Avoiding The Fast Food Blackhole

Capnoship

When you are hungry and not wanting to get up and cook, or want something quick, how often do you go and drive by your favorite fast food place and order up some of those "yummy, calorie and fat filled..." You finish the sentence however you would like. I want to avoid the habit of the fast food binge. Any advice, success, experiences, ...?

ajbeans

My best success comes from not having that situation in the first place. I cook things ahead of time and freeze them. So if I get pressed for time, I can just pull something out of the freezer and reheat it. It's delicious, it's healthy, it's easy, it's cheaper than fast food. Wins all around.

dux1fan

Im not going to lie. I can't avoid fast food for the rest of my life. I will just make a little bit of changes. If I eat something that I know is very bad for me, I will add an extra 15-20 mins to my cardio. Or, I will tweak my favorites. ie Taco Bell, I will ask fresco style. Or In N Out, i will ask for it protein style. But sometimes, its just not the same and I just enjoy every bit, then throw out the rest

mapnerd2005

I have a few pre-approved options: Chick Fil A chicken sandwich (plain, no pickles to cut sodium and I don't really like hot pickles anyway), Sonic BLT (no mayo), Auntie Anne's small pretzel dog (scary, but only around 350 calories-just a ton of sodium). I suggest you look up "Eat This, Not That" or pick up the book to help you make the best decisions when eating at "bad" places or just restaurants in general. Oh, and when I do go to fast food, I drink unsweet tea and order just the sandwich or whatever. NO FRIES!

eates

I just try to make smarter choices. It's been a very long, tiring afternoon indoors with my 1 and 3 year old boys and 2 large dogs thanks to the rain we're getting. It was 5:15 before I knew it and my husband called on his way home to ask what was for dinner. Since I didn't have a clue he drove through wendy's and brought me a plain baked potato and small chili. Yummy, filling & 500 calories

DarthBubbles

My advice would be if you even think you're going to cave to fast food, know what is a "healthy" option at your location of choice...
I made the mistake of not doing that last night (I never go to Carl's Jr.) and I ended up with a chicken club that had 550 calories (luckily I had 300 remaining, but still...).

MochaMixAZ

Prepping ahead of time is a great strategy. Try to have a few pre-packaged grab foods around like individually wrapped string cheese, fruits, whole grain bread and peanut butter, etc.

But when that's not possible, I try to make healthier choices when eating out. (I have to do this on occasion when I travel) Some of my favorites:

- Order a grilled chicken breast sandwich, request no sauce and extra lettuce/tomato/toppings. Wendy's has a great one
- McDonald's and Wendy's both have decent salad choices - just skip their dressing or use very sparingly
- Starbucks has a great yogurt parfait. If I have extra calories to spare or I'm really hungry, I also like their mozzarella sandwich (it's about 500 calories, but it's very satisfying if it's for lunch). They also have a 400 calories reduced fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich
- Subway is always a strong choice - you can get a salad or a great turkey sandwich (no dressing, and pile the veggies high). These are usually high is sodium, but I still find that's a better choice for me than something high in fat or calories.

Best of luck!

anubis609

When I don't pre-make my lunch for work, I generally drive by Carl's JR. and order a yummy, low-calorie Original, Hawaiian grilled chicken, or Walnut, Apple, and Cranberry salad. Then I only use about half the dressing in the packet they give. It's no more than 400 calories.

Or I go to Subway and get a footlong Veggie Delite packed with as much veggies as I can cram into a sub with extra jalapenos, banana peppers, and bell peppers, with mustard, pepper, and vinegar.

Besides, I'm also the one driving, so I also choose to ignore the other fast food choices. If I'm not driving, I ignore the food coming into the car that's for other people with me. I'll request to go somewhere else. In a worst case scenario, I'll order the least fattening thing I can.

Cristy_AZ

I agree with ajweekley, preplanning is key. I have a wonderful husband who does tons of cooking so I do have an advantage there, but I also make sure I have healthy lunches and snacks packed when we are one the road (we pack a cooler of water and food even if we're just going to the mall). I haven't had fast food in a very long time, instead if I get stuck needing to eat in a hurry I will opt to hit a grocery store deli and can often make healthier choices there, even is its just buying low sodium sliced meat and cheese and rolling them up, they seem like fun treats, or buys a roll or bagels too and makes a sandwich, no drive through but its almost as quick as fast food, cheaper and healthier ... I really would like to believe I can avoid fast food.... forever! Some people do!

mirnavasquez

Make it a game!! If you absolutely have to drive thru somewhere, find the healthiest option on the menu: salads, no dressing, grilled chicken sandwiches with no mayo and get rid of the bread, NOTHING fried.

Even the Value Size items might be a better choice calorie wise. Do research on your spare time and see what Value Size items can equal less than 500 calories, you will be surprised!

Also, try and hit up places where you have to get out of the car and order, like Subway, Togo's or Panera. These 3 will have a Calorie Count on their Menu that will help you out, plus you will burn a few calories walking to the shop than just sitting in your car and waiting for your food.

The key is that you don't have to feel guilty about eating Fast Food, just as long as it's Smart Fast Food.

Capnoship

Wow, my wife and I had an awesome meal at AppleBees yesterday. They have some great options for low calorie meals. YUMMY! YUMMY! I guess it is just important to do your homework before heading out and decided how many calories you want to keep your meal below.