A comment on fast food culture

Yesterday, the fridge at work stopped working and I lost some of my food I had brought for the day. I had to go out and grab lunch. I ended up at Wendy's and decided on 4 chicken nuggets and the smallest fry (~450 cals). I here the people preparing my order talking and one woman says, "Is this for a child? Who the f@#$ orders FOUR chicken nuggets."

Interesting commentary on what people typically order I think. My choices weren't even healthy and 450 cals is a larger meal for me but the worker thought I was in the minority on trying to portion control.

Replies

  • dhollowa9
    dhollowa9 Posts: 3 Member
    If I have to opt for Wendy's I get the grilled chicken wrap. Though it's 90 more cals, it has the same fat content as the 4 pcs and over twice the protein. I get 2 and just skip the fries.

    Regarding the portions, our food industry and culture continuously feed us images of high fat, high calorie food eaten by good looking trim people. I'm sure the staff usually doesn't see an adult ordering a "kids meal". I've been cutting for about 6 weeks (~ 1980 cals/day) and now that I'm hungrier at night it's even more apparent how evening television is filled with food commercials.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I often order the kids hamburger meal either at Wendy's or McD's and I've had a lot of weird and sometimes rude comments. My daughter was refused at McD's one time for not being a child! I've been ask if I'm going to play with the toy, is this just a snack, get a sneer when I ask for Diet Coke to go with it or once when I said no ice in the drink was told there are no calories in ice.

    I've noticed most of the servers at those places could step back from the judgement and take a look in the mirror themselves.
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
    I frequently order off the dollar menu, get a children's meal, etc. I've been lucky that no one has been rude (or brave) enough to say anything to me. And I've have never overheard anyone in the back either. How rude.

    I like the dollar menu, or grilled chicken sanwich w/lettuce & tomato only, a small chili, a plain baked potato, the salads, and yes, like I mentioned before, sometimes I'll get a kid's meal. You can hit the fast food chains, just fit it into your day (as best you can if it is unexpected). Then just keep going on.
  • tomg33
    tomg33 Posts: 305 Member
    I try to avoid fast food for this very reason; it's so calorically dense. I can easily eat 1500-2000 calories and be hungry 4-5 hours later. The old "chicken/steak/fish + rice/pasta/potato + non-starchy vegetables" is considered 'healthy' because you can eat like this all day and you'd be hard-pressed to not lose weight as long as your portions are reasonable.

    It would be a cold day in hell if your ONLY option was really a typical fast food meal... let's be honest! So if I do eat fast food it's planned and prepared for and I enjoy it worry-free ;)
  • Kaylaef
    Kaylaef Posts: 194 Member
    Screw it. I just go to subway :)
  • Keiras_Mom
    Keiras_Mom Posts: 844 Member
    A small chili at Wendy's is 210 calories. I fast with less than 500 calories 2 days per week, and that's a staple for me. Good protein and veggies, even though it's fast food.

    I hear you though on the eating culture in this country. Ugh.
  • I work in McDonalds in the UK as a crew member (the person at the till who takes your order) and I can tell you, that if the staff are caught by the manager for being rude to customers they will get a disciplinary, if you are unhappy with the service you should deffinatly complain to the management staff within the restaurant. That way, the staff making rude comments will get their disciplinary and hopefully they wont be making snide comments like that again in the future x
  • cosplayerkyo
    cosplayerkyo Posts: 30 Member
    Unfortunately fast food is cheap (priced) and convenient.

    Luckily, there's healthy-ish options you can take but man the temptation of french fries makes it hard.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    Yep another reason not to eat it!

    I woulda went to the grocery store and gotten earthbound farms mixed greens and topped it with feta, balsamic vinegar and a few olives. or green chili..
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    Next time buy a 20 pc and throw 16 at her face.
  • Tercob
    Tercob Posts: 151 Member
    Before i even started thinking about weight loss, i ordered kids meals for the toys....I write estiamtes for a living and when people bring their kids in I would give the mthe toys to keep them busy while I wrote my estimate. I never had anyone be rude or even comment on my order. Lots of times I would pick up food for my kids as a treat and eat something from home for me so who it to say who the food you are ordering for anyway. Very Rude people where you went.
  • Next time buy a 20 pc and throw 16 at her face.

    YES!
  • MeanSophieCat
    MeanSophieCat Posts: 200 Member
    Yesterday, the fridge at work stopped working and I lost some of my food I had brought for the day. I had to go out and grab lunch. I ended up at Wendy's and decided on 4 chicken nuggets and the smallest fry (~450 cals). I here the people preparing my order talking and one woman says, "Is this for a child? Who the f@#$ orders FOUR chicken nuggets."

    Interesting commentary on what people typically order I think. My choices weren't even healthy and 450 cals is a larger meal for me but the worker thought I was in the minority on trying to portion control.

    Haha! I was not looking for heathier options. I knew exactly what I was eating. I was well within my cals, I stayed full until my pre-workout snack, and enjoyed the small but salty bites. This was just a commentary on how strange it is that eating smaller portions is considered abnormal.
  • daphne_m
    daphne_m Posts: 84
    I'm pretty sure that someone who feels so passionately about another's fast food choices that they would swear loudly about it in public has some deeply troubling personal issues. Probably not so much a commentary on fast food as it is a reflection of the commenter's lack of boundaries.

    To me a children's meal is the perfect solution when I'm stuck for time and calories. I think the McDonalds nugget meal comes with three nuggets. Tasty! I'm yet to see a child finish a happy meal so I can only assume that fries, nuggets/cheeseburger and drink are too much for children but the right size for adults.
  • KevinsCatie
    KevinsCatie Posts: 137 Member
    Next time buy a 20 pc and throw 16 at her face.

    LOVE IT!!!
  • JessicaOnKeto
    JessicaOnKeto Posts: 364 Member
    Next time buy a 20 pc and throw 16 at her face.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :drinker: