mcdonalds

hayles1234

We eat out a fair bit and with two small kids the odd mcdonalds at the weekend often happens.

What, if anything, do you guys get when there?

What low calories options do they have?

suzycreamcheese

if its not every week, then id just get a small meal of what you fancy, but take it into account when planning the rest of the days food

melsinct

A hamburger (regular one, not Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, etc.) and a side salad doesn't do much damage at all. The fries are what will get you!

eri12345

If you go for breakfast you can get porridge which is good. They do salads at lunchtime but be careful to get grilled chicken and don't get the dressing. They also sell bags of fruit and carrots and cucumbers (you can exchange these for fries in the happy meal too).

keljo05

i get the grilled chicken cesar salad and use the dressing sparingly... and no or very few croutons

bilsboj

I've gone for a kids meal before now - if you have fruit instead of chips and a diet drink its not to bad - and the kids get an extra toy!

jiggs31

I did the same last night - we were going out after work and had to grab tea on the go - it ended up being a deli sandwich and small fries. I avoided the fizzy drink and went for small fries rather than large.

It still sent me over my calories for the day but I agree, just budget for it in your daily amount. Or exercise later on to stop the guilt!!!

momma3sweetgirls

I haven't been in quite a while. I used to get a hamburger, side salad with a minute amount of dressing , and a diet coke.

leomom72

it depends on how many calories you can afford to use..use this

http://www.eddieoneverything.com/nutrition_info/calculators/McDonalds_calorie-calculator

tcsteeves

I get the Grilled barbeque snack wraps. They are not bad in calories and much better than crispy chicken. When I went there last weekend I asked for their nutrition information. It's on the back of the place mats they put on the trays. We brought one home. That tells you everything you need to know.

beckajw

I usually get a salad (any of them) with grilled chicken and always the low fat balsamic dressing, no croutons.

Sometimes I get a regular hamburger and small fries. Or a regular hamburger and apple slices.

bitterbb

When I did ww years ago I would get a grilled chicken sand no mayo and add bbq sauce. It was like 9 points. Calorie wise I'm not sure what it would be. Stay away from, fried stuff and mayo. HTH

shumatet1982

Hey there. I try to annoy the people as often as I can. I order everything without sauce. The problem thoug is, that the meat has a lot of fat (taste ...).
If I was you, I would try to avoid mayonese, and all other sauces and go with salt and pepper (this way, you'll see, that their food doesn't taste that good after all)
I would avoid the fries, and all sugar drinks.

Stick to burgers, the smaller, the better, and just order them without sauce.

This is my way.

lfclancy

i get the grilled chicken cesar salad and use the dressing sparingly... and no or very few croutons

That is what I get too. My daugter gets McDonalds as a treat sometimes during the week. Then I try to just get her lunch & then I eat at home.

kehowe83

For breakfast they have a fruit and maple oatmeal which isnt bad if you keep away from the brown sugar and some of the other additives. I tend to love their fruit and yogurt parfaits; at 160 calories, you can have 2!

paulettac

grilled chicken on wheat bun and apple dippers, salads with fat free dressing.
for breakfast I get oatmeal or egg mcmuffin

stv1520

Men's Health just had a McD's meal as a good breakfast. The egg McMuffin meal with hash browns and a coffee. Something like 430 total calories, plus the protein to help keep ya full!

www.menshealth.com

dontstopnow

the fruit and walnut salad or apple dippers are both great options!

ashley0616

If I go, it's a special indulgence. I have almost always (even before my lifestyle changes) just ordered a happy meal with a cheeseburger, apples, and chocolate milk. It's not healthy by any means, the burgers are seriously greasy, but like I said it's a treat once in a blue moon.

kimd1974

The Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad is fantastic. The dressing is also great and reduced fat. I only use 1/2 the pack and it is plenty.

SUPERSIZESWEETPEA

Stay away, Mc Donald's is EVIL!!! LOL!
Sorry, I just had Mc Donalds for lunch and it pretty much messed up my day, actually I can't blame McDonalds, I made the choice to go there but I would still advise you to look at another fast food alternative that's healthier like Subway!

