke for 600’ish calories.

“Dry” breaded onion rings (versus drippy greasy ones), tend to be far fewer calories than fries.

Gyros are very filling and are pretty reasonable. Tsatsziki sauce looks and tastes rich, but is made out of yogurt.

We had a very nice meal of grilled teriyaki chicken, miso soup and steamed vegetables last night. It would have been in the mid 400’s without the scoop of white rice.


Mexican restaurants offer grilled chicken dishes which can be low, if you can keep your paws out of the chips n salsa. Mine does a terrific mango chicken dinner or salad. I try to order a bowl of sliced bell peppers for the salsa, but it depends how fast they can get the peppers on the table if I can stay out of the chips.

There’s almost always something, if you can get in the habit of “better thinking”, and don’t arrive starving.

penguinmama87

When our family of 7 does fast food, which is rare as I typically prefer to pack, we can feed a lot of us very inexpensively by stacking a few Wendy's 4 for $4 meals. I usually get a junior bacon cheeseburger and let my children split the chicken nuggets and most of the fries, and get a diet soda for myself. If I ate fast food more regularly, I would probably do grilled chicken or a salad, but we rarely eat burgers at home so it feels like a nice treat to get one, and I can usually fit it into my calories very easily unlike a larger sandwich.

Myswt6

These are all fantastic ideas. I don't like to drink tap water at restaurants so I tend to order sodas and taking my own water is a great way to cut calories with no effort! Thank you to everyone for offering a few ideas as I tend to order things out of habit rather than looking at the calories...... which is why I am on MFP now! EEK!!!!

bionicpuffy

Another suggestion is to get your burger or sandwich without mayonnaise or cheese. Those add a lot of calories that I don't find I really miss if they're removed.

privy95

Anywhere that has grilled chicken strips (chick fil a, Pdq, zaxby’s,) or a grilled chicken sandwich no bun extra lettuce, tomato, and pickle. Most burger places will do the burgers with no bun. I ask for salads with no cheese and dressing on the side. I will choose kids meal lots of places for lower calories. I love the 10 veggie soup at Panera. McDonald’s is usually sugar free iced coffee since they are not doing grilled chicken or salads near me. Any taco place. Our local Greek place does chicken and shrimp skewers which are my fav fast food! I start by checking menus and calories in advance so I don’t end up eating all the leftover fries…

al0481113

While traveling I like to stop by I Hop. Their big omelet for breakfast makes me full for the whole day 😋

isohrob1

Most places let you customize their items and provide options such as grilled instead of fried. If I'm peculiar about my calories for the day I ask for sauce on the side/no sauce, go for grilled options, and will opt for a salad with plenty of protein on it as opposed to say a sandwich. For specific restaurants I love the build-a-bowl type places like Chipotle, Cava, or Mezzeh (you may have more local options). Chick fil a is also a great option, as well as Subway in terms of customizability.