Fast Food Ain't Bad If You Choose Wisely

dimoul

I've lost 80 lbs on MFP. Like an entire 10-year old or something. But I confess I eat out all the time at fast food places. I understand the arguments against fast food, but it has changed for the better and beats traditional restaurants if you are trying to lose weight. For example, fast food is better at publishing nutritional information than other restaurants. Portion sizes are also smaller. Example: Think egg McMuffin (small, 300 cal) compared to some mystery breakfast sandwich at a local restaurant. You'd just be guessing at the number of calories in the mystery sandwich. Or a chicken soft taco from taco bell, fresco style, versus the mystery taco from Julio's around the corner. You get the idea. Pretty much every fast food place has something on the menu that fits your calorie program. My kids love McDonald's. I get the southwest grilled chicken salad (290 cal) with light balsamic dressing (40 cal) all the time. I can sometimes get an ice cream cone (150 cal) with it, or snag a few fries from the kids. McD's salad is better than other fast food salads by far and much cheaper, faster, and lower in calories than traditional restaurants' salads. And there is no guesswork because the calories are published on the website and listed at the restaurant. It took my kids about a year to catch on to my way of eating fast food. They now go for lower calorie options, too. Maybe they quit fast food when they are older. But if they don't, they'll know how to pick wisely.

taylor5877

I usually get a grilled chicken classic with no mayo and an added chicken breast.

390 calories and a lot of protein.

pastryari

Or you could make your own food....?

Zeromilediet

Or you could make your own food....?

^^+1

auroranflash

It's the truth, and I still have go-to's at restaurants for when I forget to bring my lunch, however -

1. The closer you get to your goal weight, the more your food choices are going to matter

2. It's cheaper to buy and make your own food (enough to last the week, i.e. chili, burgers, soups, tuna salad, chicken salad, etc) than to stop constantly, and it will more than likely have a better nutritional profile than something you could scoop up at a fast food joint

3. Planning ahead has been key for me. The more I plan the week out, the better off I am, and the less inclined I am to have spur of the moment splurges because, yeah, the chicken sandwich would be the best choice, but it's been a crappy day and I want a cheeseburger and fries.

Just 'food' for thought...

hottottie11

Or you could make your own food....?

..Or sometimes you want something quick without fussing in the kitchen. Occasional fast food stops aren't going to kill you. The point was to demonstrate that you can have some fast food, make your selections wisely and have it still fit into your daily caloric needs.

Shadowsan

My guilty pleasure is actually a chicken shish kebab (2 skewers), salad, pitta bread, no sauce.

All in all, it's super tasty and to be honest... The quality of it is pretty great when compared to general fast food. Quite possibly one of the healthiest fast foods you can get your hands on if a 'takeaway night' is your thing.

ctooch99

Although I don't disagree with you on the fact that if eaten responsibly, fast food items can fit into the proper daily calorie intake, I think there are other aspects about fast food that still keep it on my sh_t list as far as food I choose to avoid in my diet.

First off is the entire environment - bright colors, photos, smells, everything designed to encourage over consumption (especially targeting children).

Let's face it, who can walk into McDonalds and not immediately start salivating at the smell of the their French Fries? I can honestly say I have not eaten a McDonalds french fry in over 2 years, but if I walked into any McDonalds tomorrow, I would immediately crave them once I smelled them. Their food is designed this way to be over consumed intentionally - from the smells, the colors the large packaging - everything. It's designed to make you want it and crave it and that is really insidious.

If you can go into McDonalds and eat a small chicken sandwich or a salad and be done with it, more power to you - most people can't and don't - hence the widespread obesity issues associated with fast food. You can say people are weak and undisciplined, but I see it as their food design plan doing it's job very effectively - luring people to over-order at the register and over-indulge at the table. McDonalds is not in the "moderation" business they are in the "consumption" business.

Also, food is more than just calories. There is carbs, sodium (through the roof in most fast food items) and just the whole "Franken-Food" aspect of fast food (ie mysterious Pink Sludge burgers and fries that are barely made of potato).

Also, the local socio-economic aspect. Why would I enrich McDonalds who essentially poisons us and pollutes the environment with wrappers and cups and crappy food when I can go to Arnie, my local butcher, pick up whole, lean beef burgers that he gets from the local farmer, cook them on a grill pan with a light olive oil and little black pepper and put them on 12 grain bread from the local bakery and enjoy it 10 times more than a Big Mac???

I can control the sodium, how it is handled and I know more about where the meat came from, plus I am supporting my local butcher and baker as opposed to a giant exploitative corporation who manipulates and sells garbage to the public and who would be just as happy to see both of them out of business.

Again, I don't disagree with you on the essential fact that anyone can stay within their calorie intake and eat fast food, I just personally see a wider array of benefits in avoiding it than just my calorie counts... The Fast Food mentality is why their is an obesity epidemic. People really need to learn how to shop and prepare their own food to more appreciate the efftect it has on their health and lives - just my opinion.

pastryari

Or you could make your own food....?

..Or sometimes you want something quick without fussing in the kitchen. Occasional fast food stops aren't going to kill you. The point was to demonstrate that you can have some fast food, make your selections wisely and have it still fit into your daily caloric needs.

But I confess I eat out all the time at fast food places. <---- That was taken from the OP. The point I got was the OP eating out all the time and saying it works for them.

Nothing wrong with eating fast food ( I do occasionally ) but "all the time" is a different story.

Rocbola

I like some of the fast food salads, but most of them come with cheese on them, so even if i request no chicken, i usually forget to request no cheese. Even if you get the side salad, it's usually covered in cheese. That doesn't comply with my hippy vegan diet style, so i usually just avoid fast food altogether.

momtokgo

I like some of the fast food salads, but most of them come with cheese on them, so even if i request no chicken, i usually forget to request no cheese. Even if you get the side salad, it's usually covered in cheese. That doesn't comply with my hippy vegan diet style, so i usually just avoid fast food altogether.

Same here. Fast food doesn't go well with my hippy vegan diet style, or my Cealic disease. So I stay away. Once in awhile I'll get some fries if we go out as a family, or a plain baked potato from Wendys.

dimoul

Or you could make your own food....?

I could and I sometimes do, but that gets boring and then I switch it up. And most days I would have to pack 2 meals, sometimes 3, which is burdensome. I'm too lazy to cook and clean and stuff, especially when there is instant gratification at almost every street corner. But I'll bike 150+ miles in a week just 'cuz.

tikafly

You may be having a salad, but (by the sound of it) your kids are still getting the junk.

omgiacobbi

Even with the "reasonable" amount of calories, I still cannot justify 350 calories for a chicken sandwich. I could eat twice as much at home with fresh ingredients for the same amount of calories. Plus, have you ever worked at Mcd's? Or a Burger King? Everyone I have ever talked to who has worked there can no longer eat the food, knowing how it is prepared.

Oh, and by the way, that Egg mcmuffin you like? It has 820 mgs of sodium. Compared to my homemade version, which only has 277, and it only has 198 calories. Yeah, I think I'll stay away from fast food, thanks.

deksgrl

The problem is there is usually way too much sodium and fat and cholesterol, and not as much nutrients as "healthier" foods.
The only fast food that I found you could make really healthy choices is Pita Pit. I don't know if they have those everywhere, I just discovered it recently.