Megn_11

One nice thing about fast food restaurants now is they have their nutrition facts listed on their website. Before you go out, check out their facts to see what would fit in your daily alottment. I opt for the oatmeal at McDonalds. Delicious!! Subway also has the option to build a virtual sandwich and adds up the nutrition facts for you. I love that option. Taco Bell has the same option. They even had a "diet menu", but be aware a lot of those are loaded with sodium. Hope that helps.

ababygrace

I go for a happy meal because many of the salads have lots of calories. I miss the old fashioned chef salads that McDonald's use to carry.

Ambrogio1

I have to small kids as well. I sometimes get them burgers from BK but never does it feel good.
I would avoid it all all cost anda finds a new place to eat on the run. ANYWHERE But those fast food joints.

Its terrible for you!!!! I promise to never go again if you promise to.

says the hypocritical human

I do let my boys eat the egg and cheese wrap from D n D. Because having it microwaved I don't see too much that is bad with that. Add in a jelly munchkin and their pretty happy

Puggled

I used to go to Mcdonald's quite a lot with my friends and used get quite annoyed with only having having fatty foods to eat. Then I started having a bottle of water or something healthy from the supermarket before going in. That meant I only needed a coffee while everyone stuffed their face. What I would warn you is the urge to pinch a chip is always there but I suppose it's it's a lot better than a supersized meal.
Have you tried offering your kids an alternative treat to tempt them away from Mcd's? You can have a cake when we get home home or some chocolate instead of a Mcdonalds then you can eat healthy at home while they chow down on sweets.
What ever you do, don't fall for the salads!

Tiggermummy

I will often use mcdonalds if I have to eat out with the kids because i used to work there as a teenager, so I have a rough idea
on how to make it healtheir.

I always always place a grill order - quarterpounder - plain or with onions - cos they are raw.
I detest ketchup anyway it is always too sweet.
I always order fries with no salt for me & the kids too. this makes a huge difference to sodium levels and it is rare to get fries which are not hot, in fact I'd be quite suspious if they weren't, I do watch them as the pack them up as it is easy for them to forget.

I only drink diet coke or water depending on mood and how I am doing with my water levels!

I eat the meat from the burger but not the bun. and have a regular fries or share a medium between me and the kids (both under 5) this means my meal works out at about 445 cals, 27g fat and 180mg salt.

You are fine having salads but remember any dressing tends to add silly amounts of cals and croutons have lots of fat in them.

I look at it as a moderation thing, this is my new lifestyle, but I am not going to stop having mcdonalds and other takeways nor am I going to stop my kids from going there, I will just try and teach them that it is an occasional thing not an every week thing.
much to my eldest daughters disgust when in formed last weekend that she wasn't having chips as she'd had them on the friday evening. Fries/chips are a once a week treat in our family.

hope some of the suggestions help.

hayles1234

Thanks guys. Bottle of water and sniff of a chip it is.

WeeThistle

Hayley, I eat 1500 calories a day. Today I've had - an alpen light bar and a bowl of All Bran for Breakfast, a 6 chicken nugget meal with medium fries and diet coke for lunch and a weight watchers pizza, garlic petit pain and weight watchers toffee yogurt for tea. I've stayed under calories, fat, sat fat and carbs for the day so it can be done!

Sarah xx


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

lovetowrite73

If I'm going to McDonald's, it's usually not to try to be healthy so I just go all out and deal with it. It's not like I'm going there and eating like that on a daily basis. The last time I went, I got a Filet O'Fish and a small fries - no drink, I'm done with soda. I believe I did a double Insanity workout that day so I still wasn't over my calories but even if I was, I wouldn't have fretted too much. I know the next meal would have been tons healthier anyhow. :happy:

BflSaberfan

I usually get a happy meal.

starkiss100

Hamburger, side salad. Watch the dressing, high in calories and/or sodium. Fruit and yogurt parfait or fruit and walnut salad is good with a haumburger too. I also like the apple dippers! Low fat caramel sauce.