Healthy(er) Fast Food

armywife121110

So today I'm leaving on a 15 hour drive to Georgia.... I've packed TONS of water, and I have cheese, crackers and fruit. I'm afraid I'm gonna get really hungry and may need to stop. I HATE gas station food and I strongly DISLIKE fast food, but I know I may need to eat. Anyone have any ideas on the best food to get at any fast food restaurant??

If I can find a SUBWAY, i'll be stopping but if not ideas???

i dont want to have to stop to go inside if i dont have too. i have my puppy along in the car with me and do NOT want to leave him in there along especially with the heat!!

taso42_DELETED

What if you pop in to grocery stores instead of fast food stores and grab some food from there? You'll have much finer control over what you're eating. Maybe even bring a small cooler with you.

hifinm

Grilled chicken sandwichs from McDonalds and Wendys. Tell them no sauce. add your own mustard. also they both have grilled chicken snack wraps. Use mustard only again on those. The snack wraps are great for eating in the car.

MrsRobertson1005

oo thats a good idea, if anything get grilled chicken instead of fried or a burger, or a salad, lots of fast food places have salads not, just don't pour on a ton of dressing

shortee75

what about the chargrill chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A?

CorinthiaB

I go for the kid meal at fast food.

kittyloo123

wendy's has the new salads that look pretty good. What i do, when on the road, instead of fast food, it almost just as fast to pop into a grocery store,and got one of their premade salads, or cruise the deli. Lots of choices there. How about before you leave, cooking up some chicken breasts, and taking some cottage cheese, or carrot sticks, radishes, celery and hummus. You don't really have to do fast food on the road, unless you want to.

tlems

Arbys roast beef - is like 300 calories, and the salads are pretty lo cal...but stay away from the curly fries.

CarrieGinger

Taco bell has a light menu...the grilled chicken burrito I think has around 300 calories and very fulfulling! I eat it every once in awhile...

MrsB123111

I had gastric bypass two and a half months ago, and something similar happened to me. If fast food is the only option, I will get the kid's 2 piece chicken fingers from Sonic with apples and a diet soda. All of that is less than 300 calories. I also like Chik-Fil-A's grilled chicken sandwiches. I hope that helps! Good luck!

supershala

SUBWAY! Turkey or ham sandwich on wheat with mustard, no cheese, and all the veggies you want...under 300 calories.

kld4239

Always order the smallest everything when eating fast food - junior/kids size or small if necessary. Try and stay away from too many condiments - mayo, ketchup, dressing, etc. Even though you are on the road remember to drink plenty of water since fast food tends to have a lot of sodium.

dublvision2

Panera bread has some great sandwiches and salads.
I also will go with Wendy's grilled chicken or the kids crispy chicken meal (it's pretty close in calories to the bigger sandwiches)
Jimmie Johns or Lenny's sandwich shops have some great choices, too.

ChristyP0303

You are better off getting a regular hamburger instead of chicken or one of the salads. They can pack 1000mg or more of sodium!

Sweetcheeks278

I third the grocery store idea. But if you have to do fast food, Taco Bell is a good option - they have a whole Al Fresco menu and everything is under 300 calories - you can get 2 shrimp tacos for under 300. Lots of sodium tho. Have a fun and safe trip!

Kalrez

Burger King has a veggie burger that's pretty good. And apple fries (25 cal!) and a side salad.

If your cell phone has internet and if you're willing to sit for a min to figure a meal out, you can always check the MFP database for the calorie cost of your potential meal picks.

freerange

Chipotle, get the bowl, if you are going low carb, skip the beans, and go light on the rice, if you do low fat, skip the guac, cheese and sour cream

kvr414

What if you pop in to grocery stores instead of fast food stores and grab some food from there? You'll have much finer control over what you're eating. Maybe even bring a small cooler with you.

I second this! PB and J is a staple meal for me! add a few baby carrots on the side and you got yourself a nice, healthy, cheap meal. and you don't even have to stop for it! If you crave something salty, a bag of healthy whole grain corn chips do the trick for me.

But if you must stop to get food, panera is a GREAT option. their asian chicken salad is AMAZING! (no wonton strips) their soups are pretty reasonable too (expect the CRAZY HIGH SODIUM). Their sandwiches are decent, I mean, they're delicious, but not so low-cal, low-sodium, low-carb, low-fat. Any sliced deli meat will kill your sodium intake for the day...just a fact of life.

Happy travels!!

ShapeUpSidney

Chipotle? I cut calories by asking for my burrito without rice. It's awesome. I get plenty of grains in the whole wheat wrap instead.

I also think Wendy's has some good salads (compared to most chains).

rowdymcrowdy

Try McDonalds and get two chicken breast patties as side orders and two fruit and yogurt--The chicken is 110 calories each and the yogurt with out the granola is 130 cals with granola it is 160 cals

jenism

I'd opt for stopping at a fast food Japanese restaurant that serves sushi. Many grocery stores in my area sell sushi that is fairly decent.

craft338

at a lot of those big rest stops on my way to canada, i was able to find fresh bananas and a few good salads. i HAD to eat at a mcdonals cuz that's what everyone ELSE wanted, and they have some pretty amazing salads, i was pleasantly surprised

Andee08

what about the chargrill chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A?

I eat this all the time. The grilled chicken sandwich has 290 calories and the medium fruit cup has 70 calories. I usually get this with a unsweet tea (I LOVE sweet tea, but won't give in too often). It is actually very healthy and the sodium is not nearly as bad as you would think. Also, there is a Chick Fil-A on every corner in Georgia.

emmyvera

Subway can be great for calories but can pack lots of sodium! Eek. I do Subway veggie-style now a days.

Also that new salad at Wendy's is great! If you have time to pop in and sit down.
It's the berry chicken. It is really low cal and very delicious!

BuceesNana

Wendy's new Almond Berry Salad is really tasty and a full size with the fat-free dressing is about 400 calories. Good luck!

ilookthetype

True story:

I drove across the country with my best friend a few years ago. We got fastfood 3x, twice because she was a Taco Bell addict and once because well....we'd never had Watta Burger (?) and never will again. We stopped a diner once. We kept a cooler in the car with lunch meat, bread, mustard, fruits, snacks, whatever. And we didn't do it because it was healthy we did it because holy crow it was a million times cheaper. My suggestion, get a small cooler, throw in some chicken or turkey, some chopped veggies in baggies or tupperware, some fruit, some nuts...

abbyko

Yes, get a small cooler and pack it with some sandwich meat, buns, mustard, fruit and veggies, even some yogurt and granola. I did this when I drove down to Califronia, works really well and you can restock at grocery stores if you need to.

lapamperedchef

If your willing to stop try salads you can look up the nutrition info online. Wendy's new berry salad is good and only 450 cals. I would also recommend taking mixed nuts with you. Yes they are high in fat but the good fats in the keep you full longer. Drink lots of water. It's hot here in GA.

reepobob

I have an 8 hour commute twice a week and I pack all kinds of stuff, but one thing that really helps me are protein bars...typically around 250 calories and can stick with you for a while and are easy to eat while driving...GNC sells a protein bar called "The World's First 2:1 Protein Bar". It has a 2:1 protein to carb ratio and the oatmeal one tastes just like a chocolate oatmeal cookie...NOM NOM NOM

nickscutie

If you do stop for fast food, don't automatically think chicken is the better way to go. It could actually be worse than getting a small burger depending on where you are - calorie wise as well as sodium content.

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/nutrition-questions-tips-00412000071626/page9.html

CorinthiaB

hmm